Low levels of Cu masking crypt/velvet?

[HumbleFish]

After not dealing with velvet for 6 years, I just dealt with it this past weekend. Had all the fish for 3 weeks. Was raising copper up for treatment, then bam! All were taken by velvet in a matter of 14 hours... never saw it coming. All in all it was a learning experience in symptoms and refreshed my already full mind on the disease.

I can relate. In over 30+ years, I have had a very poor success rate saving a fish from Velvet once symptoms show themselves. Using copper anyway. I've yet to try CP on a fish with Velvet. Can't wait for the opportunity.

 

[SDguy]

Not cryptocaryon irritans, but it does mask amyloodinium.

What I know for a fact is that the fish came from a reputable dealer (some locally, some nationally) that had a non-therapeutic dose running in their system, and in the case of the national supplier, also UV. Given the length of time in the supplier system (7 weeks), it would seem that this masked the parasite incidence in the supplier system. But of course, the fish was carrying the parasite and developed symptoms almost exactly three weeks after arrival. By the way, I was not the only one that had this experience. Total fish I have seen this in so far is 8 (or maybe ten?) over about 5 years that I have been tracking it. All but two were from a national supplier that runs copper and UV.

Perhaps I misunderstood your first post? I agree with your second post. I thought in your first post you were saying that non therapeutic copper level will mask velvet, but not ich....

 

[snorvich]

Perhaps I misunderstood your first post? I agree with your second post. I thought in your first post you were saying that non therapeutic copper level will mask velvet, but not ich....

That is correct.

 

[SDguy]

That is correct.

Oh well I disagree with that . I think non therapeutic levels of copper can mask ich as well, from personal experience.

 

[snorvich]

Oh well I disagree with that . I think non therapeutic levels of copper can mask ich as well, from personal experience.

Well, that is interesting. Since I always use tank transfer on new fish, I am not in a position to say if that is possible since I never see ich. Given my quarantine protocol, I suppose what you are saying IS possible.

 

[snorvich]

I am going to retract my assertion that low levels of copper do not mask cryptocaryon irritans. Since my protocol is tank transfer always, I would have no way of ever encountering ich. So, low level of copper may indeed mask ick and possibly brook as well as velvet.