Is this ich?
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HotRocks
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Can you upload pics in full white light?
It's looking more like velvet from what I can see.
Any behavioral symptoms? Scratching, flashing, swimming into the flow of a powerhead?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-difference-between-ich-velvet.315957/
It's looking more like velvet from what I can see.
Any behavioral symptoms? Scratching, flashing, swimming into the flow of a powerhead?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-difference-between-ich-velvet.315957/
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HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
You can probably get through it with little to no loss as it's in the early stages.
How large is your QT? Do you have any additional spare tanks?
Big G
captain dunsel
Freshwater dip and then a bath in Ruby Reef Rally or another acriflavine product greatly increases survival rates. The antiseptic and antibiotic qualities of RRR helps with many insertion points of the parasites so the fish's immune system can fight off bacterial infections.
from @Humblefish
The short version:
from @Humblefish
The short version:
- 5 minute freshwater dip
- Immediately afterwards, perform a chemical bath (in saltwater matching SG/temp the fish came from). You have two options:
- Acriflavine (preferred) - Do the bath for 75-90 minutes, but remove the fish immediately at the first sign of distress. Aerate heavily both before & during the bath, and temperature control the water. The following products contain acriflavine: Acriflavine-MS and Ruby Reef Rally. DO NOT mix acriflavine with any other chemicals.
- Formalin - Do the bath for 30-60 minutes max, but remove the fish immediately at the first sign of distress. Aerate heavily both before & during the bath, and temperature control the water. The following products contain formalin: Formalin-MS, Quick Cure, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X, Kordon Rid-Ich Plus. Use protection (rubber gloves, face mask, eye protection, etc.) whenever handling formalin as it is a known carcinogen! However, you can add Methylene Blue to the formalin bath (1 capful per 2-3 gallons of bath water.)
- After the bath, place the fish in a QT pre-dosed at 80mg/gal using Chloroquine phosphate. In theory, copper (exs. Cupramine, Coppersafe, Copper Power) should work just as well as CP. However, due to how fast velvet can reproduce you don’t have the luxury of slowly ramping up the copper level as is normally advised. Therefore, the fish needs to be placed in a QT with copper already at minimum therapeutic levels. This is the advantage CP has over copper in this particular situation.
- While in QT, use a wide spectrum antibiotic (exs. Seachem Kanaplex, Furan-2) for the first week to ward off any possible bacterial infections. Secondary bacterial infections are very common in fish with preexisting parasitic infestations such as velvet.
- Keep the fish in CP or copper (at therapeutic levels) for one month. However, you can transfer the fish into a non-medicated holding tank for observation after just two weeks (explained below). DO NOT lower the CP or copper level before transferring.
Got the male bellus out, did a FW dip then put him in QT and followed directions to get therapeutic level of copper but he has been in a cave since adding him breathing heavily and not swimming, I don't expect to him to last through the night. I could not for the life of me catch the other fish. It will die in the tank I suppose. The rest of my fish I suppose are dead too. I cannot drain 200 gallons of water and move out 175 lbs of rock. Wow, WHY DID I USE A VENDOR I DON'T NORMALLY USE?! EVERYTHING WAS GOING SO WELL NOW I AM GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING. I seriously hate this hobby after only 6 months. I have to watch all my fish die one by one, this is excruciating.
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
It can be done. It's stressful I know. You don't have to drain the entire tank.
Get some Rubbermaid containers. Place them on the floor near the tank. Siphon water into them. As the rock is being exposed. Move it to the bins. Once the rock is out then you can catch the fish.
Yes it's a couple hour project. It's early enough in the game you can probably save all fish.
What copper are you using?
I just don't have the time to do all this, I know it sounds crazy but I am a father of two, I work 40 hours a week and so does my wife and my kids are 3 and less than 2. They won't let me go to the bathroom alone let alone drain a tank and disassemble rock structures. What are the chances fish can survive once velvet is in the tank?
Big G
captain dunsel
The Velvet parasites increase in number almost exponentially with each generation overwhelming the fish's immune system.
What fish are left in the tank?
JumboShrimp
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As you create as much of a ‘low tide’ as you can by using as many pails / containers / buckets as you can to siphon your water out into, don’t overlook the fact that your rockwork might start to work to your advantage. Many passageways will become dead-ends; others can start to be block by nets, sheets of plastic or pieces of glass—anything you can use as dividers to cut off escape routes for your fish. I have used gallon jugs (weighted with water) to cut off escape routes for the fish. My point is, what seems like a virtual impossibility (netting fish with rocks in the tank) when the water is high, can become vastly easier with only 3, 6, even 8 inches of water left.
JumboShrimp
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As you create as much of a ‘low tide’ as you can by using as many pails / containers / buckets as you can to siphon your water out into, don’t overlook the fact that your rockwork might start to work to your advantage. Many passageways will become dead-ends; others can start to be block by nets, sheets of plastic or pieces of glass—anything you can use as dividers to cut off escape routes for your fish. I have used gallon jugs (weighted with water) to cut off escape routes for the fish. My point is, what seems like a virtual impossibility (netting fish with rocks in the tank) when the water is high, can become vastly easier with only 3, 6, even 8 inches of water left.
HotRocks
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You are preaching to the choir. 2+4 year old daughters here. I understand. I work 70 hours a week. I always wait till they are in bed. Then go to work on tanks.
Long term survival with velvet is not likely unfortunately. Velvet multiplies rapidly. Starting as soon as 12-24hrs after it hits the tank.
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Great advice. I have helped a friend with this same task on a 180. 1.5-2 hrs start to finish with two guys.
Drained, All the fish in QTs, Everything else back in the tank (not aquascaped)
GoldeneyeRet
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I wish you good luck during this stressful time. You're in good hands, follow the advice you have been given here.
All I want to add is that your choice of vendor is not to blame for this issue. All fish from any vendor can and usually do carry parasites.
Your mistake was an inadequate quarantine. Live, learn and continue on. This hobby can be a challenge and very frustrating but when you get it right it's worth the headaches.
Wishing you the best!
All I want to add is that your choice of vendor is not to blame for this issue. All fish from any vendor can and usually do carry parasites.
Your mistake was an inadequate quarantine. Live, learn and continue on. This hobby can be a challenge and very frustrating but when you get it right it's worth the headaches.
Wishing you the best!
