ID please - ich or velvet

[Addited&affraid]

Ok, I think i already know this answer but worth getting a second opp. long story short Ive lost 4 fish within a 24hr window. and 7 total over the past 3 weeks. Thought it was ich based on the symptoms and behaviors. All fish were eating swimming and acting normal. When i first noticed signs of white specs ~4 weeks ago i started dosing hydrogen peroxide and stopped when the white dots dissipated. I should have followed the 6 week program. about a week or so ago I lost power for 30min and signs showed back up next day. started hydrogen peroxide dosing again. symptoms started to slack back, then lost a powder blue (lots of white spots), a week later my hippo (a few white spots), and now today I've lost a 5y purple tang (take any picture of velvet and id say its identical), canary blenny (no visible illness), stary blenny (no visible illness), and a clown (a few white spots).

I suspect velevt, just need confermation....

QT is in the works but wont be set up in time I fear.

 

[Gone Reefin’]

I’m 90% this is ich or ich mixed with something else. The timeline matches, and the pics match. The periods you saw “getting better” were the parasite resting stage. It has come back at critical mass (qty overcoming the fish) which is why you are seeing deaths.

Once again, I can’t rule out concurrent parasites, but I believe ich is part of it.

 

[christinna77]

Not a fish medic, but unfortunately hydrogen peroxide only helps with very mild cases. It's more of an ich management method, not a real treatment. In your case it didn't work, since it kept coming back in waves, worse each time, and eventually led to fish deaths.

A full copper power treatment in a separate QT at 2.25 ppm started right away, will most likely be recommended to save your remaining fish.

 

[winxp_man]

Ich from the pic. Try to get a more clear pic. And maybe even a video of at least 20-30 seconds. And post it on YT with a link here.

Copper Power Qt at min 2.25ppm and a max of 2.5ppm for 30 days. Sadly your tank had ich and so will the other fish possibly.

Tank will need to be ran fallow for 60 days. Maybe increase temps to 80-82 if corals are okay. And turkey blast the rocks. And run wave makers to get water moving in the tank. This will get the tomots moving. Otherwise they will hide well enough to where you will end up with ich again. It’s what I did to get rid of the punks for good.

Ended up with ich twice in my 150 DT. All because the tank sat undisturbed. You might want to get the sand disturbed somewhat. But not to much to not wreck your parameters. These bugs really do hide well. Did my fallow period the first time for 85 days with failed result. The second time really got water moving rocks dusted, and temps in the 81-82. Corals ended up being fine.

Had a bigger issue maintaining Po4 and No3 at good levels. So I ghost fed the tank big time, as to not let it bottom out on Po4 and No3.

 

[christinna77]

Ich from the pic. Try to get a more clear pic. And maybe even a video of at least 20-30 seconds. And post it on YT with a link here.

Copper Power Qt at min 2.25ppm and a max of 2.5ppm for 30 days. Sadly your tank had ich and so will the other fish possibly.

Tank will need to be ran fallow for 60 days. Maybe increase temps to 80-82 if corals are okay. And turkey blast the rocks. And run wave makers to get water moving in the tank. This will get the tomots moving. Otherwise they will hide well enough to where you will end up with ich again. It’s what I did to get rid of the punks for good.

Ended up with ich twice in my 150 DT. All because the tank sat undisturbed. You might want to get the sand disturbed somewhat. But not to much to not wreck your parameters. These bugs really do hide well. Did my fallow period the first time for 85 days with failed result. The second time really got water moving rocks dusted, and temps in the 81-82. Corals ended up being fine.

Had a bigger issue maintaining Po4 and No3 at good levels. So I ghost fed the tank big time, as to not let it bottom out on Po4 and No3.

I thought tomonts couldn't stay viable for more than 60 days, or 45 days at 81°F+. Why would not disturbing the sand have any effect on that?

