Velvet

[littlefoxx]

Hey all, so my tank had an outbreak of Velvet. I lost almost all my fish . However I went to my LFS and they said to wait 48 hours and then move the survivors to QT.

I did this, and last night moved my CB angel, 2 banggani cardinals, baby engineer coby, YWG, and my purple firefish over to my QT tank. And began treating them with the med the store sold. (Seachem Meds).

This morning I checked on them and one cardinal was dead, the other laying on the sand and my CB is covered in velvet and not doing well. YWG, firefish and EG are still doing okay but lm afraid they will not do well in the QT much longer.

My LFS said to move the survivors to my 32 biocube and begin treating with meds. I moved them to my 10 gal QT based on more research into velvet and the fear of infecting my other fish in my biocube with velvet.

Is this going to bring velvet into my Biocube? I also have a pair of adult clowns in there and my female is completely blind from a birth deformity, hence why she and her mate have their own tank.

Any suggestions??

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’m assuming this is seachem cupramine?
All fish should be moved into qt with cupramine at 0.5 ppm (coppersafe or copper power is generally safer and is dosed at 2.5 ppm). Hold them there for 30 days and monitor both copper and ammonia levels - so water changes as necessary (and redose based on how much water was removed).
I’m not sure why the lfs told you to wait 48 hours - that is pretty bad advice given how fast velvet progresses.
Once the infection starts killing, it is generally very hard to stop it - I would expect more casualties.
Any tank exposed to the infected fish (or anything from the infected tank) is at risk. The infected tank should be held fishless for 6 weeks to starve out the parasite, and all new additions should be quarantined to prevent infection.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Velvet spreads super fast and is treated with copper! other meds are ineffective. QT all fish, once velvet is in a tank assume it is present until fallowed for 6 weeks. #fishmedic

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey all, so my tank had an outbreak of Velvet. I lost almost all my fish . However I went to my LFS and they said to wait 48 hours and then move the survivors to QT.

I did this, and last night moved my CB angel, 2 banggani cardinals, baby engineer coby, YWG, and my purple firefish over to my QT tank. And began treating them with the med the store sold. (Seachem Meds).

This morning I checked on them and one cardinal was dead, the other laying on the sand and my CB is covered in velvet and not doing well. YWG, firefish and EG are still doing okay but lm afraid they will not do well in the QT much longer.

My LFS said to move the survivors to my 32 biocube and begin treating with meds. I moved them to my 10 gal QT based on more research into velvet and the fear of infecting my other fish in my biocube with velvet.

Is this going to bring velvet into my Biocube? I also have a pair of adult clowns in there and my female is completely blind from a birth deformity, hence why she and her mate have their own tank.

Any suggestions??

Not only is this LFS giving Very bad advice but placing fish in biocube will reintroduce these flagellates back into tank.
Their advice of waiting 2 days was even worse as velvet moves quickly and will kill quickly if untreated.
For Velvet, as you have not posted any pics - symptoms will be:
- Fish swimming at water surface
- Scratching body against hard objects
- Fish is lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing and mucus around the gills

What sets velvet apart from ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe at 2.25-2.5 therapuetic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit (no api brand either). The tank the fish came from will have to be fishless (no fish) for 4-6 weeks to assure the velvet has died off without a host fish.

 

[bushdoc]

"Any suggestions??"
Yes-take advice from R2R forums, not from that particular LFS.

 

[littlefoxx]

I’m assuming this is seachem cupramine?
All fish should be moved into qt with cupramine at 0.5 ppm (coppersafe or copper power is generally safer and is dosed at 2.5 ppm). Hold them there for 30 days and monitor both copper and ammonia levels - so water changes as necessary (and redose based on how much water was removed).
I’m not sure why the lfs told you to wait 48 hours - that is pretty bad advice given how fast velvet progresses.
Once the infection starts killing, it is generally very hard to stop it - I would expect more casualties.
Any tank exposed to the infected fish (or anything from the infected tank) is at risk. The infected tank should be held fishless for 6 weeks to starve out the parasite, and all new additions should be quarantined to prevent infection.

Yes that is the one, l could not remember the name. And being new to the hobby how would you test for copper to replace it as needed with water change? I use red rea test kits for the basic ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alk., phosphate, mag and calcium.

 

[littlefoxx]

"Any suggestions??"
Yes-take advice from R2R forums, not from that particular LFS.

Yes that is why I came here because I was like that sounds not right when he said that. Im new to saltwater but have had freshwater tanks all my life and doing nothing for a period of time was never a good choice in those so l assumed the same here!

 

[littlefoxx]

Not only is this LFS giving Very bad advice but placing fish in biocube will reintroduce these flagellates back into tank.
Their advice of waiting 2 days was even worse as velvet moves quickly and will kill quickly if untreated.
For Velvet, as you have not posted any pics - symptoms will be:
- Fish swimming at water surface
- Scratching body against hard objects
- Fish is lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing and mucus around the gills

What sets velvet apart from ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe at 2.25-2.5 therapuetic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit (no api brand either). The tank the fish came from will have to be fishless (no fish) for 4-6 weeks to assure the velvet has died off without a host fish.

Yeah all my fish but the EG, YWG and firefish have that coating and are all acting in the ways you described. What brand do you use for medication??

 

[Sharkbait19]

Yes that is the one, l could not remember the name. And being new to the hobby how would you test for copper to replace it as needed with water change? I use red rea test kits for the basic ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alk., phosphate, mag and calcium.

I have a Salifert test kit for copper - the hanna checkers are also good if I’m not mistaken.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah all my fish but the EG, YWG and firefish have that coating and are all acting in the ways you described. What brand do you use for medication??

 

[littlefoxx]

Hey all thank you for the replies! I have ordered a test kit for copper. I just did a big water change in my 10 gal QT, had a big ammonia spike due to my CB and last cardinal passing . Im nervous to re dose meds as I dont have a way to test the copper yet, dang LFS didnt even mention that just told me to dose it daily… should l wait until friday for the kit to come before adding more meds?

 

[littlefoxx]

Also LFS said to get rid of the EG if it didnt die… he said they were super destructive and bad for corals. Anyone have experience with this?? My little one is just super cute and lm attached to her.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Engineers get big and dig a lot - might damage any corals that get sand on them. Beyond that I don’t have any experience with them so I can’t comment reef safe or not.

As for the copper, without a test kit I would just follow the instructions on the bottle (though dose all at once rather than ramp up due to the circumstances). Doing that I’ve gotten cupramine to the proper concentration. You can test and adjust once you get the test kit.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Engineers get big and dig a lot - might damage any corals that get sand on them. Beyond that I don’t have any experience with them so I can’t comment reef safe or not.

As for the copper, without a test kit I would just follow the instructions on the bottle (though dose all at once rather than ramp up due to the circumstances). Doing that I’ve gotten cupramine to the proper concentration. You can test and adjust once you get the test kit.

Fairly coral safe, (as long as your corals aren't on the sand) but they will fight simmilar looking and or bottom dwelling fish at times.