How quickly does velvet or ich resolve

[40lbBear]

I suspect velvet, at the very least ich, and am treating with copper power. I just started yesterday when I first noticed spots on my tang, then my butterfly. I got most of the fish into quarantine, but some are being PITAs, and I need to make another go at the remaining 3 after work today. I’m currently ramping up to therapeutic strength of CP. My question is how quickly should I begin seeing fish turn around, and observe the disease resolving?

has anyone seen improvement while still titrating up the strength, or do you only begin to see improvement when copper is at full strength?

Do some species take longer to heal vs others?

 

[SlugSnorter]

you should start to see improvement once it reaches a good level. at the least once its there the disease shouldn't worsen't

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I suspect velvet, at the very least ich, and am treating with copper power. I just started yesterday when I first noticed spots on my tang, then my butterfly. I got most of the fish into quarantine, but some are being PITAs, and I need to make another go at the remaining 3 after work today. I’m currently ramping up to therapeutic strength of CP. My question is how quickly should I begin seeing fish turn around, and observe the disease resolving?

has anyone seen improvement while still titrating up the strength, or do you only begin to see improvement when copper is at full strength?

Do some species take longer to heal vs others?

Copper power does not need to be ramped up slowly, just dosed accurately. Many people find they need to go to 2.5 ppm from the bottle dose of about 2.1 in order to see good results in active infections.
I generally expect to see improvement within 72 hours of a full dose.
Jay

 

[40lbBear]

Ok, thanks. I’m at work and must be recalling incorrectly. Thought you had to titration up. Thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Ok, thanks. I’m at work and must be recalling incorrectly. Thought you had to titration up. Thanks.

No - that is oft repeated advice, but it isn’t correct. Titrating up is important so you don’t overdose, but that can be done in a day. This is old advice, and is valid if you were using copper/citric acid formulations.
Adding it too slowly can allow diseases to gain than upper hand.

Jay

 

[40lbBear]

Got it! Looks like I’m going to start bringing it up as soon as I get home today.

Much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[LeftyReefer]

If you dose copper power at 1.5 ml per gallon, that will get you pretty close to 2.5ppm, if not slightly over.

If your fish are showing symptoms, don't bother ramping up, just give them the full dose.

 

[40lbBear]

Will do! Thanks for the advice. I’ll remember that for the future.

 

[40lbBear]

Now that I’m thinking about it, any benefit to running a UV on the QT while treating the tank with copper?

 

[nereefpat]

To add to the answers for theoriginal question:

The copper medication works in a certain way. It isn't killing the ich/velvet on the fish, and the white spots you see won't disappear because of the copper. The copper kills free-swimming ich/velvet. So you are waiting for the feeding stage of the ich/velvet to fall off the fish, and after that, no 'new' feeding stage parasite will be able to attach.

For ich, the fish should become increasingly spot free within a couple days up to about a week. Velvet's life cycle is faster. Both are probably temp dependent. Don't expect all spots to be gone for a few days.

As to UV, that isn't my bag. I know some people like it. It does seem to be a little unnecessary, since copper kills the parasite in the water already.

 

[bnord]

On UV - good question and hadn't thought of it before, but I treat as per instructions, then hold in observation until the fallow period is complete
It might help in the observation period if for some reason you did not get a complete parasite cycle break

And best of luck particularly if it is velvet..