Marine Velvet 4th Time? Should I Go Nuclear?!

[JumboShrimp]

What better way to begin 1/1/19 than seeking more “Marine Velvet” advice... Not!

@HotRocks , @4FordFamily , @Big G , @Humblefish , and all you great R2Rs please hear me out:

Last year I picked up a built-like-a-tank 1/2” glass frag tank, 6-feet long, with a sturdy stand for $300.00! Then I found all the great folks at R2R. The result is the photo above, which is FOWLR. I truly enjoyed 2018, despite the steep learning curve involved with “quarantine tanks,” “meds,” and going “fallow” for 76 days. {I went fallow 3 times in the one tank— a World Record for one tank? }

I think I have Velvet again. “Yes,” I have become VERY good at using the ‘low tide method’ to get all my fish out of the DT and into QT tanks, and dance-the-copper-dance... but frankly I am getting worn down, and my wife is giving me that “Really??” look. (If I may add— a 76-day tank is just no fun to stare at.)

My question: Should I just go NUCLEAR? Should I just re-home my 2 Emerald Crabs and 2 Fighting Conch and treat with copper in my DT, knowing that with all that sand and rock [see photo again], it will be a FOWLR tank with no inverts from here on out? I truly know I could live with that, unless too many people here tell me I need my head examined (?) Note: I will still quarantine and treat any new arrivals in a QT/HT, but I just need this madness in my DT to stop, once and for all! Who here says, “Go nuclear”...!?

Thanks. ;Meh

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve been there before, in my case because I left a tiny fish in the sump (I didn’t know that little goby was there). Another time I cross contaminated by sticking my arm in a velvet QT (unbeknownst to me) and then in the display tank.

Yet again by taking coral from someone else’s tank and throwing it in my display tank.

So yeah, it wasn’t fun. I did treat in my tank once. Cuprisorb, giant water changes, and carbon removed it to where it’s just a trace now and I have coral/clams.

I don’t recommend that course of action, however. What caused reinfection? What are you treating with and how long?

 

[Fastpitch]

I’ve been there before, in my case because I left a tiny fish in the sump (I didn’t know that little goby was there). Another time I cross contaminated by sticking my arm in a velvet QT (unbeknownst to me) and then in the display tank.

Yet again by taking coral from someone else’s tank and throwing it in my display tank.

So yeah, it wasn’t fun. I did treat in my tank once. Cuprisorb, giant water changes, and carbon removed it to where it’s just a trace now and I have coral/clams.

I don’t recommend that course of action, however. What caused reinfection? What are you treating with and how long?

OP - sorry for your trouble. I have been thinking about this lately, especially in light of the recent uronema discussions. Isn't this where we are all going to end up eventually? We make a mistake, infect DT, and either go fallow or have to nuke the DT.

 

[4FordFamily]

OP - sorry for your trouble. I have been thinking about this lately, especially in light of the recent uronema discussions. Isn't this where we are all going to end up eventually? We make a mistake, infect DT, and either go fallow or have to nuke the DT.

I’m not sure, it’s certainly possible. IMO uronema is only the problem it is due to the weakened state of fish fresh through the distribution system. In a healthy tank I’ve not seen uronema come out of the woodworks even if added to a tank. Does that mean it can’t happen or won’t start happening? Of course we just don’t know.

@HotRocks @Humblefish @Big G and I will keep being meticulous and covering all of our bases before adding fish to our display tanks and hoping it continues to work out.

I personally think uronema is no different than it was when it was a “non issue” aside from chromis and the odd butterfly or angel—- I think the true issue is the horrible state of the distribution system. Perhaps akin to a common cold being deadly in some developing nations and a complete non-issue here. Sure that’s not a perfect analogy but that’s my own hypothesis.

 

[JumboShrimp]

At the risk of indicting myself, I probably cheated (impatience) by a few quarantine-days on the last tank additions— 2 Damsels from my LFS... also known as my “LCP”— Local Cesspool. Ugg. :mad:

I’m getting closer to going “Nuclear” {Ba-Boom!} by the minute; I will sacrifice being able to keep a small clean-up crew in a FOWLR for my One Spot Foxface, Kole Tank, and M. Wrasse— which at this point seem to be in jeopardy. I have a whole bottle of CopperSafe (good for 94 gallons) and a Hanna Checker. I’ll let you know whether I press the detonation plunger...

 

[JumboShrimp]

... Removed the 2 Fighting Conch and 2 large snails. Shutting off the carbon-reactor in my DT. I think you all know what’s coming next...

