Bluespot Butterfly dead after 2 days

[comet_nut]

Im at a total loss about this. I bought a bluespot butterfly two days ago, about 4inch big. I acclimatised it over an hour and it seemed to settle in quickly. I kept the white light off as a precaution and just left the blue light on. It seemed happy for the first few hours, swimming around the entire tank and picking the algae off the rocks. About three hous after putting it in it started to swim into things such as rock and veges clips on the glass. It didn't eat but I assumed that was normal for any new fish.
I rand the LFS yesterday morning after the fish started to swim around in circles in the corner of the tank. I was advised to keep the lights low and just give it another 48hrs to setlle down.
I checked on it late last night and found that it had been crashing into the rock again and there was a patch of reddish scales on both sides just its fins. Once again it didn't want to eat.
Checked on it thismorning and it was dead. Rang the LFS again and spoke to the manager who was at a loss. They nicely gave me a store credit for it. Im just at a total loss.
It was in a QT tank of 30gallons with 20lb live rock. Tank parameters are: Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 and nitrate 10. It was in with a small blue damsel, but the damsel took one look at the size of the butterfly and it stayed well away.
The butterflys breathing appeared normal and its eyes were not cloudy.
The LFS I bought it from only sells handcaught fish, so cynaide shouldn't be an issue.
The other thing I noticed was that the butterfly never ventured into the rock that I had in the tank. Normally the new fish head straight for it and then venture out.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[unleashed]

its may be possible the fish was newly acquired by the store itself and did not have proper acclimation time to your store before you purchased it.its best to be sure the new fish have been in your store for at the minimum time of 2 weeks before attempting to take it home to be sure the fish is healthy and eating prepaired foods for them before you buy them.its good your LFS was nice to credit you for your loss thats good business IMO

 

[puffer32]

I would acclaimate all new fish for at least 2 hrs, don't think an hr is long enough, sorry you lost your fish

 

[dogstar]

I never had a Bluespot BF Chaetodon plebius but the book Marine Fishes by Michael gives them the lowest rateing on hardiness. I dont know how much research you have done on this species but you should do some if not yet.

 

[madman33]

As puffer said i would suggest more than 1hr for acclimation...especially for butterflies. I would recomend at LEAST 2 HRS but more like 3 for such and unhardy(if thats a word) butterfly like that one... Also agree with unleashed. Check to see how long they had him b4 selling it to u. SOry for your loss

 

[triggernut]

Hi,
Yeah Butterfly's are hard to keep. They don't like nitrates at all. I had gotten a butterfly a lemon peel one beautiful man and it died in lees than 24 hours. It had a red spot on its gills. I know my aneomne didn't touch it. I thought it was one of my fish messing with it but no they are very delicate it seems. I have a 75 gallon. I lost that one 30 bucks! I was P---ssed off!!!!!!!

Yeah stay away from em.
Triggs