Help!!!

[hunk]

Guys

My Girlfriend's Butterfly is DEAD!!!!! for no apparent reasons!!! The water qaulity is good. No NO2, minimum nitrates and Ph is 8.4 KH is 8dkh. Temp is 26 degree celsius, SG is 1.022.

The butterfly seems to have cobwebs covering his body and eyes, it occurs only this morning and by noon its dead. His only tanks mates are a bi colour angel, which is doing well a coral banded shrimp

The tank is a 16 gallon with canister filetration, bio balls as medium and surface skimmer. Pls Help what happen?

I have a butterfly in my tank too, it has been released intio my tank 2 weeks ago and its doing fine but that cannot be said for my Girlfriend's

Lastly, for my Girl friend's tank, Iu have done a fishless cycle for her, testedf the water before putting in the butterfly and now its dead. I am so sad

[MonoSebaelover]

The "cobwebs" sound like the Butterfly produced excess slime to ward off infection or attack or something. Was he eating? And what were his tankmates? Butterflies, Angels and Tangs do not do well in newly established tanks due to sudden swings in some elements like salinity, or temp, or pH among others. So I would guess it just wasn't strong enough to go through the rigors of a new tank. I would suggest letting her get another fish and wait 6 months to add another one. Also what kind of butterfly was it? Anyway, hope this helps.

[OrionGirl]

Actually--I would not get another one at all. Butterflies should NOT be kept in a 16 gallon tank. They need a tank that is at least 30 gallons--and for many, even that will be too small.

[hunk]

No the Butter is dead, I do not know what species it belongs to but its not eating as I do not know what to feed him with, I tried brine shrimp but it wouldnt touch.

OG is right butterflies are too big for a 16 gallon. i will not repeat the mistake again.

BTW just for my info, what does they feed on? I have one butterfly in my 45 gallon, its doing fine, I have nothing to feed him but I see that he keep pecking at my lr but he leaves my corals alone. My friend recommended psychoflea (dont know if I spell correctly) I heard that its live plankton and they will eat

Quite confused now, pls help.

[MonoSebaelover]

Thanks Orion, I missed that. I thought you both had 45 gallons. The BIG problem with Butterflies is most are obligate coral feeders and that is all that they will eat. Some of the most beautiful butterflies like the Ornate and the Meyers among others are all obligate coral feeders (primarily Acropora polyps) and will not survive in captivity. Go to www.wetwebmedia.com and go to the marine section and look up butterflies and try and id so we can help you more. Without an id we can't say what they eat. Anyway, hope this helps.

[hunk]

Ok I think I got the species its a copperband or http://www.wetwebmedia.com/chelmon.htm But I do not know what kind of food it takes

[MonoSebaelover]

Whatever food you can get him to eat will be his food. They are notoriously difficult to feed due to the all the stress they receive in shipping. The problem is I don't know what foods you have out there in Singapore so can't help you there. I could list tons of possible foods to feed here in the States but you said before they are not available there, so why don't you list some available frozen foods there. Hope this helps.

[hunk]

Thanks a million Mono, you are really a great helper.

[liquafaction]

copper banded love aiptaisa.

[hunk]

Thks liquid but where can I get apitasia? Are they sold in freeze or dried forms?

[MonoSebaelover]

Aptasia are live anemones that come in on live rock. They are all brown have a brown disc and brown tentacles that are long and thin. If you look at the wetwebmedia site and go to anemones then look at anemones it should be in there. Anyway, hope this helps.