Help treating velvet tonight!

[ReefMeUpScotty]

Please forgive me if this should be under disease treatment instead but I posted here since I’m treating tonight and need help ASAP. I have a DT that’s 65g and was a mixed reef tank. I converted it to fowlr about three months ago. I added a porcupine puffer that came from a local reefer that was rehoming fish around a month and a half ago. He also rehomed a squirrelfish and the guy that took him in ended up getting velvet a few days later and wiped out a bunch of his fish. He did a cupramine treatment in his display tank before breaking it down and a few fish lived.

I’ve had the porcupine over a month and added him straight to my DT since I didn’t have a qt and he’s the only livestock in there. Thought he had ich/crypto at first and treated with API super ick cure while raising the temp and Prazipro after using ick cure. He seemed to get better and doesn’t have white spots on his fins or body from what I can tell the last week or two. I also used melafix after Prazipro to help with infections and heal any damage. After just learning the guy who took in the squirrel had velvet I know this guy has to have it too since he’s being more lazy and resting in the bottom, sometimes swims in the power head. It was hard to tell on him and have never dealt with it before and I would like to know if I should treat in my DT since it’s established and he’s the only thing in it or an empty qt.

Went to a LFS today and got cupramine and a seachem copper test kit. They told me a customer had success using it in his DT and it didn’t affect his live rock and that cupramine is known and says on the label it won’t absorb and kill live bacteria. I’ve read many post saying otherwise since it’s still copper but not as bad as CP for absorption.

I am starting treatment tonight and have a fluval 13.5g AIO with sand, live rock and pods established, nothing else in it. I would like to know if it would be better to treat in my DT with sand and live rock since he’s already in there and to help filtration or if I should remove the sand and rock from my fluval AIO and treat him in there and add PVC tubes for him to hide in. I don’t have an established sponge filter to use in the 13.5g but will add one tonight so if I remove everything from the fluval there will be no ammonia removal basically so I’d do daily water changes if that’s the better option. I appreciate any help and advice. I’ve read lots on treating so feel comfortable doing it but really need to know which of the two tanks would be better.

I’m thinking it would be better to move him to the fluval and remove all the sand/live rock and add a sponge filter and air stone while raising the copper level tonight before moving him over to save my live rock and keep the DT fallow for 7-8 weeks. Also not sure if I should do a freshwater dip if I move him over due to stress.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I wish I could give a good answer. I had velvet wipe out 2/3 of my tank about 6 years ago. I will let others that are more knowledgeable weigh in, but I personally would hold off moving it.

Chances are you may just introduce it into another tank and stress him out.

Good luck, I hope someone responds soon to help a bit more.

 

[ReefMeUpScotty]

He came out to eat a scallop but still likes to stay at the bottom, face resting on a rock. I can’t see any signs is disease like he had weeks ago but I’m sure it’s affecting his breathing.

 

[ReefMeUpScotty]

I wish I could give a good answer. I had velvet wipe out 2/3 of my tank about 6 years ago. I will let others that are more knowledgeable weigh in, but I personally would hold off moving it.

Chances are you may just introduce it into another tank and stress him out.

Good luck, I hope someone responds soon to help a bit more.

Thank you and I definitely prefer keeping him in my DT especially since his visible symptoms haven’t showed in a couple weeks and ammonia levels worry me a bit without live rock or a seeded sponge filter. Knowing velvet is in there makes me want to treat my DT but I don’t know how it will go with live rock in there to absorb it and if the levels drop randomly then the treatment will have been a waste..

I have saltwater mixing at the moment and am researching as much as a I can. Hopefully someone has dealt with a similar scenario and comes across this tonight!

 

[EmdeReef]

Don’t treat in your DT with rocks and sand. Copper will get absorbed your LFS gave you bad advice. You will struggle maintaining the therapeutic in the process as well.

If you remove rocks and sand you can treat in your DT.

 

[lilchris_357]

It's always best to use a hospital tank when using meds, especially copper. You have the right mindset. The issue you will run into is the sand and LR will absorb the copper and therapeutic levels will be difficult to maintain.

 

[ReefMeUpScotty]

Thanks for the confirmation, I’m about to start clearing out the qt to make sure I don’t run into problems mainting copper levels.

Another question, would you recommend transferring any DT water to the 13.5g qt? I did a water test and ammonia is high in the qt and must be from the pods dying off. I’m going to drain it all to get the sand out anyways. I’m thinking of adding maybe 8 gallons from the DT and 5 gallons fresh saltwater.

 

[CandyCaneCoral]

Use a quarantine tank with
Seachem Cupramine Copper without any invertebrates and make sure to do constant water changes in main display

 

[ReefMeUpScotty]

Use a quarantine tank with
Seachem Cupramine Copper without any invertebrates and make sure to do constant water changes in main display

I hadn’t even taken into consideration the water changes in the DT, thanks for the tip.

The qt if finally filled with 11g of fresh saltwater and aerating/heating. I’m about to do a complete water test and add cupramine soon then test copper in the morning before I move the puffer over. It’s a long process and hopefully I have everything as good as I can get it and give this porcupine his best chance. I’d love to keep him for many many more years!

 

[wrestle1952]

I wish I could give a good answer. I had velvet wipe out 2/3 of my tank about 6 years ago. I will let others that are more knowledgeable weigh in, but I personally would hold off moving it.

Chances are you may just introduce it into another tank and stress him out.

Good luck, I hope someone responds soon to help a bit more.

How long did you wait before adding fish again?

 

[4FordFamily]

Bare QT for sure you’re on the right track

 

[Mastiffsrule]

How long did you wait before adding fish again?

3 months. What a long wait it was. I had a huge Vlamingi tang in a 20 long for that long doing water changes almost daily. That along with a yellow were my only 2 survivors.

They have not had any issues since. I also have added others with no problems. I try to feed on a schedule incl Selcon to keep everyone as happy and healthy as possible

Like a bad bean burrito from a gas station, you are really never sure when it is out of your system.;Vomit

 

[Stuartmercer]

im lucky enough to not have to deal with disease/parasite since I started. about a year ago. I don't qt by the way.

 

[dwest]

Thank you and I definitely prefer keeping him in my DT especially since his visible symptoms haven’t showed in a couple weeks and ammonia levels worry me a bit without live rock or a seeded sponge filter. Knowing velvet is in there makes me want to treat my DT but I don’t know how it will go with live rock in there to absorb it and if the levels drop randomly then the treatment will have been a waste..

I have saltwater mixing at the moment and am researching as much as a I can. Hopefully someone has dealt with a similar scenario and comes across this tonight!

If there is any way to get your hands on a Hanna copper checker and copper power, I would do it.