Cryptocaryon and Oodinium

[Xaiv]

Hi all. I've done a search of these two diseases and I know the symptoms of each (although I have to say I am having a tough time differentiating them).

My tang is very sick. I don't have any pictures of him. I'm pretty sure it is crypt, but it formed in a matter of a few days to an uncontrollable amount. Initially, he had a small amount of ich then all of a sudden it got out of control. Some of the white spots are bigger and some are very very small, but it's all over his body and eyes. He's not breathing heavy at all and is eating like a pig.

My reason for posting this is, can anyone post big pictures of fish with BOTH of these diseases so I can try to match up what my fish has? I have searched the internet with google and haven't really seen any good pics of these two (as they are usually far away or blurry.) I appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks!

 

[limitdown]

The easiest way to tell is to do a freshwater dip. If some of the spots fall off, then it's velvet. If not, then it's ich.

Either way, I would move him into a hospital/quarantine tank and start treating with copper immediately. Velvet kills very quickly, while ich oftentimes does not kill. Ich is very infectious and very annoying, but when isolated, is actually very easy to treat.

 

[k.shep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13067256#post13067256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by limitdown
The easiest way to tell is to do a freshwater dip. If some of the spots fall off, then it's velvet. If not, then it's ich.

Either way, I would move him into a hospital/quarantine tank and start treating with copper immediately. Velvet kills very quickly, while ich oftentimes does not kill. Ich is very infectious and very annoying, but when isolated, is actually very easy to treat.

amyloodinium (velvet) is much more resistant to copper than cryptocaryon. studys have shown that some strands of oodinium resist copper levels up to .5 wich are toxic to fish in most cases. studys have also shown that oodinium is more tolerant to fresh water than crypt, probably because its a single celled algae. it can even survive without a host for very long time, since its an agae it can get its energy from a light source

 

[limitdown]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13075024#post13075024 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by k.shep
amyloodinium (velvet) is much more resistant to copper than cryptocaryon. studys have shown that some strands of oodinium resist copper levels up to .5 wich are toxic to fish in most cases. studys have also shown that oodinium is more tolerant to fresh water than crypt, probably because its a single celled algae. it can even survive without a host for very long time, since its an agae it can get its energy from a light source

Even if true, the best treatment method that humans have come up with is still copper. Success with alternatives has not been great.

Read up on Steven Pro's article in ReefKeeping. He's also had success with chloroquine diphosphate, but that drug is not easy to obtain. His conclusion.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/sp/feature/index.php

"Hopefully, I have sufficiently covered the treatment options available for dealing with this parasite. I strongly urge aquarists to take a proactive stance. Be strict and quarantine all new additions for at least one month, preferably longer. Keep a close eye out for the subtle signs of this infection. And lastly, be prepared to act quickly with a proven treatment if the presence of this pathogen is suspected in your tank. At this time, only copper and chloroquine diphosphate have been proven effective and safe sufficiently for me to use and recommend. I am hopeful hydrogen peroxide will be further studied, as I believe it has the most potential for a reef-safe treatment option, but additional experimentation is needed."

 

[Xaiv]

With ood I have read that it is the white fine spots on the fish, but that it also has a goldish sheen to the fishes skin. Is this true? Thanks for the info!

 

[jnc914]

Velvet is not "fine white spots", ich appears that way. Velvet appears as a powdery white spots that does have a somewhat goldish sheen. However if the fish is showing that much of the parasite on its skin, it is unlikely that it will survive as it usually means that the velvet has done significant damage to the gills. I just had velvet wipe ot the majority of my tank. Post a pic and i can tell you what you have.