Velvet outbreak! Help!

Chiefmaster30 · May 24, 2016

I have an ich outbreak and no quarantine tank. Should I get quarantine immediately? Should I take all fish broke out with ich out and put in a new quarantine tank and treat the quarantine? I don't want to treat my display tank bc I do have a few small frags and invertebrates in it. If I quarantine all my fish and treat in quarantine will my main tank still have ich?

Chiefmaster30 · May 24, 2016

One thing after another!

Viper99ACR · May 24, 2016

If you have an ich outbreak then all your fish are infected. The ich life cycle needs a host (fish), therefore even if the fish is not showing signs you must assume that it is infected. After you have removed all your fish your DT needs to be fallow (fishless) for 72 days. Corals and inverts are ok to leave in DT during fallow period.

dochow · May 24, 2016

I just finished 72 days fallow for ich. Fish slowly being re-introduced now into the DT. Feels good to have completed it.

Start a QT, remove all fish and put them there once it's set up and start the process.

You will need to do at minimum weekly water changes in the QT or even every few days since you won't have a cycled tank.

It's going to be some work but there are good threads in the disease forum and they helped me get through treating ich in my QT, going fallow in my DT and now finally re-introducing disease free fish into the DT.

You will be better at salt water husbandry once you finish! Maybe a silver lining....

melypr1985 · May 24, 2016

Hi there! Are you sure it's ick that your dealing with? Just want to be sure. I agree with the others. You'll need to get your fish out and go fallow in the display. Treat the fish in a QT. My favorite way to do this is Tank Transfer Method as it doesn't involve any chemicals and is much faster than the 30 day copper treatments. If you want to go classic and treat with copper then make sure you maintain therapeutic levels for 30 days straight. The fallow period is 76 days to absolutely sure you're completely parasite free.

Here's some info on Copper and how to treat with it. If you want it I can get you the TTM info or even info on CP.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

4FordFamily · May 24, 2016

Yup and you may need to do daily large water changes if your qt is small and full of lots of fish. Get a sea chem ammonia badge. Any time it is anything other than yellow, large water change

Humblefish · May 24, 2016

Please list all fish, so we can tell if you have any known copper sensitive species. Also, can you post some pics of the fish showing symptoms so we can confirm this is indeed ich?

Chiefmaster30 · May 25, 2016

Melypr1985 could you get me that TTM INFO?

Chiefmaster30 · May 25, 2016

I have 2-clowns, six-line wrasse, yellow Tang, and a blue-spotted watchman goby. And HAD a Coral Beauty Angel, Dominoe Damsel, and Sharknose Goby. The Coral Beauty brought the disease in my tank died day before yesterday, and the domino and Sharknose are dead this morning.

Chiefmaster30 · May 25, 2016

Here are a few pics! Does it look like ich to y'all? Best I could get right now.

4FordFamily · May 25, 2016

Looks more like velvet to me. If it killed a damsel you're dealing with something pretty sinister.

I'm no expert at ID's though but velvet is running rampant in the hobby right now and fish distribution system

Your yellow tang is also very very thin and even if treated, being that emaciated unfortunately I fear it's a goner ;(

Humblefish · May 25, 2016

I think its very possible you have both velvet & Brooklynella.

If you follow this protocol exactly it will clear both diseases: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

Humblefish · May 25, 2016

If you do not have access to formalin or acriflavine, there are other treatment options listed below:

Brooklynella:

Symptoms – This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s).

Treatment options - Formalin or acriflavine bath, followed by additional baths (as needed - but give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths). You can use formalin in a QT (at a much lower concentration than the bath), but great care must be taken to provide plenty of gas exchange as formalin will quickly deplete the water of oxygen. For this reason, doing baths is the safer option as the fish can be pulled from the formalin if showing signs of distress. Acriflavine is probably the better option for in-tank QT use.

The following products contain formalin: Formalin-MS (preferred), Quick Cure, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X, Kordon Rid-Ich Plus.

Acriflavine can be found in Acriflavine-MS (preferred) and Ruby Reef Rally.

Metronidazole (exs. Seachem MetroPlex, Metro-MS, Hikari Metro+) is considered an alternative treatment for brook. A freshwater dip may provide temporary relief if you are unable to locate any of the aforementioned medications right away. Some even claim total eradication of the disease is possible just by performing multiple FW dips on the fish.

Chiefmaster30 · May 25, 2016

thanks y'all! So how do I get my display tank with inverterbrates, coral, etc. back to where it is safe for fish to go back in it?

melypr1985 · May 25, 2016

Chiefmaster30 said:
thanks y'all! So how do I get my display tank with inverterbrates, coral, etc. back to where it is safe for fish to go back in it?

Wow! It's a good thing you were able to get such good pictures! We always appreciate good pictures in the disease forum.

I agree with Humble on this one.

You'll need to run your display fallow (without fish) for 6 weeks. The parasites will die off without the presence of a fish to feed off of. You'll do this by removing all your fish to a QT in which they will be treated and leave all corals and inverts in the display. Treat the tank like you normally would except with much lighter, every other day feedings to keep the bacteria population up. Good luck and keep us posted!