[RH]

My golden butterfly got fin rot and some little cotton balls at the tip of the fins. I setup a 15g hospital tank for it and I am using Melafix and Stress coat for a week but didn't see any improvement (didn't get worst either). It eats and swim around OK. The hospital tank only has a power filter and air stone, the Melafix & stress coat will make the potein skimmer goes crazy. Any suggestion, experience on medication? Should I add a cleaner wrass or shrimp in the hospital to help it? Should I put it back to the main tank? the 15g is kinda small for butterfly. It is a lovely fish, want to see it recover soon.

[Bughead]

hi, and welcome to the board.
Sounds like your butterfly has Lymphocystis commonly known as cauliflower disease. It a virus that primarily attacks skin and fin tissue.

This infections occurs regularly in marine fish, particularly butterflies. It's unlikely that the cleaner shrimp or wrasse will clean it, but the good news is it's not life threatening and often disappears on its own. Some people suggest scraping it off with your fingernail, but I'd think doing that would be more stressful on both the fish and you.

Your plan of action here is fine. It's what I'd do. Right now I have my huge powder blue tang in the 10 gal hospital tank. I'm treating him with Melafix for a secondary bacterial infection due to ich. I'm also adding stress coat to the water. I'm using only a small Penguin filter and a small power head.

As long as your fish is eating there in the qt tank, I'd leave him until his condition is cleared up. My tang is on a feeding strike, so I'll probably return him to the main tank tomorrow, since he's been under medication for 7 days, and looks good even though his eye isn't completely cleared.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[fishrule]

Bughead, I have heard only angels get that disease. Also, cleaner wrasse can help clean up your fish. In time, it should go away by its self. Feed vitamins selcon, etc for additional help. For additional assistance you can e-mail a marine biologist at MarineBio@thatpetplace.com.

[Bughead]

I don't know of any fish that wouldn't possibly get lymphocystis, since it's a virus. I've seen butterflies and wrasses and I had a Picasso trigger that had huge cauliflowers by his fins. The good news is that unless it interfers with the gills or mouth it's usually harmless and eventually goes away on its own. Think warts.

[the_blue_tuna]

I agree with Bughead , as long as the fish is eating then there is no immediate danger. The problem usually comes in the form of a secondary infection or interfering with the fish eating. Just pump in the selcon and it should clear up soon.If it does start interfering with eating then you should scrape off the growth and apply a small amount of Iodine or mercurichrome to prevent infection,but only it it starts causing trouble. Lymphocystis can be contracted by all fish . It is fairly common on Clownfishes. HTH.

[GregD]

Based on my experiences both melafix and stress coat are additives that will help promote healthy skin and slime coats on the fish, however it is not a medicine and will not kill or attack infections on the fish. (basically it just helps the fish fight it naturally).

JME,

Greg

[RH]

After treating with melafix for almost 2 wks but see no recovery, I design to give the butterfly a helper. I added a cleaner shrimp to the hospital tank yesterday and the butterfly knows help has come right the way. The butterfly is staying close to the shrimp and following it wherever it goes, hopeing it will help to clean out the parasite. Sometimes it even point the fin to the shrimp to show the fins needs a cleanup but the shrimp seems to be interested in going around the tank and know the enviroment first. Hopefully, the cleaner shrimp will do its job after it feels comfortable on the new enviroment.

[MicroReefer]

I recently rescued a CopperBand BF from a Petco! He looked pretty healthy and I knew he was doomed if I left him there. He had small white tufts of cotton on the edge of several fins. It was a challenge to get him to eat, but he is taking brine shrimp and even nibbling at Formula one so things are looking up.

But in the course of getting him to eat I bought a small (under 2") Puntcato BF at a local store. After a few days of getting used to the tank, the Punctato started cleaning the Copperband! Almost all the white stuff is gone!

Rescue effort complete!

[RH]

Do you mean Puntcato Butterfly can be a cleaner? I saw it in ff-express for $14. Does it take frozen food? I just put my Golden BF back to the main tank even though it has not get any better. I find it quite difficult to keep my water parameter good in a the hospital tank. And he is happier in the main tank. He is happier in the main tank. He like to chase feeder fish with the grouper (even though he won't eat it). I will just let him stay here and add a good cleaner fish.

[ChrisN87]

My clownfish has this stuff. I told my LFS that I was going to scrape it off and they said "No No! It will cause you and your family members sickness".

I went home and checked out my books on it.. Aquariums For Dummies says...

Tuberculosis..

Treatment:
....At this time there is no known treatment, and in my opinion, its not worth risking your own health or the health or your family....