Possible Velvet....

[Jasontkd]

I posted over in the general section earlier about issues I have been having with fish death.

Multiple Fish Deaths. No idea why

So, let me start by saying that I am not new to this hobby and have kept several very successful tanks in the past, both reef and fowlr. I had been out of it for a few years and recently set up a new tank to get back into it. I set up a 20 gallon cube with all new Dry rock and sand. I used...

www.reef2reef.com

I don't know if I have velvet or not, but fish have been dying very quickly after being added to to my tank. All except for one clown, that appears totally healthy. There was some discussion in the other thread that this clown may be a carrier.

My question is, assuming the parasite is active in the tank, and the clown is not sick, can I just wait 8 weeks before adding anything else? Or does the fish have to be removed? I don't have a QT tank set up, and we are in the process of selling our house, so setting up anything new is not the easiest thing to do at the moment.

 

[Big G]

Assuming the clown is a carrier of velvet. The fish will need to be treated with copper or CP to end the cycle.

The problem with waiting is that if the clown's immune system is compromised (stress, illness, etc.) some how, then the velvet may overwhelm the fish.

 

[Jasontkd]

can it hurt a fish without velvet to be treated?

 

[Big G]

can it hurt a fish without velvet to be treated?

Many of us do what we call that prophylactically treating all new fish with copper or CP (choroquine phosphate). It's very nice not to have ich, velvet, brook, uronema, etc. in your tank. You can complete the treatment by also treating for internal parasites/worms and flukes with General Cure or Metroplex + Prazipro.

Here's more info: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-current-qt-process.483371/

 

[Jasontkd]

I am sorry if I am being completely dense here, but I am still not entirely convinced that I know what options I have.

The only remaining fish (clown) in my tank, still shows no signs of disease. It appears completely healthy and is eating well. It does not show any signs that I can see of velvet or ich.

So, my question is, if I assume there was velvet in the tank, but this fish is completely fine, will it remain that way? I do not have a QT set up, and at this point don't know if it is worth setting up. If I leave this fish in the tank, and wait 2 months, would it then be safe to add more fish? Or will velvet stay in the water column always trying to attack this remaining fish?

 

[Jasontkd]

Or, will this one remaining fish eventually die without being removed a treated?

I know that several people claim to have fish who have inexplicably survived a velvet outbreak, but I can't find anywhere if those fish were ever removed.