Is this brooklynella? Velvet?

[r.reefer]

Hi! I just noticed this today when watching in my tank. It looks like dry skin almost. I haven’t noticed anything on my other fish, so I‘m hesitant to say its velvet. I also don’t have any kind of QT tank; even if it WAS velvet, is it even possible to treat it without a QT set up?

 

[lucyretz]

my bets brook

 

[Sharkbait19]

Brook or late stage ich. White light pics will help.
Ich, brook, or velvet all cannot be treated in the display tank, but need a separate qt for treatment and for the tank to remain fishless for a set amount of time.
Brook requires formalin for treatment.

 

[MnFish1]

it is a parasite. odds-wise I would Treat for brook depending on the answers. see my signature

 

[r.reefer]

Brook or late stage ich. White light pics will help.
Ich, brook, or velvet all cannot be treated in the display tank, but need a separate qt for treatment and for the tank to remain fishless for a set amount of time.
Brook requires formalin for treatment.

How does this get in my tank in the first place? This tank has been up for almost 3 years, and the clownfish were the first fish I added!

 

[MnFish1]

How does this get in my tank in the first place? This tank has been up for almost 3 years, and the clownfish were the first fish I added!

What did you add between 3 years ago and now? Were there any stressors? etc

 

[r.reefer]

What did you add between 3 years ago and now? Were there any stressors? etc

Not that I can think of :/

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It is odd to see Brook in long term captive clowns, but it sure looks like it. A short video under white light would tell us more perhaps (You Tube links work best).

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi! I just noticed this today when watching in my tank. It looks like dry skin almost. I haven’t noticed anything on my other fish, so I‘m hesitant to say its velvet. I also don’t have any kind of QT tank; even if it WAS velvet, is it even possible to treat it without a QT set up?

This is Brook and what looks like secondary bacteria. The most significant sign is the amount of slime on its body. The thick mucus on its body is a second sign which is noticeable on the fish. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.
When brook becomes accelarated, skin lesions appear and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections.

 

[Lavey29]

How does this get in my tank in the first place? This tank has been up for almost 3 years, and the clownfish were the first fish I added!

I believe fish can have dormant disease in their systems that their immune system keeps in check however under stress their immune systems weaken and the disease goes from dormant to active.

This is just my own speculation and is most prevalent with ich.

 

[Sharkbait19]

How does this get in my tank in the first place? This tank has been up for almost 3 years, and the clownfish were the first fish I added!

Nothing added at all in that time? Even corals and inverts can hypothetically bring it in.