Possible Velvet? Need your opinion on my options!

[MikeDesjean]

So last night I noticed my female clown fish had some white spots on her left pectoral fin little fin under stomach. seemed to be dusty or powdery. after doing some research on here and I have deduced that it is most likely velvet if it is anything. I could not really get a pic they like to hang in the back of the tank and very time I can get a good look at it she turns away. Lights are off now and when shining a light on her it seems to less spotty now and more a just on overall dusty look to the pec fin underside fin, and maybe a small spot under jaw.

She is acting pretty normally, the pair got spooked yesterday when I grabbed there zoa rock to take a polyp off to grow out but other than that nothing has changed and tank seems to be in its best spot its ever been at 11 months old. Only real notable behavioral difference was she was rubbing her body on the GSP wall last night, but did not see any flashing. Body rubbing was not aggressive through GSP. I really want to save them seeing as they were my first fish. So I am going to wait until lights come on at 11 to make a choice of what to do.

So my options are to empty my 10G frag tank, which has frag rack and six line wrasse, into my 2nd waterbox 20 that has a pair of clowns and a watchman goby. then catch my fish and add them into the 10G.

Or... What I really dont have the room for

Get another 10g tank from petco and cheap HOB filter and heater and add microbacter 7 I have laying around into it to qt in the new tank.


Will I be ruining my current frag tank set up and Bio media running meds?

What would you do?

 

[Lavey29]

Clownfish typically get brook not velvet. Brook gives a powdery dusty covering on the fish as you describe. Fish will have to be QT and treated with formulin. DT needs to fallow for 45 to 76 days.

 

[threebuoys]

More information, photos and video using white light are invaluable when attempting to diagnose fish illnesses.

The link below outlines the information that can help. It includes questions such as how long have you had the fish? Other fish? Prior illnesses? Prior treatments?

If in fact the fish has velvet, or ich or any other parasite for that matter, the best course of action is to set up a Quarantine Tank. The second link outlines the requirements for that.

All fish will need to be treated is a parasite is determined. The size of the QT will be driven by the number and size of the fish.

One consistent symptom of velvet is very rapid breathing. That's why a video is helpful in diagnosis. Without the heavy breathing, ich is a possibility. Both are treated with copper.

Another common illness for clownfish is brooklynella. That is often accompanied by mucus/slime on the body and over the gills. Treatment is formalin. Another reason the video and photos are important. Otherwise, the choice between a copper based medication or a formalin based medication is difficult. Also, you cannot use both meds simultaneously.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I find it so hard to determine which parasite disease fish have from just looking. I personally haven’t had brook, but does seem to be possible. I would recommend a course of treatment that would help with ich, velvet and brook. Definitely treatment will make the 10g unsuitable for future frags, so getting a cheap setup is advised. I often just find a place on the floor for this. Not really easy to drain water, but don’t have to have a stand etc. also insure that the QT is over 10’ away from any of the other tanks.

 

[MikeDesjean]

More information, photos and video using white light are invaluable when attempting to diagnose fish illnesses.

The link below outlines the information that can help. It includes questions such as how long have you had the fish? Other fish? Prior illnesses? Prior treatments?

If in fact the fish has velvet, or ich or any other parasite for that matter, the best course of action is to set up a Quarantine Tank. The second link outlines the requirements for that.

All fish will need to be treated is a parasite is determined. The size of the QT will be driven by the number and size of the fish.

One consistent symptom of velvet is very rapid breathing. That's why a video is helpful in diagnosis. Without the heavy breathing, ich is a possibility. Both are treated with copper.

Another common illness for clownfish is brooklynella. That is often accompanied by mucus/slime on the body and over the gills. Treatment is formalin. Another reason the video and photos are important. Otherwise, the choice between a copper based medication or a formalin based medication is difficult. Also, you cannot use both meds simultaneously.

January 9, 2023

youtube.com

 

[MikeDesjean]

I find it so hard to determine which parasite disease fish have from just looking. I personally haven’t had brook, but does seem to be possible. I would recommend a course of treatment that would help with ich, velvet and brook. Definitely treatment will make the 10g unsuitable for future frags, so getting a cheap setup is advised. I often just find a place on the floor for this. Not really easy to drain water, but don’t have to have a stand etc. also insure that the QT is over 10’ away from any of the other tanks.

Yea kinda my though just getting a new small set up

 

[MikeDesjean]

Fish that need to be qt’ed. 2 clowns, tail spot, ruby dragonet.

 

[vetteguy53081]

January 9, 2023

youtube.com

cant see much in video under than slight aggression from larger being female. Clowns Can get velvt if others in tank have it. Brook is common with wild caught versus tank raised. No proper assessment can be made with clearer and closer pics of clown under bright light.
Please provide a couple.
Are fish still eating ?
Are they breathing normal or rapid rate ?

