Marine Velvet with no signs?

[ikanspelwel]

I am still fairly new to the marine/reef hobby and have a question about Marine Velvet.

1. Can Marine Velvet exist in a tank without any signs of infection?
2. Can a fish be immune to Velvet but still sustain Velvets life cycle?

From what I have read and researched, I don't believe it can last for over 2 months without signs and symptoms, but I have also read posts that indicate that Clown Fish, which is all I currently have in my tank, can have high tolerances/immunities to some diseases?

I preformed the tank transfer method and then quarantined all my fish before adding them to my display tank, but those two methods don't kill/rid a fish of Marine Velvet. Before I start adding other fish I want to make sure there isn't any chance that Marine Velvet exists in my display tank.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Old Fritz]

In my very first tank I kept losing fish without really any symptoms. I'd have clownfish and after a month or so they would start gasping one night and next day they would be dead, however other fish would generally be fine.

One day I messed up a water change and my salinity went from 1.020 to 1.027. It didn't kill the fish however the next day the fish were absolutely covered in white spots, upon lowering the salinity the spots went away within a few hours. With that I found what was killing my fish. So yes it is possible to live in the tank with no visible symptoms and it can continue to reproduce because just because you don't see it on the fish doesn't mean it isn't there

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I would cruise through the fish diagnosing and treatment forum. Lots of good stickys there.

 

[ikanspelwel]

All of my fish are healthy and don't show any signs of illness, my main question is can it lay dormant with no symptoms? @Old Fritz you mentioned you had some die off, I haven't seen anything that would worry me, I just have a unique opportunely to redo my QT and treat with copper since we have purchased a new house and I have to move and tear everything apart and rebuild it.

I am just wondering if I should proactively subject my otherwise healthy looking fish to copper just to make sure I don't have Marine Velvet...

Adam

 

[Old Fritz]

It can lay "dormant" per say. I have a co-worker with a 125 gallon tank that he knows he has ich in and it will occasionally pop up but never kills anything.

If your fish are healthy now and you've had them for a while with no symptoms I'd be careful with treating them now as that can just weaken their immune system and open them up to disease. But I'm kinda torn because I always tell people to qt fish even if you don't see anything. I'm kinda 75/25 on this one leaning towards just putting them in the dt

 

[WMR]

@Humblefish & @4FordFamily, any thoughts on this?

 

[4FordFamily]

It can definitely kill fish by living in the gills and killing them before you see any classic velvet signs perhaps other than swimming in to power heads. I’ve witnessed this a few times over the years. Not quarantining in today’s day and age with as bad as things are with the distribution system is Russian roulette, unfortunately.

My wrasse tank managed velvet for more than a year. Only weak fish died because they’re disease hardy, but slowly I lost most of my fairy wrasses.

The established halichores and leopards did fine, some fairy did fine. But eventually it took over. It was my last attempt before I began to QT everything.

 

[Humblefish]

1. Can Marine Velvet exist in a tank without any signs of infection?
2. Can a fish be immune to Velvet but still sustain Velvets life cycle?

Yes & yes.

However, there's usually a management tool and/or immune system booster in play which enables this. For some, this becomes a permanent solution; for others its a time bomb which ultimately leads to disaster. I suspect the latter get lulled into a false sense of security because they stop seeing the white dots, and get lax with their disease management techniques.

 

[BeejReef]

I'd suppose there's always a "chance."

On the other hand, you've never seen any signs or symptoms? Would seem like a very small chance that you came across two fully immune carriers and never saw a hint of illness with them or any tankmates?

Have new additions fallen ill and died, but the clowns are unaffected, or you just want to be uber cautious?

 

[ikanspelwel]

Have new additions fallen ill and died, but the clowns are unaffected, or you just want to be uber cautious?

I am just trying to be uber cautious, I haven't seen any signs or anything that would indicate that it exists in my tank.

Adam

 

[BeejReef]

I am just trying to be uber cautious, I haven't seen any signs or anything that would indicate that it exists in my tank.

Adam

Some of the best peeps on the forum weighed in, so they'll get no argument from me. There's only one way to have near zero chance. It's a judgment call... weighing the risk of treatment to your existing stock against the risk they could pose to new additions in the new system.

You have the standard two clowns, or you're running a clown harem?

 

[ikanspelwel]

You have the standard two clowns, or you're running a clown harem?

Just two at the moment.