 

[JumboShrimp]

... Starting to add copper to the DT. RIP unable-to-grab Emerald Crabs. Hang in there, Velvet infected fish—Daddy’s coming to save you!

 

[Big G]

@HotRocks @Humblefish @Big G and I will keep being meticulous and covering all of our bases before adding fish to our display tanks and hoping it continues to work out.

Yep. Just added a foxface to my DT that I rescued from a Petco tank full of Chromis all displaying uronema symptoms. After going through prophylactic treatment for uronema, velvet/ich, brook, etc., It's doing great so far in the DT and loving the room of the much larger tank.

 

[Fastpitch]

At the risk of indicting myself, I probably cheated (impatience) by a few quarantine-days on the last tank additions— 2 Damsels from my LFS... also known as my “LCP”— Local Cesspool. Ugg. :mad:

I’m getting closer to going “Nuclear” {Ba-Boom!} by the minute; I will sacrifice being able to keep a small clean-up crew in a FOWLR for my One Spot Foxface, Kole Tank, and M. Wrasse— which at this point seem to be in jeopardy. I have a whole bottle of CopperSafe (good for 94 gallons) and a Hanna Checker. I’ll let you know whether I press the detonation plunger...

I suspect you're in good company. I cheated too, on my first QT. It is just REALLY hard when you have some REALLY cool fish you want to let fly.

 

[Fastpitch]

... Starting to add copper to the DT. RIP unable-to-grab Emerald Crabs. Hang in there, Velvet infected fish—Daddy’s coming to save you!

LOL. Best of luck. Guessing those crabs will be easy to catch before long.....;Dead

 

[PookieGV]

Big decision. Personally, i like the inverts too much too much to use copper in the DT. Good luck with whatever decision that you make.

 

[Arvind Arya]

I’m cycling a 125 and considering keeping it fowlr in case I need to nuke. Im on my 3rd round of velvet and I sure it was from cross contamination my hand or other equipment

I’m so tired of it

I have a lot Tonga rock and pukani and it looks great as is and also a fowlr is cheaper to run

 

[JumboShrimp]

Ahhh, @Arvind Arya — a soul after my own heart. I copper-nuked my 90 gallon FOWLR DT with all my fish in it this morning, and have felt at peace all day. Everyone is swimming happily and eating normally— I just hope I didn’t act a few days too late for the 3 most Velvet-infected fish! As a postscript, I have two 7-gallon nano tanks going for corals, inverts (love those Coral Banded Shrimp), and all that other fun stuff. But my 4th time with Marine Velvet... (to quote you)... “I’m so tired of it.” I will still do my very, very best to quarantine and medicate new fish in a QT, but at least my DT now gives me room-in-the-collar for slip-ups. Best wishes to everyone out there in R2R land!

 

[Arvind Arya]

My pretty 90 is fallow for about a month

All I have left is my humu trigger and maroon clown. My humi looks at me and if could talk would call me a fool and all sorts of cuss words

Lost about a dozen fish in the dt and qt

I have a 20 gallon in running with corals

But seriously considering a fowlr permanently in the 125

 

[Arvind Arya]

May I ask how much copper did you use in your dt? Any fish not eating nor acting weird!

 

[Reefahholic]

Yeah...Velvet sucks!

 

[Arvind Arya]

velvet takes all the fun out of the hobby. the worst ever

 

[Arvind Arya]

velvet is the worst. I envy folks who have never gone through this.

 

[Fastpitch]

Ahhh, @Arvind Arya — a soul after my own heart. I copper-nuked my 90 gallon FOWLR DT with all my fish in it this morning, and have felt at peace all day. Everyone is swimming happily and eating normally— I just hope I didn’t act a few days too late for the 3 most Velvet-infected fish!

"Everyone?" Did you ask your emerald crabs?

 

[JumboShrimp]

@Arvind Arya , everyone has their favorite form of copper that they prefer, but I like CopperSafe— Therapeutic range is 1.5 - 2.0. I usually take 4 days to bring it up for a new fish in QT, but due to having to act fast with the Velvet I went to .89 (Hanna Checker) yesterday morning, and then to 1.10 by yesterday evening. When I woke up today, all were doing fine and came bolting out for breakfast: Kole Tang, One Spot Foxfish, Banner Fish, Rusty Angel, V. Puffer, M. Wrasse, Aptastia Eating Filefish, and 3 Damsels. I have added more CopperSafe this morning, to bring it up past 1.5. I’ll keep you posted.