Velvet Recovery - Bleach Or Dry

[jreece11]

I've read a ton of posts here the last week and appreciate everyone's contributions. HumbleFish deserves a medal for the number of helpful posts!

My current situation: Velvet discovered in 280G display, treating fish with CP currently but it's more of a life ring than a rescue boat. A little more detail on this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/g...d-med-tank-size-feedback.652949/#post-6563425

I set up a 32G biocube med tank, starting copper treatment. Catching the fish will be a challege in the DT so I think I'm going to have to drain it, which goes hand in hand with nuking the DT anyway.

The 32G med cube will be small for these fish (list below) so I think I can do the 14 to 30 days of copper treatment with frequent water changes but I don't think I can do the 76 day fallow period so I'm thinking of biting the bullet and nuking the 280G DT tank.

Trying to get all the rock out is impossible so I'm thinking I either need to run bleach in the system or try to drain it all. Does anyone have advice on longer term effects of bleach or success in drying to dry out a large tank and sump system to errradicate velvet (and ich too, just in case it's present also)?

Fish List:
Small fish: 2 bluegreen chromis, 3 small clowns, melanarus wrasse
Medium fish: hippo tang, yellow tang, blond naso tang

 

[artieg1]

If you get all the fish out, you don't have to "nuke" the DT to get rid of the Velvet parasite. The parasite cannot survive without fish, so you can just leave the system running for the applicable fallow period, which you can find on Sticky threads under disease forum. Many people go for the longer ICH fallow period as well, but you don't have to.

 

[KJoFan]

I am in a similar situation with my fish in cramped quarters going through treatment for velvet. My plan after the 14 days is to go into a Rubbermaid 100g trough for the remainder of the fallow period. While also not ideal, it should give them adequate room to live until they can go back in the display.

I will be using no equipment or anything from the display in the Rubbermaid in order to not recontaminate. I have a spare skimmer and will dig up some powerheads for it. I will also probably add some dry live rock and such to make sure to get some bacteria going in the tub. I plan to cover it with screen top netting and hope they love their new dark digs. I might even give them some lighting.

Anyway, you can pick up smaller Rubbermaid troughs at farm supply stores to fit your needs. 50g being the smallest I'm aware of.

 

[tehmadreefer]

You can use liquid pool chlorine. It will gas out on it's own and kill everything.

 

[jreece11]

If you get all the fish out, you don't have to "nuke" the DT to get rid of the Velvet parasite. The parasite cannot survive without fish, so you can just leave the system running for the applicable fallow period, which you can find on Sticky threads under disease forum. Many people go for the longer ICH fallow period as well, but you don't have to.

Thanks Artieg. Leaning towards fallow now, but the wife is resisting going fishless for months. Will make a final decision this week. May have to drain 200 gallons just to catch the remaining 5 fish. They don't act sick when the nets enter the water...

 

[jreece11]

I am in a similar situation with my fish in cramped quarters going through treatment for velvet. My plan after the 14 days is to go into a Rubbermaid 100g trough for the remainder of the fallow period. While also not ideal, it should give them adequate room to live until they can go back in the display.

I will be using no equipment or anything from the display in the Rubbermaid in order to not recontaminate. I have a spare skimmer and will dig up some powerheads for it. I will also probably add some dry live rock and such to make sure to get some bacteria going in the tub. I plan to cover it with screen top netting and hope they love their new dark digs. I might even give them some lighting.

Anyway, you can pick up smaller Rubbermaid troughs at farm supply stores to fit your needs. 50g being the smallest I'm aware of.

KJo, how many fish in how small of a tank? I've got 4 of 9 in the 32 gallon cube and it's not bad so I might be able to get away with it for a 30 day treatment...maybe not for 76 day fallow period.

 

[KJoFan]

KJo, how many fish in how small of a tank? I've got 4 of 9 in the 32 gallon cube and it's not bad so I might be able to get away with it for a 30 day treatment...maybe not for 76 day fallow period.

I’ve got mine divided into 3 10g tanks. A yellow tang and kole tang in one. A pair of clowns and a hippo tang in another and 6 wrasses and 2 bangaii cardinals in the third. Eek. That last one is way overpacked.
I’m hoping to maintain for the 14 days but could stretch to 30 if needed. But I won’t do 76 in these conditions.