In my case, I did a 45d fallow period at 82°F with 2-3in deep sand bed which I didn't really disturb, and ich never came back. I was, however, extremely careful about having separate sets of tools for everything, always washing hands in between my DT and QT, testing copper levels daily, and observing all the fish for any more signs of ich twice a day. I also 'rinsed' the fish in a separate bucket and used a different net when I transferred them back to DT.

 

[winxp_man]

I thought tomonts couldn't stay viable for more than 60 days, or 45 days at 81°F+. Why would not disturbing the sand have any effect on that?

In my case, I did a 45d fallow period at 82°F with 2-3in deep sand bed which I didn't really disturb, and ich never came back. I was, however, extremely careful about having separate sets of tools for everything, always washing hands in between my DT and QT, testing copper levels daily, and observing all the fish for any more signs of ich twice a day. I also 'rinsed' the fish in a separate bucket and used a different net when I transferred them back to DT.

It’s all dependent on tank structure. First time around for me, my tank was at 81* F. But I did not dust off rocks, and move anything. Ich came back. Kept fish another 42 days in the QT so without copper. So I know my fish were ich free 100%. Only to have to deal with ich all over after three weeks. Second time around I dusted off rocks and moved some sand to make sure nothing was left not touched. All good now. Been two months and have three power blues, and two hybrid powders non have had any issues. And these ich magnet powders do not take long at all to show ich if any form of ich is in the tank.

 

[winxp_man]

Some added more rocks since this pic. And the fish really are camera shy! Haha. I feel this dang disease can hid about anywhere. First time around I did as I said 80+ days fallow the reason for the 42 days of observation of fish in no copper. They were all clean and good to go. But the dang disease came back after two weeks. I have some videos I’ll post soon. Fish are all good, and I’m working on getting a 300 setup by spring. Stand is being built and glass cages is building the tank. These tangs need more room! Haha. But all clean now and super healthy. Also fat next level!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok, I think i already know this answer but worth getting a second opp. long story short Ive lost 4 fish within a 24hr window. and 7 total over the past 3 weeks. Thought it was ich based on the symptoms and behaviors. All fish were eating swimming and acting normal. When i first noticed signs of white specs ~4 weeks ago i started dosing hydrogen peroxide and stopped when the white dots dissipated. I should have followed the 6 week program. about a week or so ago I lost power for 30min and signs showed back up next day. started hydrogen peroxide dosing again. symptoms started to slack back, then lost a powder blue (lots of white spots), a week later my hippo (a few white spots), and now today I've lost a 5y purple tang (take any picture of velvet and id say its identical), canary blenny (no visible illness), stary blenny (no visible illness), and a clown (a few white spots).

I suspect velevt, just need confermation....

QT is in the works but wont be set up in time I fear.

based on size and location of dots, this is ich and also a sin irritation. Others may not show signs but are exposed to this. You will need to place fish in Quarantine tank and treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25 for a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored 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.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok, I think i already know this answer but worth getting a second opp. long story short Ive lost 4 fish within a 24hr window. and 7 total over the past 3 weeks. Thought it was ich based on the symptoms and behaviors. All fish were eating swimming and acting normal. When i first noticed signs of white specs ~4 weeks ago i started dosing hydrogen peroxide and stopped when the white dots dissipated. I should have followed the 6 week program. about a week or so ago I lost power for 30min and signs showed back up next day. started hydrogen peroxide dosing again. symptoms started to slack back, then lost a powder blue (lots of white spots), a week later my hippo (a few white spots), and now today I've lost a 5y purple tang (take any picture of velvet and id say its identical), canary blenny (no visible illness), stary blenny (no visible illness), and a clown (a few white spots).

I suspect velevt, just need confermation....

QT is in the works but wont be set up in time I fear.

The timeline is wrong for velvet. Ich and/or flukes cause that drawn out mortality that spikes at the end.

I agree with the others - the CB appears to have advanced ich. A video of the remaining fish would help us confirm that.