Marine Velvet in 210 gallon tank...

[erinangele]

Hi all,

I recently upgraded from a 135 gallon to a 210, yea! It was a very fast transfer because the 135 was in a room that was an addition and after a earthquake a few weeks ago the addition slipped off its foundation which flexed and bowed the tank. The euro brace broke and the front of the glass was bowing a half inch in the center!

We moved very fast, buying a new tank and setting everything up asap. The new tank was purchased used (here lies our mistake) with rock and TONS of beautiful sps, zoes, and some fish. We set it all up and its been running 2 weeks today. Unfortunately the new stock seems to have brought with it marine velvet. At least I'm almost certain thats what I'm seeing. Started with a cloudy eye on a scopes tang, then i noticed his scales looked "velvety" near his spike. Now I'm noticing cloudiness on my cleaner wrasses head, and my black and white clown. It's hard to see on my lighter fish, but i'm pretty sure they all are effected to some degree. Everyone is eating and acting normally for now, but from what i've read they must be treated.

I have a 180 gallon tank that I can set up as a hospital tank. I'm planning on using hypo salinity and copper to treat the fish. As well as medicated food and possibly a Formalin dip before going into the 180.

I'm thinking the easiest way to catch all the fish is to do the hole in the sand empty the tank method. What are the chances of this working? I do have a few wrasses, a dottyback, and a fire fish who may hide in the rocks.

I'm REALLY trying to avoid moving my rock work. I have a ton of rock and coral and I love the design.

Any suggestions or words of wisdom? Or just encouragement...

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[wooden_reefer]

What have you done to the rock of the old 135 gal?

Did you mix it with that of the new tank?

Have you been keeping it moist?

If you can use your old rock to support your fish during treatment and waiting for the new tank to fallow out for 12 weeks, your task will be more manageable.

If you used copper for this treatment, your old rock may not be suitable for reef, but perhaps you don't need it.

 

[erinangele]

The rock is all in the 210 now so unfortunately I don't have any to put in the treatment tank. Unless I use my fuge rock and get more for the fuge later.

I was going to leave the tank bare and hook up a protine skimmer, and use filter sock, and possibly a carbon-free fluval for filtration. And use a bunch of different size PVC pipes for hiding places. Does this sound like it could work?

 

[wooden_reefer]

The fallow period for velvet may not be 12 weeks.

I don't know if there is an agreed upon fallow period for velvet.

Velvet is powdery in appearance, not sharp dots like ich.

 

[Deinonych]

The fallow period for velvet may not be 12 weeks.

I don't know if there is an agreed upon fallow period for velvet.

Velvet is powdery in appearance, not sharp dots like ich.

6 weeks is the consensus on fallow period for Amyloodinium.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Nitrification bacteria do not die quickly due to lack of ammonia.

If you had kept the rock from the 135 gal tank moist all the time, a good fracture of the bacteria on it will still be viable after even weeks and low level of ammonia.

Likely you can still use a fracture of the rock to support your fish during treatment and fallow period.

If you used straight copper this time, however, that lock can have cu deposit on it.

 

[erinangele]

The rock was wet during the whole transfer. I kept it in brute cans filled with tank water, heaters, and circulation pumps. That's neither here nor there because it's all in the 210. I don't have any other rock outside of that system. I also read somewhere that rock absorbs cu so it's hard to maintain accurate levels with rock in the system which is why I was planning on running it bare. Of course I have no personal experience so I could be wrong. Would a filter sock, skimmer, and charcoal-free fluval paired with daily testing and frequent water changes be enough?


Honestly, they may have both because while most is more of a powdery (or cloudy looking) I do see some granuals as well. The treatment is the same, so I should be okay there. Just the fallow period is different. 72 days for ich I believe.

My big concern is catching the fish without disturbing my rock work! My husband is going to help me set up the treatment tank this afternoon and then we will start catching fish.

 

[snorvich]

6 weeks is the consensus on fallow period for Amyloodinium.

That is correct.

 

[wooden_reefer]

The rock was wet during the whole transfer. I kept it in brute cans filled with tank water, heaters, and circulation pumps. That's neither here nor there because it's all in the 210. I don't have any other rock outside of that system. I also read somewhere that rock absorbs cu so it's hard to maintain accurate levels with rock in the system which is why I was planning on running it bare. Of course I have no personal experience so I could be wrong. Would a filter sock, skimmer, and charcoal-free fluval paired with daily testing and frequent water changes be enough?


Honestly, they may have both because while most is more of a powdery (or cloudy looking) I do see some granuals as well. The treatment is the same, so I should be okay there. Just the fallow period is different. 72 days for ich I believe.

My big concern is catching the fish without disturbing my rock work! My husband is going to help me set up the treatment tank this afternoon and then we will start catching fish.

Since the only cycled medium you have is calcerous that will absorb straight cu quickly, you can use a chelated copper that is more stable.

For me, I use straight copper with calcerous material at the time. It has long been known that pulses of somewhat higher dose also works. I do so but I QT for a long time , 12 weeks min against ich, sometimes I forget and go thru 14-16 weeks. It is easy; that is why I sometimes forget.