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vetteguy53081
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This a hard pic to work with as fish is somewhat distant in the photo. My suspicion is velvet.
Velvet spots on the fish are much finer than the spots seen in Ich making it harder to catch until in cases too late to treat.
Some behaviors associated with a fish with velvet are :
- 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
Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. The fine consistency suggests this is velvet. Although these cysts appears as tiny white dots often the first sign of ich, what sets velvet apart from other types of ich is that the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film given the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and place them into a QT with added aeration. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. While many remedies contain the name as ich treatment, assure it targets Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe or copper power at 2.25-2.5 therapeutic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna Brand (no api brand).
. Assure the medication you use states treats Oodinum.
With velvet, fish will scratch body against hard objects, lethargic behavior, Loss of appetite and weight loss, Rapid, labored breathing, Fins clamped against the body, and typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium.
Ich always shows spots at first. They are less visible in some species, and long term, the spots coalesce into mucus, but it is never seen in just the gills. After flukes, bacterial gill disease is probably the second most common of these symptoms. Velvet is purely a gill disease and does stop fish from eating, but the fish breath really fast.
Cuprion is tricky to use, it is toxic if you don’t dose it just right. In fact, I think their advertising even tells you this….you would need an accurate low dose copper test.
Velvet spots on the fish are much finer than the spots seen in Ich making it harder to catch until in cases too late to treat.
Some behaviors associated with a fish with velvet are :
- 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
Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. The fine consistency suggests this is velvet. Although these cysts appears as tiny white dots often the first sign of ich, what sets velvet apart from other types of ich is that the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film given the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and place them into a QT with added aeration. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. While many remedies contain the name as ich treatment, assure it targets Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe or copper power at 2.25-2.5 therapeutic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna Brand (no api brand).
. Assure the medication you use states treats Oodinum.
With velvet, fish will scratch body against hard objects, lethargic behavior, Loss of appetite and weight loss, Rapid, labored breathing, Fins clamped against the body, and typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium.
Ich always shows spots at first. They are less visible in some species, and long term, the spots coalesce into mucus, but it is never seen in just the gills. After flukes, bacterial gill disease is probably the second most common of these symptoms. Velvet is purely a gill disease and does stop fish from eating, but the fish breath really fast.
Cuprion is tricky to use, it is toxic if you don’t dose it just right. In fact, I think their advertising even tells you this….you would need an accurate low dose copper test.
Last edited:
Jay Hemdal
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Can someone please tell me if this is ich or velvet on my new powder blue?
Hi, while powder blues are very susceptible to ich, they can also get velvet. I don't see discrete ich trophonts (spots) on this fish, but they may be too small to see in a photo like this. The best way to tell these two diseases apart is that velvet always causes rapid breathing as the first, and sometime only symptom. With ich, the fish gets salt sized white spots and doesn't start breathing fast until very late in the infection.
Visual still pictures often don't allow us to properly ID any disease. More important is a short video, as well as background information about the fish. That is discussed here:
Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section
Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...
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Thanks,
Jay
