Clarifications needed - Snorvich or similarly educated member please reply

[Lfunnyfarm]

Let me begin by saying that I have read Snorvich's treatise on Amyloodinium ocellatum and have searched in numerous wordings for information. I need clarification on several things, please.

My questions concerning this method are:
How long should the formalin bath be?
Does one use saltwater as the liquid? I would assume so since the bath takes much more time than a dip.
If I can't find straight formalin/formaldehyde, can Rid-Ich be used since it is a concoction of formalin and malachite green?
What are the repercussions of the malachite green in that formulation?

And I would like a clarification because there is the above mentioned treatise on Marine Velvet but in a different thread, which I cannot find now, Snorvich says that Chloroquine Phosphate is the best treatment for Velvet. Which is the latest opinion?

My biggest problem with the above method is that I only have a 37g quarantine tank (flat back hex) and I'm trying to figure out what to do with a 30" long Zebra Moray eel during the quarantine process. I am thinking that it would be a disaster!

So"¦ I have searched to see what treatment methods, if any, can be used to treat Marine Velvet in a 400g acrylic FOWLR Display Tank. What are the pros and cons? What do the various treatments do to the live rock and the flora and fauna in the sand bed? And what do I do with my Fighting Conch?

Thanks,
Discouraged in Georgia

 

[Breadman03]

Most of that I don't have experience with, but Central Tractor carries Rubbermaid stock tanks up to 300 gallons. The 100 gallon units I have were $100 each, and might be a viable solution for your fallow period.

 

[ThRoewer]

Chloroquine Phosphate (NLS Ick-Shield Powder @ Amazon.com) is the best option, but only in a hospital tank and not for all fish (Labridae & Syngnathiformes can't handle it).

The next best thing and ideal prophylactic measure are Formalin baths (Formalin MS @ Amazon.com) at 20 drops (1 ml) per gallon for 30 to 50 minutes.

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

Hmm, don't have seahorses or pipefish but I have a Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) and a Six-Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia). What do I do with them? If I treat them, they might/probably will die. If I don't treat them, they are carriers of this nasty disease.

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

Breadman, I had the same thought to use a stock tank as a holding tank.

 

[ThRoewer]

Hmm, don't have seahorses or pipefish but I have a Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) and a Six-Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia). What do I do with them? If I treat them, they might/probably will die. If I don't treat them, they are carriers of this nasty disease.

The wrasses can be treated separately with daily formalin baths and then transfer to a clean tank (basically TTM with daily transfers and formalin baths).

You can also use the lower dose of Formalin MS for long term bath treatment where you dose the hospital tank. Though I personally would rather not do that as formalin is carcinogenic and the longer the exposure the greater the risk.

I would also strongly advise against any treatment of fish with CP inside the display tank. Many who tried that experience very high losses.
CP works best and most safely in a hospital tank setting where you can limit the treatment to 2 to 3 weeks and then just hold the fish in a clean tank for the remainder of the fallow period.

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

OK, so no Chloroquine Phosphate in the display tank.
I don't think formalin is a good DT treatment, is it?
Which leaves cupramine. Thoughts on that?

 

[ThRoewer]

Which leaves cupramine. Thoughts on that?

Any form of copper in the display is also recipe for disaster and lots of long term problems later. Plus copper is a poor choice against Amyloodinium ocellatum in the first place.

You will have to bite the bullet and catch all your fish for treatment in a separate HT.
Otherwise you may as well just wait it out and see what natural selection leaves you in the end.

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

As far as copper goes, my understanding is that success with it is a matter of precision. I can be precise. I was in the lab a lot in college and ran a laboratory for a few years. What are the long-term effects on your tank?

My husband is in favor of the "wait and see" approach. But I explained to him that the protozoans will still be in the tank and will infect and probably kill any new additions.

 

[ThRoewer]

Copper will bind with the calcium of your rocks and sand which makes it hard to maintain proper levels in the first place. Then later it will slowly leach out and cause long term health issues with your fish. Keep in mind that copper is an immunosuppressant and may also cause liver and kidney damage with long term exposure.

Most importantly, copper is not really effective against Amyloodinium. Some strains can handle copper doses that will kill your fish.

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I was getting pretty frustrated weeding through the huge number of posts that turned up in my searches looking for answers.

Here's another question - Do you know how Zebra Moray eels (Gymnomuraena zebra) are affected by these various drugs/treatments?

 

[ThRoewer]

Pretty much all fish handle formalin well if you keep the dosage right.
CP may be a gamble with some fish - alprazo started a good thread here: Chloroquine Primer

 

[Lfunnyfarm]

Thank you

 

[snorvich]

CP in a hospital tank is the treatment of choice for velvet (oodinium) whereas tank transfer is the treatment of choice for ich (cryptocaryon irritans). ThRoewer's advice on dipping is excellent but be sure after dipping that they return to clean water that is not infected.