[Proud Texan]

Ok ive had my tank for over a year.... now i just had a bicoler blenny die and now my copper band butterfly fish is in the corner breathing heavily.

The symptoms in the blenny where: Color Loss/ cloudy eyes/ heavy breathing/ scrathing on the sand.

The only symptom i can see in the copper band is heavy breathing.

I tested the water 3 days ago and
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
Ph:8.3

I will test again if need be but right now this looks like a parasite to me...

[pogodzib]

There are not many parasites that would affect fish like that without being able to be seen on the fish's scales. Take a close look to see if you can see anything. Internal issues usually take a while to develop so you can probably rule that out. If you can't see anything on the fish, my best guess would be that you had something happen to your water quality. I'd make sure that your water is getting plenty of oxygen by increasing surface agitation and making sure your skimmer is sucking in plenty of air. Also, adding an airstone into the tank for a little while may be beneficial, if you can find a place for it that won't impact your corals directly. The next thing I would do would be a 25% water change and then wait and see how your fish respond.

[noodles]

Been there. Wipe out 2 times.

[Skip Mcmahan]

sounds like Velvet

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VM/VM00400.pdf
amyloodinium treatments - Google Search

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by Pyrrhus

sounds like Velvet

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VM/VM00400.pdf
amyloodinium treatments - Google Search

Lets not jump to conclusions. Velvet has external signs. Follow my previous recommendations and look for external signs of disease first. If you don't see anything, the best bet would be that there is something in your tank water.

[Skip Mcmahan]

Pogo- lack of o2 would not cause the symptoms that the OP is describing. Velvet is a very difficult parasite to detect in many marine fish. I can almost guarantee that this is not a water quality or oxygenation issue, the fish scratching is usually a sure sign of a parasite.

Oxygenation and water changes will not help these fish. If the issue were environmental the fish would exhibit similar symptoms at the same time, perhaps with less active fish showing symptoms at a later time, this is not the case here.

If the OP wants to try to save his fish, I would recommend treating it as velvet, little to nothing will be lost if you do and it isnt velvet, your fish will die if it is velvet and you dont treat for it soon.

[pogodzib]

I've dealt with velvet before and it is not that difficult to detect on fish. A lack of oxygen alone will not cause all of the symptoms that he is describing, but it can heavy breathing as the fish gasps for air. All of the other symptoms can be caused if something is bad with the water quality, like a chemical that got sprayed in the air in the same room as the tank.