Velvet outbreak in QT

[Chitown tom]

On 2/11 I purchased:

Blue hippo the size of a quarter
Yellow tang
melanarius wrasse

I have been observing daily however the tiny blue hippo was super skittish and would hide often. All 3 were eating great, I fed frozen Mysis with selcon, pellets, everything was going great.

I treated with pazi a week in, then did a water change last weekend. I monitor PH, temperature and ammonia with a seneye.

After the water change I treated with a second dose a pazi on Sunday.

Monday I woke up to feed them and the yellow tang was on its side the blue hippo was missing. I treated the 29 gallon tank with 60 drops of cupermine but my mistake was I did not fresh water dip the yellow.

When I came home both tangs were goners. I had a hard time observing the blue hippo because it was so small and skittish and I feel he had velvet first. The yellow tang was a light colored body and know I know it probably had spots but my rookie eyes missed it early when I could have treated earlier.

I blame myself for this one and will be changing my protocol going forward on tangs.

I read humble fish's post on treating velvet and I have ordered Acriflavine-MS.

My question is on the melanarius. He looks great no heavy breathing no flashing nothing.

I hit the whole qt tank with a full dose of copper Monday morning. Last night I removed the yellow and blue tangs and did a 25% water change.

Should I go back to full strength cuppermine on the melanauris or ramp him up over the next few days?

 

[Chitown tom]

An additional question would be how long do I keep the wrasse in copper? 4 weeks? and should I do another round of pazi after the copper?

 

[Humblefish]

I would treat the wrasse in copper for 4 weeks. Ensure the copper level remains between 0.35 - 0.5 ppm for the entire 30 days. Seachem or Salifert copper test kit works best for measuring Cupramine.

With regards to the prazi question, if you've already treated with Prazipro (or General Cure) twice, 5-7 days apart, then you are good to go with that.

 

[Chitown tom]

I appreciate the response!
Just curious, why was the wrasse able to survive? Is it the slime coat that saved him?

Also after this quarantine period ends. Do I need to decontaminate the qt tank or am I safe to go assuming no signs for 6 weeks?

Lastly, does anyone have a special procedure for new tangs?
My new thought process will be:

freshwater dip on arrival
cupramine for 4 weeks
2 treatments of prazipro
6 weeks total qt

 

[Humblefish]

Just curious, why was the wrasse able to survive? Is it the slime coat that saved him?

Probably so, as wrasses do have very thick mucous coats (especially compared to a tang.) However, there are so many other unknowns which can factor into it:

• Did this wrasse already encounter a slight infestation of velvet in the wild or in a holding tank somewhere along the way? If so, his immune system would then be better prepared for the next encounter.
• Was this wrasse in overall better condtion and his immune system healthier than the tangs' to start with?
• Did the wrasse receive better nutrition as he bounced from tank to tank? Most wholesalers feed just pellets and/or flake, as that is cheapest. A wrasse would be pretty good with that. A tang, however, really needs greens in their diet. I've toured several wholesale facilities in my time and can't remember ever seeing nori offered to any of the tangs. :confused:

Also after this quarantine period ends. Do I need to decontaminate the qt tank or am I safe to go assuming no signs for 6 weeks?

I probably would dose 10 ppm chlorine just to be on the safe side: http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/dwgwp/DW/chlorinedosageemergencydisinfection.pdf

All the chlorine should be fully evaporated in about a week.

Lastly, does anyone have a special procedure for new tangs?
My new thought process will be:

freshwater dip on arrival
cupramine for 4 weeks
2 treatments of prazipro
6 weeks total qt

^^ That looks good, although I personally reserve FW dipping for emergency situations.

 

[Chitown tom]

Sounds good I will alter the plan and leave the fw dip for emergencies thank again for all the help!

 

[Chitown tom]

Update....
The wrasse is doing good. No visible symptoms and eating well.
I tested my copper levels with the salifert test kit and I am in the .35-.50 level. I have been checking daily.

My problem is my ph. The levels are getting really low (I monitor with the seneye) I am at 7.81 and my average this week is 7.96 and falling.

Should I be concerned with the ph levels? I cracked my window open in the basement but its pretty cold outside. For water movement I use a HOB filter with no media in it and a sponge filter hooked to an air pump.

 

[Humblefish]

Should I be concerned with the ph levels? I cracked my window open in the basement but its pretty cold outside. For water movement I use a HOB filter with no media in it and a sponge filter hooked to an air pump.

Not really a concern unless it drops below 7.6. Try running an airstone with a coarse bubbler. You can also dose Sodium Carbonate (i.e. "baked" baking soda) to raise it.

 

[Chitown tom]

Next update :)
I have increased the air flow with a second air stone and bubbler ph has gone up and is stable.

Today I noticed that my ammonia is going up. I would like to do a 100% water change. The wrasse is currently in a 29 gallon. With loosing my 2 tangs can I move the single wrasse to a 10 gallon tank or will that be too small for him?

 

[Humblefish]

With loosing my 2 tangs can I move the single wrasse to a 10 gallon tank or will that be too small for him?

Yes, that would be fine.

 

[Chitown tom]

Friday update :)

I completed the 100% water change on Wednesday. I placed the wrasse in a new 10 gallon tank pre medicated with cupramine. I moved over the sponge filter with the HOB filter.

He was eating and active the last couple of days.

Today I came down in the morning to feed him and I saw him head down, upside down in the corner of the tank.

I tapped the glass a bunch of times and no movement. I quickly checked the seneye and temperature, ph, ammonia, all in line.

I have been keeping the water in the therapeutic range since 3/1. I was sure that velvet got him because nothing else kills that fast!

Confused and disappointed on how I missed this I went to remove the body. And HE SWAM AWAY :eek:!

I was tapping pretty good next to him and he did not move 1 inch. He must have been sleeping, or doing an awesome job at playing dead!!!

 

[Reefahholic]

Wow, crazy...

 

[Chitown tom]

I would treat the wrasse in copper for 4 weeks. Ensure the copper level remains between 0.35 - 0.5 ppm for the entire 30 days. Seachem or Salifert copper test kit works best for measuring Cupramine.

The wrasse went into copper on 3/1. On 3/29 it will be at 4 weeks. I have kept the copper in the therapeutic range the whole time.

Am I safe to release into the display or keep him in qt for 2 more weeks?

The wrasse has been the only one to never show any symptoms and is nice and fat and eating good.

 

[Humblefish]

The wrasse went into copper on 3/1. On 3/29 it will be at 4 weeks. I have kept the copper in the therapeutic range the whole time.

Am I safe to release into the display or keep him in qt for 2 more weeks?

The wrasse has been the only one to never show any symptoms and is nice and fat and eating good.

I would play it safe by observing for 2 weeks post treatment, before placing him in the DT.

 

[Chitown tom]

It's graduation day! The wrasse has made it thru the velvet outbreak, 4 weeks of copper, and 2 weeks of observation. He is getting an awesome upgrade in living quarters compared to the 10 gallon tank!

 

[bknapp]

Melanarus wrasses are sand divers. They dive into the sand to sleep or when frightened, do you have sand in the QT (small Tupperware works great)? If you don't that could explain his odd behavior.

 

[Chitown tom]

Melanarus wrasses are sand divers. They dive into the sand to sleep or when frightened, do you have sand in the QT (small Tupperware works great)? If you don't that could explain his odd behavior.

It's pretty funny you would mention this.
This was the most uneventful release ever. I put him into the display and all I saw was a poof of some sand and he was gone lol.

I did not want to have sand in qt because I was worried about keeping the copper levels from fluctuating. I had a bunch of pvc for him to hide in.