Velvet and quarantine.

[FLReefer101]

So I recently purchased a koi tang from my local fish store. I brought it home and introduced it in to my 310 reef tank which had pretty much all my fish I have had for the last three years disease free. I did not quarantine him and added him in without hesitation. After two weeks he developed minor velvet signs. I quickly set up a 30 gallon quarantine tank thanks to my LFS and after a brief struggle got him in the quarantine tank. A few days later all my fish had the dreaded velvet parasites. All my fish consisted of Naso tang, Unicorn tang, Foxface Rabbit fish which are all about 6+inches. Also a star blenny, three anthias and two blue chromis. All the fish I’ve had for at least three years. I caught all the larger fish and added them to the quarantine tank. I’ve been treating them with copper power and seems to be working well. The bad side is that I have been unsuccessful catching the smaller fish over the last few days. My blenny anthias are all now KIA and my blue Chromis seem un-effected.
The moral of this post is more to promote a quarantine system for anyone who is in the hobby and doesn’t have one or is not sure weather or not to set up one. I’ve been in this hobby for 15 years off and on and have never had one. I now will never add anything in my system without a quarantine for at least 4 weeks. I treat my fish as if they are part of the family and all my kids are part of the hobby in keeping up with our reef tank. This as been a huge learning process that I have never had to deal with in all my reefing years.

 

[Reef AquaCult]

I’m a velvet graduate too. It hitch hiked on snail or snail water and I lost one fish and had to go fallow and it was a 3 month pain. It’s a nasty disease

 

[vetteguy53081]

Remember to increase O2 during treatment and also have a reliable copper test kit- not API either. For velvet, always a good practice when removing fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into the QT with vigorous aeration provided. Although many remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target "Oodinium".

 

[FLReefer101]

I have co2 going in the quarantine tank and with the copper power you don’t have to worry about copper level as long as you dose according to the volume of water. I’m doing a 20% water change every three days and adding the proper amount of copper power per gallon of new water. All the fish in the quarantine tank are doing well under the small confinement. I didn’t know that it could be spread with snails though. I’m trying to eradicate it in my system with no fish but stills have snails and crabs. I was told and my research shows without fish the velvet parasites can not survive. Anyone out there know if snails can host the parasites?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have co2 going in the quarantine tank and with the copper power you don’t have to worry about copper level as long as you dose according to the volume of water. I’m doing a 20% water change every three days and adding the proper amount of copper power per gallon of new water. All the fish in the quarantine tank are doing well under the small confinement. I didn’t know that it could be spread with snails though. I’m trying to eradicate it in my system with no fish but stills have snails and crabs. I was told and my research shows without fish the velvet parasites can not survive. Anyone out there know if snails can host the parasites?

Testing is recommended and necessary for any chelated/non-chelated copper form
This is a little less accurate than above (Just trying to keep from going out 10 decimal points), but will get you darn close.
1.48ml per gallon = 2.5ppm
1.33ml per gallon = 2.25ppm
1.18ml per gallon = 2.0ppm
1.04ml per gallon = 1.75ppm
.89ml per gallon = 1.5ppm

even using the box recommendations, No matter which formula you use above, make sure to take the following into consideration.
*This only works if you aren't encountering any absorption.
*You also need to measure the volume of water in QT, for example don't just assume a 20 gallon tank to hold exactly 20 gallons (You have to consider displacement and what level you are filling the tank to, also volume of HOB if you use one.).
*MAKE SURE TO TEST FREQUENTLY

 

[jmichaelh7]

Testing is recommended and necessary for any chelated/non-chelated copper form
This is a little less accurate than above (Just trying to keep from going out 10 decimal points), but will get you darn close.
1.48ml per gallon = 2.5ppm
1.33ml per gallon = 2.25ppm
1.18ml per gallon = 2.0ppm
1.04ml per gallon = 1.75ppm
.89ml per gallon = 1.5ppm

even using the box recommendations, No matter which formula you use above, make sure to take the following into consideration.
*This only works if you aren't encountering any absorption.
*You also need to measure the volume of water in QT, for example don't just assume a 20 gallon tank to hold exactly 20 gallons (You have to consider displacement and what level you are filling the tank to, also volume of HOB if you use one.).
*MAKE SURE TO TEST FREQUENTLY

Do you change water when seachem ammonia badge tells you to, or ???

 

[FLReefer101]

I’ve been doing a 5 gallon water change weekly. It’s a 29 gallon with 4 pretty large sized fish and 2 clowns. Everyone is doing well in the tank and show no more signs of velvet. The main tank has been running for approximately two weeks without fish. I’m anticipating on adding the fish back to the system in another week.

 

[Tamberav]

Uhh I would be testing copper as even copper power isn’t always super accurate concentration. You could be high enough to hide all disease but low enough to not irradicate it and it comes back once fish are removed from copper.

It could all be fine and dandy but is is really worth the risk of catching the fish again and starting over? The cost of the test kit is a drop in the bucket in this hobby.

Also 3 weeks fishless is not long enough.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have co2 going in the quarantine tank and with the copper power you don’t have to worry about copper level as long as you dose according to the volume of water. I’m doing a 20% water change every three days and adding the proper amount of copper power per gallon of new water. All the fish in the quarantine tank are doing well under the small confinement. I didn’t know that it could be spread with snails though. I’m trying to eradicate it in my system with no fish but stills have snails and crabs. I was told and my research shows without fish the velvet parasites can not survive. Anyone out there know if snails can host the parasites?

Snails (and anything "wet") can carry disease into a new tank. Fish diseases can't live off of invertebrates, but they can be carried along. Even placing your hand in an infected tank and then into a new tank can transmit disease in some cases. Here is an article I posted about that:

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[jmichaelh7]

I’ve been doing a 5 gallon water change weekly. It’s a 29 gallon with 4 pretty large sized fish and 2 clowns. Everyone is doing well in the tank and show no more signs of velvet. The main tank has been running for approximately two weeks without fish. I’m anticipating on adding the fish back to the system in another week.

Your not doing 76 daysFallow

 

[FLReefer101]

Your not doing 76 daysFallow

What is 76 days fallow?

 

[jmichaelh7]

What is 76 days fallow?

Keeping display tank without fish long enough to break and eradicate ich cycle

 

[FLReefer101]

Keeping display tank without fish long enough to break and eradicate ich cycle

I never heard of the 76 day eradication. I’m not combating ich either it’s velvet which are two different parasites and are similar but treated differently. It will be three to four weeks of no fish and my quarantine fish being medicated. I did check my copper level and is 2.2 ppm in the quarantine tank. I’m going to start water changes without adding any more copper until the tank is free of copper and I observe them before putting back in the main tank again.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Patience young Jedi! Don’t rush it. Velvet is not forgiving. If that catch it again they may not make it.

 

[Tamberav]

I never heard of the 76 day eradication. I’m not combating ich either it’s velvet which are two different parasites and are similar but treated differently. It will be three to four weeks of no fish and my quarantine fish being medicated. I did check my copper level and is 2.2 ppm in the quarantine tank. I’m going to start water changes without adding any more copper until the tank is free of copper and I observe them before putting back in the main tank again.

Velvets fallow period is 6 weeks.