treating velvet

[Jeweliet]

Ok. so i got marine velvet in my 90 gal tank. Lost 2 of 4 fish. started treating tank with Mardel's Coppersafe 9 days ago, checking daily to maintain a strength of 1.5-2.0 mg/L. Remaining 2 fish are showing no signs or symptoms of an infection.

Now what? How long do i maintain that concentration? i read 10-14 days. when do i start water changes? how often and how much water changes after copper treatment?

 

[scuzy]

i would maintain it for a month and then slowly remove it with carbon and water changes.

 

[ThRoewer]

Copper may not be effective against all velvet strains. Fish can also develop partial immunity to velvet which makes them look fine, but possible carriers of the disease.

The best and most reliable treatment option for velvet is chloroquine phosphate (CP). Best available product is NLS Ick-Shield Powder
Only drawback is that this can't be used with pipefish, seahorses and many wrasses.

 

[Jeweliet]

I've taken this course of treatment under recommendation of LFS owners who are also marine biologists and have sold me every fish. Just looking for more input on what to do now so as to not rely so heavily on them as they are so busy.


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[ThRoewer]

Many Marine Biologist or even Veterinarians don't know much about the latest treatment options against these parasites.
CP has been proven the most effective against Amyloodinium ocellatum.
On the other hand there are by now copper tolerant Amyloodinium ocellatum strains that can handle twice the dose any fish can handle.

 

[snorvich]

Many Marine Biologist or even Veterinarians don't know much about the latest treatment options against these parasites.
CP has been proven the most effective against Amyloodinium ocellatum.
On the other hand there are by now copper tolerant Amyloodinium ocellatum strains that can handle twice the dose any fish can handle.

I agree. Bolding added.

 

[Jeweliet]

treating velvet

Ok. I have a juvenile dragon wrasse and a fox face in the tank. What is advised? How to transition treatment courses?


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[ThRoewer]

In the case of the wrasse you may actually better off with copper as some wrasses have problems with CP.
That is the one serious flaw of CP, unfortunately Syngnathiformes and many wrasses react negatively to CP.

 

[snorvich]

I have a juvenile dragon wrasse

In a 90 gallon tank?

 

[Dmorty217]

I've taken this course of treatment under recommendation of LFS owners who are also marine biologists and have sold me every fish. Just looking for more input on what to do now so as to not rely so heavily on them as they are so busy.


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I would assume that you got the Velvet from the same store and people your getting the advise from? See a issue there?

 

[Jeweliet]

treating velvet

I'm not looking for an episode of Gossip Girl to play out here.

Dmorty I also got snails from a different store and Chaeto from a different store. Being wild caught, the parasite could have also been 'dormant' I've been told.

Please don't be so bold and discouraging as to judge someone new looking for assistance when the details of everything were obviously not given in initial post.
And as you can note from thRoewer's input, I was advised correctly by my LFS.

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[Jeweliet]

In the case of the wrasse you may actually better off with copper as some wrasses have problems with CP.

That is the one serious flaw of CP, unfortunately Syngnathiformes and many wrasses react negatively to CP.

Thank you. Your input on the initial question?

 

[Dmorty217]

I'm not looking for an episode of Gossip Girl to play out here.

Dmorty I also got snails from a different store and Chaeto from a different store. Being wild caught, the parasite could have also been 'dormant' I've been told.

Please don't be so bold and discouraging as to judge someone new looking for assistance when the details of everything were obviously not given in initial post.
And as you can note from thRoewer's input, I was advised correctly by my LFS.

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Copper isn't used for velvet with any effect, so the LFS didn't tell you correctly. If you note the post below the first one he states that strains of velvet can survive twice the lethal dose of copper that will kill fish. I'm not being bold but I certainly wouldn't take advise from LFS that gave you the disease. Snails may have brought it in, but not because it was dormant as you were told but rather because of the system that the snails were held in had fish that had velvet. If you want some sound advise I would look into getting a QT setup and purchasing some books on diseases and treatment options to prevent this in the future.

 

[Jeweliet]

Can you recommend some books? I admitted I'm new.


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[Jeweliet]

I'm asking what do I do now?!


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[scuzy]

you can use Cholorquine Phosphate for velvet. It works well but there is some fish that are sensative to it. I lost a 400 lineatus super male due to it.

 

[Deinonych]

Can you recommend some books? I admitted I'm new.


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Here are a few that you may find useful:

http://amzn.com/1890087998

http://amzn.com/1890087955

http://amzn.com/0813806976

 

[tassod]

Finish out your treatment with Coppersafe, I use it and it works well. I would leave it in there for at least 60 days. My fish have been in it now for at least 4 months at the 2.0 level with no issues at all.

 

[ThRoewer]

Google "Amyloodinium ocellatum" on Google and Google Scholar and you will find a good deal of information.
A good article is this one: Amyloodinium ocellatum, an Important Parasite of Cultured Marine Fish

Many scientific and aquaculture papers (especially older ones) recommend copper. Some say that levels of 0.7 ppm copper (assuming free copper and not chelated) are required. That is already well above what many reef fish can handle.
Some papers like the above mentioned also suggest Chloroquine, but since it isn't FDA approved it can only be used for ornamental fish and the research in that direction is somewhat limited.

Copper is recommended for aquaculture because the FDA has approved it to be used with food fish as an algaecide and does not object to it's off label use against protozoan parasites (C. irritans, A. ocellatum)

 

[Dmorty217]

Can you recommend some books? I admitted I'm new.


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Here are a few that you may find useful:

http://amzn.com/1890087998

http://amzn.com/1890087955

http://amzn.com/0813806976

I own the second book listed. Lots of good info. The last book by Noga is also good. Not familiar with the other