Surviving Marine Velvet

[Atomikk]

Is it possible for fish to survive marine velvet?

I am through day 18 since extracting willing fish out of my display and I am left with 6 fish still swimming. 1 Melanurus wrasse, 2 Green Chromis, 1 Upsidedown goby, and 2 blue damsels.

I saved 9 fish, but 8 fish died in the display. I was certain that the remaining 6 would die soon thereafter. But the timeframe, from finding out I had Velvet to day 18 of quarantine, has been 20 days.

Could it be that these remaining fish are just immune? They are not showing any signs of distress. They are eating, swimming normally.

What would you do?

 

[HumbleFish]

It's very possible for their immune systems to be keeping the parasites at bay. For now anyway. But this sounds more like Ich to me. How are you sure it's Velvet?

Whether it's Ich or Velvet, you need to get those remaining fish out, treat them, and then go fallow in the DT for 9+ weeks. Otherwise, the 9 fish you saved will just get reinfected when you put them back in the DT. Even fish that build up immunity can still be carriers (and infect other fish).

 

[MrTuskfish]

It's very possible for their immune systems to be keeping the parasites at bay. For now anyway. But this sounds more like Ich to me. How are you sure it's Velvet?

Whether it's Ich or Velvet, you need to get those remaining fish out, treat them, and then go fallow in the DT for 9+ weeks. Otherwise, the 9 fish you saved will just get reinfected when you put them back in the DT. Even fish that build up immunity can still be carriers (and infect other fish).

I agree, sounds like ich to me too. Oodinium (velvet) won't give you so much time.

 

[Atomikk]

I agree, sounds like ich to me too. Oodinium (velvet) won't give you so much time.

A million percent it is velvet. I know the difference since I have had it before. Plus fish exhibited typical behavior of having velvet. Scratching, loss of appetite, swimming in one spot against the current (due to the fact the parasite has infected the gills and it is less laboring for them to 'breathe'), body covered in 'powder', 2-3 days it takes to succumb to the parasite.

Yes. Velvet.

This is why I am asking is it possible that these fish actually have immunity to this type of disease?

Thanks for your input.

 

[MrTuskfish]

A million percent it is velvet. I know the difference since I have had it before. Plus fish exhibited typical behavior of having velvet. Scratching, loss of appetite, swimming in one spot against the current (due to the fact the parasite has infected the gills and it is less laboring for them to 'breathe'), body covered in 'powder', 2-3 days it takes to succumb to the parasite.

Yes. Velvet.

This is why I am asking is it possible that these fish actually have immunity to this type of disease?

Thanks for your input.

I've never heard anything, except an anecdotal opinion or two, that shows fish develop an immunity to velvet. Most of them don't live long enough, probably. I am convinced there is a lot of velvet being mis-diagnosed as ich; especially when there is a fast die-off of fish. 15 years ago (or so), you hardly heard about ich, velvet was always the concern. Something changed.

Since re-locating after Katrina, I've stocked about 1,000 gals of new DTs. I buy all fish online, have for years and always will. All fish go through my QT system and I've seen more velvet than ich with all of those fish. Actually, very little of either. But they haven't had the experience of going through a LFS. Not a direct shot at the LFS, there are plenty of good ones but plenty of lousy ones too. Sad, they used to be a great source of good info.

 

[Vlado4x4]

I´m experiencing exactly the same thing. Velvet 100%. week 2 right now, and the first fish that presented the symptom is now 90% better. Have been feeding very heavy upto 5 times x day. All soaked in garlic, uv 24-7 and raised my temperature to 82,4°F

There are very few fishes really really bad ... but hope it´s only time they get better as the other fish. Lost only 2 fish upto now. I have a 260g mix reef with tons of invertebrate and more than 20 fish (5 tangs)

 

[PatmanM3]

My sohal and engineer goby survived velvet disease and then ich. They were the only 2 out of 20 or so to survive. Marine velvet devastated display tank and then ich made its way shortly after in quarantine.

The fish probably has some sort of immunity or as silly as it sounds, the will to live haha.

Keep them in quarantine for at least another month. My survivors (sohal and engineer) were quarantined for 6 months.

 

[HumbleFish]

Don't quote me on this, as I may be getting my facts mixed up but... I think alprazo has a tomato clown that has developed immunity to Velvet, but is still a carrier and can infect other fish.

I, for one, don't think it's impossible for fish to survive a Velvet outbreak and/or even build up an immunity to it. I just think the odds are overwhelmingly against that happening.