Marine Velvet

[AABatteries]

Well, got a look at my firefish, he's breathing heavily and looks like he was scratching himself on the rocks. So, I've read copper is away to treat it, but I definitely don't want to use a copper based med. I also read lowering the salinity can help too, any thoughts on that? Any other way to treat it. I would set up a QT, but I wouldn't be allowed.

[rageybug]

What do you mean you would not be allowed to set up a Q tank?

If you put it in a Q tank, you can blast it with any copper based meds you want without fear of harming your other stock.

Have you added anything new to your tank or changed food? How are your water parameters? Are any other fish acting... fishy?

[cocoa_pleco]

ditto, quarantining with copper is your best bet

[AABatteries]

I'll try to convince my parents to allow it. Haven't tested parameters. If its ammonia, I'll never know. My ammonia test died. Nothing new.

[AABatteries]

Well, the firefish didn't make it through the night. :ssad:

So, now I have to wait a while for the velvet to get out of the tank correct? If so, how long.

Now I'm begging my parents to let me set up a QT. Told them I'm not getting any fish until I get a QT, and I mean it. I'm going to be quarantining all my fish for a month before they go into the main tank.

And I'm going to be picking up some meds tomorrow. Just cause I'll have money from my birthday today. And I really won't be needing to buy the QT and stuff cause a neighbor has one he'll give me. All I'll be buying is probably a little powerhead and PVC pipe.

[unleashed]

Well, the firefish didn't make it through the night. :ssad:

So, now I have to wait a while for the velvet to get out of the tank correct? If so, how long.

Now I'm begging my parents to let me set up a QT. Told them I'm not getting any fish until I get a QT, and I mean it. I'm going to be quarantining all my fish for a month before they go into the main tank.

And I'm going to be picking up some meds tomorrow. Just cause I'll have money from my birthday today. And I really won't be needing to buy the QT and stuff cause a neighbor has one he'll give me. All I'll be buying is probably a little powerhead and PVC pipe.

How sure are you that your fish was suffering from velvet? It seems to me that many reefers seem to blame quick deaths on velvet while discounting other potential causes such as flukes, internal parasites, decompression issues etc.

Also, if you do set up a QT, all fish you be rigorously quarantined for a least 6-8 weeks. I would treat any fish in QT with hyposalinity, copper based meds and prazipro as these would be sufficient to deal with many fish illnesses....

[AABatteries]

I'm 95% sure it was velvet. He was breathing heavily and scrathing himself on the rocks.

[unleashed]

the same symptoms can be seen when a fish is affected by flukes