Velvet in my tank

[Koty]

Took me 3 tangs and 3 young African flaimback angels to realize that my tank is infested with Velvet. Fish get acclimated and within 3-4 days show the signs and die the next day. I now have 4 wrasses (cleaner, blue flasher, fairy, and melanorus) 2 swallowtail angels, 5 cardinals, 3 firefish, 2 scissortails, and two clowns. The tank contains various LPS and a few soft corals, 1 fireshrimp and a coral banded shrimp. All current fish are apparently perfectly healthy besides occasional scratching. I understand that there is not much to do besides not bringing any new fish. My question is how long is it before (if at all) I can bring a new fish as well as is there anything else I can do about it?
Thanks in advance

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I wonder - velvet (Amyloodinium) doesn't act that way - more typically, all of the fish will eventually be affected. As they die, you'll see fairly distinct symptoms; rapid breathing, not eating, swimming into water flow, glassy eyes and then sometimes a dusting on the skin. Fish will often die within 36 hours of the onset of the symptoms, and all species except sharks and rays will be affected to some degree (usually 100% mortality).

Jay

 

[Koty]

I wonder - velvet (Amyloodinium) doesn't act that way - more typically, all of the fish will eventually be affected. As they die, you'll see fairly distinct symptoms; rapid breathing, not eating, swimming into water flow, glassy eyes and then sometimes a dusting on the skin. Fish will often die within 36 hours of the onset of the symptoms, and all species except sharks and rays will be affected to some degree (usually 100% mortality).

Jay

Thanks,
So I guess my diagnosis is wrong. I do see the dusting mixed with uncountable white dots all over the skin and the next day the fish is dead. The last casualty, the young African flame back angel was showing that dusty white dots symptoms but was active and looked normal yet dead the next morning. The other fish are really doing well. This is very frustrating what are the other options? This is the last tang before it died

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I can’t see in the picture, but advanced cases of ich are often misdiagnosed as velvet. Rapid breathing is the key symptom for velvet; usually faster than 150 bpm. You can video a fish and then play it back and count the gill beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
Here is the hint though - either way, copper treatment of all fish in a quarantine tank, and then leaving your main tank fishless for 45 to 76 days, as difficult as that is, is the best way to go.
Jay

 

[Koty]

Just an update:
I stopped adding fish for about 2 months and kept the UV on 24/7. Also, the current fish in the tank clearly stopped scratching. I recently added: Scopus tang, Copperband, Coral beauty, blue mandarin, and a blue-throated trigger during about a 2 week period. All look great and acclimated