Marine Velvet

[Tetra84]

How long would it take for you to know if a fish in QT has velvet if it does? Could it still show up after a month in QT, or would it be safe to say it didn't have it after that length of time?

 

[alprazo]

No, a fish can be a carrier and show no ill effects from velvet. I had a tomato clown live with it for several years. I used him to infected other fish and then I would treat them before symptoms showed. The thought was to build immunity. Then I found chloroquine.

 

[Conspiculatus]

alprazo,

Thats like trying to build an immunity to malaria. That will never work against a parasite in a single generation. It takes a genetic mutation for immunity or resistance to occur.

 

[Conspiculatus]

Sorry double post.

 

[Tetra84]

none of the fish in my qt are showing signs, but i guess the only way to get rid of it for sure would be a preemptive copper treatment?

 

[alprazo]

Conspiculatus,

I can find you several references of studies demonstrating this point. I would have to search again though. A better example would be immunotherapy in humans for a cutaneous Protozoal infection like leishmaniasis. humans are exposed to antigens in order to stimulate an immune response.


Badaro R, Lobo I, Munos A, et al. (October 2006). "Immunotherapy for drug-refractory mucosal leishmaniasis". J Infect Dis. 194 (8): 1151–9. doi:10.1086/507708. PMID 16991091.