Purple Tang has velvet.

[Mandalorian]

Preface I got this Purple Tang from Live Aquaria one month ago. He’s been fine eating 2-3 times a day, reef prime, garlic nori, and hikari seaweed pellets and twice a week frozen mysis. About 3-4 days ago I notice his skin looked like there was a white fuzz and spots all over his one side. I thought maybe was ich and I’ve dealt with that before with garlic n selcon.
This was different then spread to his entire body. Then he started swimming into the power head. He’s still eating all day. All other fish are fine no issues. So I put him into a QT tank 10g with Fritz copper and seachems stress coat. I placed a power head some pvc for him to hide in and an air stone. He’s eaten twice today. I’m going to run ozone more heavily on DT to prevent an outbreak.
Hopefully he pulls through.

 

[DaddyFish]

My $.02 ... I wouldn't run the Seachem Stress Guard with CopperSafe. When it comes to QT/hospital, less is typically more. The less chances of interaction you create the better the outcome. Just stick to frequent, pre-dosed water changes. Throw in an ammonia badge for realtime monitoring.
It looks like you have a good QT setup. You can use something as simple as a black garbage bag taped around three sides of the tank to help the tang settle down. All the reflective surfaces can make them jumpy.

 

[steven m]

Goodluck with the recovery. I had positive results with seachem cupramine and prosipro for parasites in my qt.

 

[Mandalorian]

My $.02 ... I wouldn't run the Seachem Stress Guard with CopperSafe. When it comes to QT/hospital, less is typically more. The less chances of interaction you create the better the outcome. Just stick to frequent, pre-dosed water changes. Throw in an ammonia badge for realtime monitoring.
It looks like you have a good QT setup. You can use something as simple as a black garbage bag taped around three sides of the tank to help the tang settle down. All the reflective surfaces can make them jumpy.

Good point, thought the same at first but figured I’d give it a try.

 

[Mandalorian]

Goodluck with the recovery. I had positive results with seachem cupramine and prosipro for parasites in my qt.

Thanks, hope so. Really hate to loose him.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

All the fish need copper and the tank needs to be fishless for 3 months. If not you'll get it again

 

[Mandalorian]

All the fish need copper and the tank needs to be fishless for 3 months. If not you'll get it again

Jesus, why three months? What is the life cycle of Velvet?

 

[TheDragonsReef]

It's something like 76 days for all remaining ones to starve to death and ensure complete eradication. I had to deal with velvet, it sucked. I put the fish back after treating with copper and they just got it again and I had to start all over.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any pics of the fish with velvet on it ?
Velvet is often confused with ich. With ich, you can generally count the dots whereas with velvet, it represents the solar system as in the case of your tang. velvet spots on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich making it harder to catch until in cases too late to treat.
Some behaviors associated with a fish with velvet are :
- Scratching body against hard objects
- Fish is lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing and mucus around the gills

Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. Although these cysts may appear as tiny white dots the size of a grain of salt, like the first sign of Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease, what sets Oodinium apart from other types of ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with vigorous aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target "Oodinium".

 

[Mandalorian]

Any pics of the fish with velvet on it ?
Velvet is often confused with ich. With ich, you can generally count the dots whereas with velvet, it represents the solar system as in the case of your tang. velvet spots on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich making it harder to catch until in cases too late to treat.
Some behaviors associated with a fish with velvet are :
- Scratching body against hard objects
- Fish is lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing and mucus around the gills

Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. Although these cysts may appear as tiny white dots the size of a grain of salt, like the first sign of Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease, what sets Oodinium apart from other types of ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with vigorous aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target "Oodinium".

I’m second guessing my diagnosis he’s definitely not lethargic and his only odd behavior is swimming directly into the power head. The copper medication I’m using is called “fritz coppersafe “ supposed to fix ich.

 

[JumboShrimp]

It sounds like you got right on it, so CopperSafe at therapeutic levels will probably do the trick. But as someone who early-on in my learning curve had to go fallow for 76 days THREE (3) times in one tank due to Marine Velvet, I feel your pain. (The last time I stretched it to 80-days, just because I was sooooooooo 'Over It!' :mad

 

[Mandalorian]

It sounds like you got right on it, so CopperSafe at therapeutic levels will probably do the trick. But as someone who early-on in my learning curve had to go fallow for 76 days THREE (3) times in one tank due to Marine Velvet, I feel your pain. (The last time I stretched it to 80-days, just because I was sooooooooo 'Over It!' :mad

Jesus I hope it’s not velvet then. Christ!

 

[Mandalorian]

I

Any pics of the fish with velvet on it ?
Velvet is often confused with ich. With ich, you can generally count the dots whereas with velvet, it represents the solar system as in the case of your tang. velvet spots on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich making it harder to catch until in cases too late to treat.
Some behaviors associated with a fish with velvet are :
- Scratching body against hard objects
- Fish is lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing and mucus around the gills

Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. Although these cysts may appear as tiny white dots the size of a grain of salt, like the first sign of Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease, what sets Oodinium apart from other types of ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with vigorous aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target "Oodinium".

Ill take some
Pics in the am for sure.

 

[Mandalorian]

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Definitely velvet, get into qt and copper asap

 

[JumboShrimp]

FASTER than a.s.a.p. {Gulp!}

 

[Mandalorian]

It already was in the QT it’s probably he and the other fish won’t make it. I don’t have the time to deal with multiple QT tanks. So I took him out and put him back in the display. I dipped him with the fritz copper for two days he didn’t improve. I don’t think the velvet is going to go away without weeks to months of treatment. Maybe it sounds callus but I don’t have the time to sit and babysit a fish and work 60+ hours a week. So at this point I’ll keep feeding him and hope he pulls through. QT of 15g with a tang his size will require daily water changes with copper added and then if the other fish get sick I’ll have to do the same. I don’t have a large containment system for this type of scenario.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Jesus, why three months? What is the life cycle of Velvet?

The 3 month time frame was worst case scenario for ich, and turns out that wasn't a real-world test, it was in cold water, in xeric culture (no bacteria). 45 days of no fish is reasonable.


Oh, and I just looked at your picture, that isn't velvet, it is ich. Velvet symptoms are rapid breathing, and then in advanced cases, a dusting of very tiny spots. Those are big 'ol ich trophonts.
Jay

 

[arking_mark]

It already was in the QT it’s probably he and the other fish won’t make it. I don’t have the time to deal with multiple QT tanks. So I took him out and put him back in the display. I dipped him with the fritz copper for two days he didn’t improve. I don’t think the velvet is going to go away without weeks to months of treatment. Maybe it sounds callus but I don’t have the time to sit and babysit a fish and work 60+ hours a week. So at this point I’ll keep feeding him and hope he pulls through. QT of 15g with a tang his size will require daily water changes with copper added and then if the other fish get sick I’ll have to do the same. I don’t have a large containment system for this type of scenario.

I'm sure you are aware that velvet in the tank will likely wipe out all your fish and you'll need to go fallow for 76 days.

 

[arking_mark]

I'm sure you are aware that velvet in the tank will likely wipe out all your fish and you'll need to go fallow for 76 days.

Picture looks like ich to me...but I'm not an expert.