Angels and Butterflies prone to velvet?

fishfreak2009

Swimming in the School
Why is it that every time I buy an angelfish or a butterflyfish from a certain local fish store where they show no symptoms (and no they don't run any medication in their tanks) that they come down with a horrible case of velvet within 48 hours. Any other type of fish I purchase never shows any signs of disease (damsels, wrasses, puffers, triggers). For example I just purchased a coral beauty angel and a niger trigger. Both fish looked healthy and had been in the store for a month. I put both fish into a 30 gallon quarantine (which is sterilized between each use) and within 2 days the coral beauty is covered in velvet. The trigger shows no symptoms. I have already begun cupramine treatment, as well as prazi-pro. When I buy angels or butterflies from a different store I have no problems (all of their fish are treated with copper for 2 weeks before they sell them).

Are angels and butterflies just prone to velvet?
 
All fish are prone to it and will almost certainly die if infected. Angels and B/F's are in general not as hardy as some other more common fish so they usually are amoung the first to die.
 
From what I have seen in the Tragedy of the Month forum (fish diseases) where I spend a lot of time, all fish are susceptible, but butterfly fish seem to bring it in more commonly. This may be a chain of custody issue or it may be a species related issue; there is insufficient data to determine that.
 
Sounds to me like you need to find yourself a new lfs. I'd be hesitant to continue buying fish from a store that continuously sell sick fish.!
 
I had marine velvet wipe out almost an entire 180 gallon FOWLR back in '06. Only 2 of 13 fish survived. It was brought in by a Regal Angel. The scary thing is how fast it kills. If you see it on the fish (powdery patches all over body), it is already too late. Shortly thereafter I started QT'ing everything. I learned my lesson the hard way.
 
Sounds to me like you need to find yourself a new lfs. I'd be hesitant to continue buying fish from a store that continuously sell sick fish.!

I actually have 3 or 4 local fish stores around me. This store has always been the most helpful however, always willing to lend a hand if something is going wrong. It's very ironic about the situation. I purchased 2 fish on Saturday, a niger trigger and the coral beauty that brought on this thread. The coral beauty (while still covered in spots) seems to have fewer spots than it did yesterday. The niger trigger still has no symptoms at all.

I've bought all kinds of fish from them before; tangs, filefish, puffers, wrasses, damsels, clowns, triggers, anthias, butterflies, and angels. The only fish I seem to have problems with are the angels and butterflies. I guess I will just buy those fish from a different store.

By the way, I'm not really worried about the disease making it into the display. The fish with velvet are in a completely separate 30 gallon quarantine, and only after they are symptom free for at least a few weeks after cupramine treatment will they be going into the display. Pretty soon my 75 gallon quarantine will be empty as well (meaning I can quarantine some other new fish)!
 

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