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Fish that need to be qt’ed. 2 clowns, tail spot, ruby dragonet.

10 should be fine for that. I run 20’s as QT just to have more options. Just make sure you have an ammonia badge and water prepped for water changes as not having an established bio filter, ammonia can build up fast. Have plenty of prime and stability or your choice of starter bacteria and conditioner.

plus remember to dose replacement water with whatever you are treating with so your levels don’t drop below therapeutic levels.

 

[MikeDesjean]

lights on and female looking for food. Area of infection has not changed or grown since noticing it last night around 9:30 pm.

feed fish and clown ate with no issues. No odd behaviors.

all fish will have to be qted if this one is sick, so am I ok to monitor in dt for now to see if anything progresses?

is there anything that would cause a this besides illness?

 

[MikeDesjean]

Updated video with all lights on. Best I can get.

 

[MnFish1]

I find it so hard to determine which parasite disease fish have from just looking. I personally haven’t had brook, but does seem to be possible. I would recommend a course of treatment that would help with ich, velvet and brook. Definitely treatment will make the 10g unsuitable for future frags, so getting a cheap setup is advised. I often just find a place on the floor for this. Not really easy to drain water, but don’t have to have a stand etc. also insure that the QT is over 10’ away from any of the other tanks.

You're right - thats why there is a group of us who focus on helping people decide what their fish might have (using the hash-tag #fishmedic

 

[MnFish1]

Updated video with all lights on. Best I can get.

For me it's hard to say - both brooklynella and velvet should produce other symptoms. The rubbing on the GSP may be pre-spawning behavior. To me - it looks like they are about to lay eggs. The pectoral issue may be irritation (brooklynella tends to start with heavy mucus - from the head on back. They are certainly beautiful fish. If it were me - I would do nothing UNLESS there is any other symptom/worsening, etc.

 

[threebuoys]

Sorry, the second video is better than the first, but the fish are so active that even at full screen I cannot see what has alerted you. If you are able to get some close ups, we will continue to monitor. If they become lethargic, stop eating, white spots, mucus/slime, quick diagnosis will be important.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Looks like you have #fishmedic responding so I would follow their advice. That being said, if it were me I would go out and purchase the QT/Hospital tank and related equipment. Then get some media like Seachem Matrix and find a way to place a media bag of it in your DT to establish bacteria so when you need your QT you can have ready to go bio-filter.

If you encounter Velvet, immediate action is so important to have a chance to save your fish.

 

[MikeDesjean]

For me it's hard to say - both brooklynella and velvet should produce other symptoms. The rubbing on the GSP may be pre-spawning behavior. To me - it looks like they are about to lay eggs. The pectoral issue may be irritation (brooklynella tends to start with heavy mucus - from the head on back. They are certainly beautiful fish. If it were me - I would do nothing UNLESS there is any other symptom/worsening, etc.

Ok thank you. I keep going to check on them and every time I go look she comes right up to the glass and starts looking for me to feed her. So normal.

looks like she has a little white pimple under her mouth but that is the only thing that is raised. Other markings on pec dusty white hard the make out spots. But again not countable @threebuoys

 

[MikeDesjean]

Ok thank you. I keep going to check on them and every time I go look she comes right up to the glass and starts looking for me to feed her. So normal.

looks like she has a little white pimple under her mouth but that is the only thing that is raised. Other markings on pec dusty white hard the make out spots. But again not countable @threebuoys

I did frag yesterday and they hid when I put my hand in. Could the white be from grazing rock while hiding?

 

[MnFish1]

Ok thank you. I keep going to check on them and every time I go look she comes right up to the glass and starts looking for me to feed her. So normal.

looks like she has a little white pimple under her mouth but that is the only thing that is raised. Other markings on pec dusty white hard the make out spots. But again not countable @threebuoys

Often before spawning - the male and female lock jaws. which can cause that 'lesion' on the mouth.

 

[threebuoys]

I did frag yesterday and they hid when I put my hand in. Could the white be from grazing rock while hiding?

When my clownfish lay eggs, they go crazy cleaning the area around their nest. The will pick up small hermit crabs and take them away, in the process they try to remove the crab from the shell. I can see how this activity could result in some minor irritation on the lips

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Updated video with all lights on. Best I can get.

I don't see any sign of Velvet or Brooklynella here. There is some slight aggression as noted in the previous video. This could be from that, or from coming in contact with some soft coral that stung it.

If you wanted to play it safe (in case you are seeing something yourself that we can't see in the video) it would be prudent to set up a treatment tank - but don't move the fish over and treat them unless there are clearer symptoms to go on (Brook and velvet have two different treatments).

Jay