Marine velvet please advice

[ajiisss]

I bought a butterfly fish from reef4less.com. The fish arrived healthy and I put it in QT . Fish was eating as well. I didnt treat it with copper for the first 2 days . 3rd day the fish is covered with velvet spots. Its gasping for air under filter. I immediately changed water and added cupramine at .5 . I do fresh water dips for 2 times a day for 3 minutes. Fish stopped eating. Fish is still alive ... I know its hard to tell but will it survive?? what are the odds of survival .. Also cupramine or copper power which one is good for butterflies. I wont buy a fish from reef4less not orth the risk.

 

[blaxsun]

Having recently experienced a velvet outbreak in my tank that wiped out about 1/3 of my fish, I can relate. In my situation we believe that velvet arrived on a new reef inhabitant that had been quarantined and treated with copper (but some strains of velvet can apparently be very hard to eliminate even under optimal treatment conditions).

Regardless of how it occurred, since it was already present in my tank and removing all the fish wasn't an option I ran an oversized UV with Polyp Labs Medic for 17 days. "Suspect Zero" ultimately didn't survive, but a sailfin tang, two dwarf angels, a clownfish, hawkfish and midas blenny that had a range of symptoms all recovered within a week or so (the clownfish had it the worst and probably took all of a month or more to return to normal).

Hard to say what your chances are, but every fish that died with my outbreak stopped eating. And once they stopped eating their swimming behavior rapidly deteriorated and the end followed not long thereafter. I honestly thought my clownfish wasn't going to make it (he literally looked like I took him out of the tank and rolled him in flour), but I increased feedings - he kept eating - and eventually he recovered.

 

[ajiisss]

Having recently experienced a velvet outbreak in my tank that wiped out about 1/3 of my fish, I can relate. In my situation we believe that velvet arrived on a new reef inhabitant that had been quarantined and treated with copper (but some strains of velvet can apparently be very hard to eliminate even under optimal treatment conditions).

Regardless of how it occurred, since it was already present in my tank and removing all the fish wasn't an option I ran an oversized UV with Polyp Labs Medic for 17 days. "Suspect Zero" ultimately didn't survive, but a sailfin tang, two dwarf angels, a clownfish, hawkfish and midas blenny that had a range of symptoms all recovered within a week or so (the clownfish had it the worst and probably took all of a month or more to return to normal).

Hard to say what your chances are, but every fish that died with my outbreak stopped eating. And once they stopped eating their swimming behavior rapidly deteriorated and the end followed not long thereafter. I honestly thought my clownfish wasn't going to make it (he literally looked like I took him out of the tank and rolled him in flour), but I increased feedings - he kept eating - and eventually he recovered.

Yup looks like I am not gonna save him .

 

[Simon Reefing]

Don’t have much input just wish you and your butterfly fish all the best this is honestly the worst part of the hobby. Hope he pulls through. I’ll make sure to stay clear of them as well

 

[ajiisss]

Don’t have much input just wish you and your butterfly fish all the best this is honestly the worst part of the hobby. Hope he pulls through. I’ll make sure to stay clear of them as well

The day it arrived

 

[blaxsun]

Yup looks like I am not gonna save him .

Don’t lose hope! I don’t know much about butterfly fish, but if they eat seaweed (like tangs and angels), I’d rubber band a small piece on a rock or something that he can nibble at if he gets the urge.