Fresh Water Dip???

[shnabbles]

I have a Copper Banded butterfly that seems to have a case of Ich.
Its eyes look foggy and there is dots all over it... It is hanging around the very top of the water.
Should i try a fresh water dip?
I dont have a hospital tank
Is it to late for him? Should i take him out if its to late for him hopping not to infect my other fish?

 

[rgmason]

Fresh water dips are effective in removing ick from your fish. That saying ick is always in your fish tank. Fresh water dips to me are personally great for killing parasites its the secondary infection that kills most fish.
Also what size tank do you have and what are your water parameters. Most mods will ask that before even thinking about it.(correct me if im wrong).

 

[shnabbles]

I gave him a dip for 5 minutes... he did ok through it and looked better then he originally did when he went back into the tank.
2 hours later he was on his last breath......i put him in a bowl of salt water so he wouldnt wonder behind a rock... and he passed within a minute of going into the bowl...
I have to admit i didnt think he'd make it... i couldnt get him to eat a single thing since we got him..
God speed little fishy! just keep swimming just keep swimming.... dont worry little fella all drains lead to the ocean!

 

[rgmason]

Sorry to hear about your loss fellow reefer/fowlr dont let it get your hopes down keep on truckin and learn from this. Ive lost a couple of fish due to inexpiernce it sucks but i learned and im now going on 2 years without a loss.

 

[dogstar]

CBBF are very delicate fish and require certain conditions and food Im not saying not to try again but to learn all you can about them first and if you think your system is good for one then fine.
Sorry for the loss.

 

[thangbom]

yyeah ccbf are perdy hard to care for.. and a 5 minute fesh water dip!!! wow.. i only do it for about 30 sec if i do them..... but the clowdy eye thing dont sound like ich to me... sound more like popeye....... and as for a QT/HT... u can use just about anything that can hold water.. (clean 5 gal bucker.. punch bowl..but the bigger the better.. ut not too big...) and then stick a powerhead in there with some tank water... if it's a emergency.. either that or have 1 set up .. like a 10 gal tank with a hob filter... set up 24/7 like i do..

 

[shnabbles]

the cbbf was a risk in a reef tank anyway.. .And i did read up on how hard they were to care for.. we tried to see it eat at the LFS and it didnt and their excuse was it was just acclimated and they dont eat when they first get acclimated... which was true it was just acclimated.... but i new it was a risk.

 

[thegrog]

Sorry for your loss.
Not to preach here, but a quarantine tank would have prevented this/made it easier to treat. A simple 10 gallon tank (like $8), a HOT filter, small heater, air pump and a sponge filter is all you need. Put some PVC in there for structure, paint or cover the bottom (fish don't like the clear/reflective bottom, stressful) and you have a QT/hospital tank! Total cost around $35. I've never lost a fish due to disease using strict QT protocols.
Now you have to worry about ich in your main tank. Ich has a life cycle and it can live up to 4 weeks without fish to host on.
As for the dips, they are great at removing some parasites (black spot, mites). But use them cautiously. Be sure the water you are dipping them in is the same temp and pH as the water they came from. Otherwise the shock will cause a great deal of harm to an already stressed fish! A digital pH meter is invaluable in this!
Good luck!