Velvet treatment

[ldstolte]

I recently started a tank. Was adding to the fish in my tank and believe one of the new fish I added brought velvet to the tank. I lost two clown fish and an angel. My tang seems to have survived the treatments. I’m wondering when I know it’s safe to add more fish again.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Here is some really good information on velvet itself and fallow periods.

Velvet (Amyloodinium ocellatum)

Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum) What You Need To Know: * Fast killing parasite capable of wiping out most of your fish in just a matter of days. Sometimes there are survivors, sometimes not. * Can be treated in a quarantine tank using Chloroquine phosphate or Copper. A 5...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Flippers4pups]

I recently started a tank. Was adding to the fish in my tank and believe one of the new fish I added brought velvet to the tank. I lost two clown fish and an angel. My tang seems to have survived the treatments. I’m wondering when I know it’s safe to add more fish again.

I'm going to move this over to the fish disease forum for more eyes to see it.

 

[Hugh Mann]

As above, lots of good information to be found there.

However to answer your question we'll need more information.

How did you treat your fish? Same tank, or did you move them to a hospital tank?

What did you treat your fish with?

How long did you treat them for?

 

[ldstolte]

I used the same tank. Survivors are a Blue hippo tang, cleaner shrimp and a couple anemones. I treated with EM Erythromycin (removed snails, crabs and cleaner shrimp). Two treatments 24 hours apart, 25% water change and repeated.
Tang looks good and is eating well. The anemones are looking better too.
Has been about 4 weeks.

 

[Steph72]

I’m so sorry to hear about your tank being infected with velvet. It’s devastating and wipes out fish so fast. We also followed the recommendations made by Humblefish (posted above) and moved everyone to quarantine tanks (one for actively treating with copper and one transition tank for observation and reacclimation). Despite our best efforts we lost everyone except two clowns. It was devastating and I cried for a week...my heart goes out to anyone who goes through this, it’s so awful watching them struggle and die. To be extra safe we have left the display tank fallow for 90 days...I think he recommends 76 days if memory serves, but be careful not to cross contaminate when doing maintenance or handling equipment. We waited longer because I accidentally used some possibility contaminated tubing when I did a water change. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a quarantine tank and emergency supplies like micro air stones, extra airline tubing, extra air pumps, extra clean ro water, and medication...It’s a huge pain to keep this arsenal but time is your enemy with velvet or any pathogen that inhibits the fish from oxygenating properly. We used copper to treat the velvet but be careful with copper...the level must be maintained or you have to start all over. Also, it’s toxic so it needs to be monitored closely. I would invest in one of the Hanna brand copper monitors because they’re very accurate. This all sounds overwhelming and expensive but in the end it can save a lot of heartache and money. Sorry to ramble on...this is a problem that hits home pretty hard because I felt so helpless dealing with it literally right after I got my tank set up. Best of luck to you!

 

[Steph72]

I just saw that

I used the same tank. Survivors are a Blue hippo tang, cleaner shrimp and a couple anemones. I treated with EM Erythromycin (removed snails, crabs and cleaner shrimp). Two treatments 24 hours apart, 25% water change and repeated.
Tang looks good and is eating well. The anemones are looking better too.
Has been about 4 weeks.

I just saw that you have invertebrates & nems... if you ever need to use copper for treatment of velvet, those guys can’t handle it. You may already know that, but I didn’t want to give you potentially disastrous advice.

 

[ldstolte]

Thank you so much for all your thoughts. Our whole family was devastated. It’s amazing how attached you can get to fish!
I did separate the snails, crabs and cleaner shrimp. But they are in a much smaller tank. I don’t have so many of the things you describe. Looks like I need to do more research. Just really curious about how all of this cycles and if I can get on top of it.

 

[Zionas]

Sorry for what you’re going through, OP. I don’t want to lose a single one of my fish. Do you know what fish brought in the velvet?