 

[jreece11]

I’ve got mine divided into 3 10g tanks. A yellow tang and kole tang in one. A pair of clowns and a hippo tang in another and 6 wrasses and 2 bangaii cardinals in the third. Eek. That last one is way overpacked.
I’m hoping to maintain for the 14 days but could stretch to 30 if needed. But I won’t do 76 in these conditions.

At least you made me feel better about my 32 gallon situation, ha ha.

How often are you having to do water changes?

What kind of copper product are you using?

Are you going fallow on the DT or nuking it and starting over?

 

[KJoFan]

At least you made me feel better about my 32 gallon situation, ha ha.

How often are you having to do water changes?

What kind of copper product are you using?

Are you going fallow on the DT or nuking it and starting over?

Ha, glad I could show you I have a worse situation. lol I actually have only done one waterchange over the 10 days since the tanks have been up. I probably should have done more but I haven't and nothing has died yet.

I am using Copper Power, it's the only copper product I use these days.

I am going fallow on the display. I have a plumbed frag tank holding 4 fish I want to sell just to free up space in the display once it's back in order. When they finally move out, the 76 day clock will tick.

That's my plan anyway, as I have coral I'd like to keep going in the mean time. However, like you I had to tear the display apart to get all the fish out. So my rockwork is just in a heap, but...I've got plenty of time to re-scape it.

My biggest worry is controlling algae growth while my grazers are elsewhere, but we'll see. Might need to beef up the CUC big time to compensate.

 

[KJoFan]

Another reason I'm opting to go fallow vs nuking is the tank is about 19 months old at this point. Just starting to hit it's stride as far as maturity and coral support. I don't want to reset that clock. I don't know your situation there though.

 

[jreece11]

Another reason I'm opting to go fallow vs nuking is the tank is about 19 months old at this point. Just starting to hit it's stride as far as maturity and coral support. I don't want to reset that clock. I don't know your situation there though.

Please keep me posted on progress and any setbacks. I'll do the same.

I have it easier, brand new tank, first batch of fish. No coral yet. Good luck to us both!

 

[SeeFu]

i was the recipient of uronema on the first fish i put into my DT. This was after a 35-40 day QT process. I ended up nuking the tank. It's a real pain in the butt to nuke

 

[jreece11]

Sorry to hear SeeFu. How did you nuke your display?

What do you think went wrong during QT? What would you do differently next time?

 

[SeeFu]

i took everything out of the tank, i mean everything. soaked it all in a pretty strong bleach/water solution for a few days and then again in a water only solution. then i let it air dry for a few days. while all that was soaking, i sprayed the entire tank down w/ bleach. In the end i guess it worked out ok, the wife liked the new aquascape better and that experienced has forced me to adjust the length of time i qt. now i qt for 60 days min. 15 days w/ metro/general cure, 30 days w/ copper, and then 15 additional days of observation. I never want to go through the nuke experience again if possible.

The only thing I can think of that went wrong are
- qted w/ metro/gc for only 10 days instead of 14. i followed this process https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/api-general-cure-only-or-with-metro.543498/
- didn't add metro/qc at every 48 hrs, i may have let it slip by a few hrs a few time

i've never heard of any need to predose the clean saltwater during a water change w/ metro/gc, but i'm going to be doing that now.

 

[Echomsp]

I went through this about 3 months back. I left the tank fallow for 76 days and reintroduced fish and all are doing fine.

Not sure if you've gotten all of your fish out yet, but I tried everything I could find to get mine out of a 250G and ended up having to drain it to get the fish out. I treated about 35 fish in a 75G and they stayed there for the 76 day fallow period with a few losses. I did not have enough hiding places initially and some got picked on.

Good luck, it's a pain!

 

[jreece11]

I went through this about 3 months back. I left the tank fallow for 76 days and reintroduced fish and all are doing fine.

Not sure if you've gotten all of your fish out yet, but I tried everything I could find to get mine out of a 250G and ended up having to drain it to get the fish out. I treated about 35 fish in a 75G and they stayed there for the 76 day fallow period with a few losses. I did not have enough hiding places initially and some got picked on.

Good luck, it's a pain!

I'm right there with you. I drained all but 2" out of the 280G DT. All fish are you except the melanarus wrasse, which is hiding in the sand. Have a trap with food set, but 24 hours later there is no sign of him.

The 32G biocube med tank is going to be okay I think. Doesn't look too crowded since most of the fish are small. Looks like water changes and copper top-offs will be needed every three days to keep ammonia down. Could be worse.