Ich or velvet?

[Justin101714]

Have had this Blue Throat for 2 weeks. I found out my pump for my UV was off for whatever reason and I don’t know how long. It’s been back on for a few days now. Multiple fish were showing signs of ich, which made me check my UV bulb and the pump which is how I found my pump was off. In the case of the blue throat though….ich or velvet? He continues to eat and navigate the tank normally. I had velvet years ago in a different tank and they fell rapidly to it. From what I can tell, no labored breathing and no swimming into flow. All other fish have lost spots and are acting fine.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have had this Blue Throat for 2 weeks. I found out my pump for my UV was off for whatever reason and I don’t know how long. It’s been back on for a few days now. Multiple fish were showing signs of ich, which made me check my UV bulb and the pump which is how I found my pump was off. In the case of the blue throat though….ich or velvet? He continues to eat and navigate the tank normally. I had velvet years ago in a different tank and they fell rapidly to it. From what I can tell, no labored breathing and no swimming into flow. All other fish have lost spots and are acting fine.

Pics will be needed using bright white light intensity, no blue to clearly determine
Ich shows spot first
Either will treat the same using coppersafe at 2.25ppm for a full 30 days

 

[Justin101714]

Oh, my video don’t attach..hang on.

 

[Justin101714]

Pics will be needed using bright white light intensity, no blue to clearly determine
Ich shows spot first
Either will treat the same using coppersafe at 2.25ppm for a full 30 days

 

[Justin101714]

I haven’t been able to get him in white light. He disappears…

 

[vetteguy53081]

based on size and location on the fish- Its ich and in addition to coppersafe or copper power, do not interrupt this 30 day period and monitor copper level with a Hanna Brand copper test kit- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone. All other fish in with it should also be removed as they have also been exposed to the parasites and placed in quarantine tank.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off.
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a tank from a second hand store, a Rubbermaid type tub or a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

 

[Justin101714]

I’m okay with ich, I’ve practiced ich management through proper UV exposure and proper feeding for 8 years on all of these larger fish in the tank. This trigger is new to the system. I observed him for a week before purchasing him just to see how he acted and to see if any disease popped up during that time. I’ve had my fights with velvet and ich eradication in the past running tanks fallow and doing TTM as well as the proper copper concentration being monitored in QT tanks, I don’t subscribe to much of those anymore as I’ve had more success with observing the fish in an isolated tank at my LFS prior to purchase and the practicing of management of the ich rather than complete eradication. The only thing that trips me sometimes is the intensity and size of spots can trick my eye when trying to determine ich or velvet.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m okay with ich, I’ve practiced ich management through proper UV exposure and proper feeding for 8 years on all of these larger fish in the tank. This trigger is new to the system. I observed him for a week before purchasing him just to see how he acted and to see if any disease popped up during that time. I’ve had my fights with velvet and ich eradication in the past running tanks fallow and doing TTM as well as the proper copper concentration being monitored in QT tanks, I don’t subscribe to much of those anymore as I’ve had more success with observing the fish in an isolated tank at my LFS prior to purchase and the practicing of management of the ich rather than complete eradication. The only thing that trips me sometimes is the intensity and size of spots can trick my eye when trying to determine ich or velvet.

Ich management is often a shortcut and too late with the infection seen. TTM is stressful but effective, but my concern is the coverage of disease which Copper is the quickest cure as infestation has been established

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’m okay with ich, I’ve practiced ich management through proper UV exposure and proper feeding for 8 years on all of these larger fish in the tank. This trigger is new to the system. I observed him for a week before purchasing him just to see how he acted and to see if any disease popped up during that time. I’ve had my fights with velvet and ich eradication in the past running tanks fallow and doing TTM as well as the proper copper concentration being monitored in QT tanks, I don’t subscribe to much of those anymore as I’ve had more success with observing the fish in an isolated tank at my LFS prior to purchase and the practicing of management of the ich rather than complete eradication. The only thing that trips me sometimes is the intensity and size of spots can trick my eye when trying to determine ich or velvet.

I agree - this is ich, not velvet (the spots are too large and the fish is still eating). However, IMO, the number of spots are too high for ich management to really work, I think you are going to need to treat all of the fish as outlined by @vetteguy53081 . I know that's tough to do, but what happens is that the ich parasite itself becomes a stressor and then other fish will likely begin developing spots.