Marine Velvet (1 Viewer)

[adahm]

I need help, two of my tangs are showing signs of velvet. Noticed a little dust last night on the blue tabs and today both the sailfin and blue have lots on them. Sailfin is also swimming against the powerhead.

What do I do now. Other fish are not showing signs.

Sorry for blue pics.

 

[steveb]

You can't treat them in the tank. You will need to setup a QT and place ALL fish in there. Your display will have to sit fallow for at least six weeks.

Here is a very good reference:

Marine Velvet Disease

Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum) - Updated 6-9-2023 What You Need To Know: * Fast killing parasite capable of wiping out most of your fish in just a matter of days. Sometimes there are survivors, sometimes not. * Dips/baths which can provide temporary relief for velvet (in order...

humble.fish

Here is the treatment protocol from the above link.

1. 5 minute freshwater dip: Freshwater Dip – Marine Fish Diseases and Treatment
2. 90 minute bath using Ruby Reef Rally. Temperature control and heavily aerate the bath water.
3. Treat for 30 days in a quarantine tank using either Chloroquine phosphate (60 mg/gal) or chelated copper (e.g. Copper Power – 1.75 ppm).

 

[adahm]

Where can I get the Ruby reef rally and chloroquine phosphate?

 

[adahm]

Two to three days to bring copper levels up may not be soon enough, especially for someone who hasn’t done this before.

 

[steveb]

Well that is what the dips are for. It will take more time to get CP.

Chloroquine Phosphate

https://www.amazon.com/Rally-PRO-13030-%C2%BD-Liter/dp/B07Y9KLJ6G/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=ruby+reef+rally&qid=1643770733&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=rubby+reef+%2Cpets%2C107&sr=1-6

https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Power-Endich-ACP0016B-Treatment/dp/B00BUFXFP6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3PZ99WS0U8UPQ&keywords=Copper+Power&qid=1643770829&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=copper+power+%2Cpets%2C94&sr=1-2

 

[steveb]

Could also check with local fish stores to see if they have ruby rally or formalin + copper

 

[adahm]

Yes the above options have long delivery times

 

[BigRick]

Oh my the luck Adam, sorry to hear.

 

[soymilk]

I got some stuff, and I'm in Fresno if you wanna pick it up.

I got copper power and Ruby rally. Let me know.

 

[soymilk]

Looking at the pictures, the dots on the blue Tang could be ich.

 

[Reefahholic]

May not be velvet. Can you send some daylight pics so we can give you a positive ID.

 

[PorpoiseHork]

If it was velvet you would have fish dying off in within hours to a day or two of spotting it. This may be ick or brook. @Humblefish may be able to identify it better.

Either way to eradicate it from the tank you will need to pull all the fish out and place them in a QT tank. From there you can speed up the ick life cycle and shorten the fallow period by a couple weeks by increasing the display tank temps. QT treatment is up to you. You can treat with the standard methods using copper but some fish are intolerant to it and can really impact their immune systems. I'm a fan of the tank transfer method for QT/treatment vs copper but that requires at least two sets of tanks and pumps and a very methodical cleaning/sterilization of each setup before it's used again.

You can also try Polyp Lab Reef Medic. It's an slow release oxidizer much like hydrogen peroxide and reported to be effective against the ick/velvet parasites when in free swimming stages. I have used it in the past when I didn't have all the equipment needed for tank transfer and had a fish that I couldn't use copper on. I got fairly decent results with Reef Medic, but only when I doubled the recommended heavy infection dose. Shortened the visible signs of ick on a longhorn cowfish to just under two weeks. After that no evidence of infection but I continued treatment for a full month. Then left in QT for another two weeks for observation. Finally fairly confident the parasite was gone I moved him to the main tank and not one issue. So it's worth a try but as with many of the non standard methods YMMV.

Good luck.

 

[RR-MAN]

Agree don’t think it’s velvet.

Till you get the medication- catch the fish and put them in a qt tank and give them couple of rounds of freshwater (ro/di) dip. That will provide some relief.

 

[adahm]

Right today it looked more like ick, but I do still still see some fuzziness.

Only see spots on those two fish, I have two clowns, a fox face, and a file fish with no signs.

All of fish still eating like pigs. I fed 2 cubes today. All feedings have been supplemented with garlic extreme and zoecon

I got a Copperband a couple weeks back and found it stuck on the PH on Thursday last week after being in the tank for 12 days. I took it out of the display before it died in the sump later that night.

Also added a new Willow leather which was sliming a bit on Sunday.

 

[adahm]

I picked these up today from Petco. Catching the fish is hard without breaking up rock, they are too skittish. Fish trap is set…

 

[BigRick]

Most fish if healthy can beat ick. Sometimes trying to catch them stress them out. Id opt maybe try NLS ick pellets and wait it out for a week and see if it clears up. I was horrified when I put my fish in my 220.. they were covered in ick.. but they never showed any signs in the transfer and observation tanks. But being fat healthy fish not one succumbed.

 

[Reefahholic]

100% ICH, but there is a slight chance they could have Velvet too. Slight chance! So if you see any further behavioral changes or the fish seem to be getting worse, please let us know.


Tangs in general become extremely agitated when they are being attacked by Velvet. However, they can tolerate it much longer than other fish and you will notice very erratic swimming around the tank and some head twitching. The fish will appear extremely uncomfortable almost like it’s running to hide from an invisible attacker, but where it hides it will quickly come out, because it’s so uncomfortable. They attack the fish in such large numbers it’s literally like you stepping in a giant ant bed- getting hundreds of ants on your foot- and being unable to shake them off. They really irritate the gills and this is why you will sometimes see fish swimming directly into the flow of a wave maker.

If it’s ICH only I would try to manage it unless your as anal as I am. I never let it in my system and if it gets in I immediately start to catch all the fish and go fallow. For most people this is not possible or simple too much work. Feed the fish vitamins and quality food and you will not need to worry too much.

 

[adahm]

I am hoping you guys are right. I will observe and continue to feed, food soaked in vitamins and garlic.

 

[Reefahholic]

I am hoping you guys are right. I will observe and continue to feed, food soaked in vitamins and garlic.

Did you see any spots prior to these? What we’re the first visual symptoms and behaviors?

 

[adahm]

No spots prior, all fish except one clown came previously QTed. Tank had been fallow for over 1 year prior to fish additions starting November/December.

The two tangs have been in the tank for 3 weeks. Both were clean before adding to tank. The Blue tang flashed for the first couple days with no ick, I attributed this behavior to new environment. Sailfin has shown no signs up until Monday night when I saw it constantly swimming in front of the vortech.

The last addition was the Copperband which passed, but also had no sign of ick. He did have a bump on the mouth which I researched and found to be a symptom of lymphocytes, no signs of ick. I kept it in a fresh water tub after removing from the aquarium to see if flukes or other parasites fall off, but still didn’t see the body deteriorate much over the next couple days.

None of the other fish have displayed any flashing behavior or erratic swimming etc. only the two tangs have been skittish when I make sudden moves in front of the tank but still come out and stay right in front every time I walk up in anticipation of getting fed along with all other fishes.