 

[Steph72]

Thank you so much for all your thoughts. Our whole family was devastated. It’s amazing how attached you can get to fish!
I did separate the snails, crabs and cleaner shrimp. But they are in a much smaller tank. I don’t have so many of the things you describe. Looks like I need to do more research. Just really curious about how all of this cycles and if I can get on top of it.

It’s definitely very overwhelming and sad. I felt so clueless and still do...when fish start to show signs of being ill, everything happens so fast. I’m getting ready to add two new fish to my tank this week and I’ll definitely be sweating a bit. Like yourself, I get very attached! They may not be furry or cuddly but they’re still my babies and a precious part of our home. If you haven’t already read through Humble Fish’s website, visit that site and keep it handy...he has a lot of great information.

Humble.Fish & Reef Community

A diverse reefing community working together for healthy fish and all things reefing.

humble.fish

 

[Hugh Mann]

If it was affecting your anenomes, are you certain it was Velvet? Velvet only harms fish, leaves inverts alone.

Anyways, assuming it was velvet, the tank you treated should be Velvet free, and able to introduce fish.

Your hard inverts (crabs, snails, shrimp, hermits) however should be kept separate for no less than six weeks, as a stage of the velvets life cycle can attach onto the hard shells of those. After six weeks all traces of velvet should have starved to their well deserved death, and then the inverts will be safe to reintroduce into the main tank.

 

[ldstolte]

I just saw that

I just saw that you have invertebrates & nems... if you ever need to use copper for treatment of velvet, those guys can’t handle it. You may already know that, but I didn’t want to give you potentially disastrous advice.

If it was affecting your anenomes, are you certain it was Velvet? Velvet only harms fish, leaves inverts alone.

Anyways, assuming it was velvet, the tank you treated should be Velvet free, and able to introduce fish.

Your hard inverts (crabs, snails, shrimp, hermits) however should be kept separate for no less than six weeks, as a stage of the velvets life cycle can attach onto the hard shells of those. After six weeks all traces of velvet should have starved to their well deserved death, and then the inverts will be safe to reintroduce into the main tank.

it doesn’t appear to have affected my anemoinies, just the firsh.
Great to hear I’ll be able to add some at some point in the not too distant future. Thanks for the reply!

 

[ldstolte]

Sorry for what you’re going through, OP. I don’t want to lose a single one of my fish. Do you know what fish brought in the velvet?

I believe it was the angel. That was the last one I added and I had it for just about a week.
does that seem possible? When I wentback to the store to ask what they thought could be going on, he said they were just getting over a nasty case of Velvet and he pointed to the tank area where I got the angel.

 

[Zionas]

That’s totally possible. What species was it?

 

[Hugh Mann]

Yup, definitely possible. Velvet goes from zero to annihilation in days, if not hours.

 

[ldstolte]

That’s totally possible. What species was it?

Midnight angel

 

[Zionas]

Ouch. Sorry to hear about your loss. Did it present any symptoms at the LFS?

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

Why I keep Chloroquine on hand and treat everything (with exception of the sensitive fish they get copper). There is still a source for it.

 

[Marie7]

I'm planning to treat my tank for velvet or parasitic infection but I have a question, besides quarantine my fish and separate them from my main tank, is there's anything I can treat the main tank to make sure I kill that velvet of any infection? I have corals and anemones it has to be something that does not kill my corals or inverts, I'm planning to change a lot of water almost everything, how should I treat the live rock and sand of my tank? do i need to replace the sand? wash with fresh water my live rocks?

 

[SaltyT]

I'm planning to treat my tank for velvet or parasitic infection but I have a question, besides quarantine my fish and separate them from my main tank, is there's anything I can treat the main tank to make sure I kill that velvet of any infection? I have corals and anemones it has to be something that does not kill my corals or inverts, I'm planning to change a lot of water almost everything, how should I treat the live rock and sand of my tank? do i need to replace the sand? wash with fresh water my live rocks?

Velvet needs a fish host in order to live so if you remove all of your fish from your main tank and let it go fallow (no fish) for 76 days the parasites will all die. You don’t have to treat your main tank or do anything with the sand or rocks.