Velvet help - Please read

Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Messages
1,747
Likes
5
Points
38
Location
San Clemente
#1
SO I screwed up and introduced Velvet to my tank a few weeks ago. 2 weeks ago the outbreak started. I was headed out of town the day and didn't look close enough. I initially thought it was Ich... when I got home 4 days later, I realized it was Velvet. I've lost my male Clown, whom I had for 6 years, female Clown, Lemonpeel Angel, and Starry Blenny are infected, 6 Line and Mandarin are fine.

Fast forward, I've been treating the tank with Ich X for 15 days, very low dose formaldehyde. It's not working... surprise. I can't tear my whole tank apart trying to get the fish out. It would be too hard, and stressful for everyone. I dose vitamin C daily, and slightly increased the Ich X dosage. Any other positive suggestions? I'm at a loss. I know many will have something crappy to say, but please don't. This has been bad enough as it is. If I was to tear the tank apart to QT, I might as well start over. So far the fish seem to fighting off the 3rd round, if that gives any insight to their ability and immunity.

TIA
 
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
79
Likes
5
Points
6
Location
Los Angeles
#2
Even though the reply is late, I will reply anyway in case anyone might be in the same situation.

Velvet sucks and is an absolute pain to treat since your fish are probably way to far gone by the time you have noticed. I recently lost a bunch of fish that I loved to what I believe is velvet. If it's a fish only tank than your options are better than mixed tanks. Mixed tanks it seems best to pull everything out and wait 6-8 weeks to reintroduce after quarantine. Chloroquine phosphate is supposedly the method of choice to treat velvet, which Ich X does not seem to have as an ingredient.
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Messages
1,747
Likes
5
Points
38
Location
San Clemente
#3
It was awful. I ended up losing my female Clownfish and Starry Blenny. I got my Lemonpeel into QT with Cupramine and he made a full recovery. I think the Ich X slowed it, but obviously wasn't enough to treat. Amazingly, my 6 Line and Mandarin never were affected by it. I got the Chloroquine Phosphate as well, but haven't had to try it yet, thank God. The 6 Line and mandarin stayed in the tank solo for 4 months. I wanted to wait longer than the standard fallow period since it wasn't actually fallow.

Hard lesson learned. I had some amazing stores in OC and never once QT'd a fish. Never again will I make the mistake. There was a time when Ich X was an amazing treatment for Ich, and even cured Velvet in my tank some years back. That was back before the good stores lol.
 

fish

New member
Joined
Nov 28, 2013
Messages
84
Likes
13
Points
8
Location
irvine
#4
Velvet doesn't seems to effect certain species. For me, the blennies and wrasses survived it and then I would have to QT all the fish except the unaffected. Generally I found that butterflies seem to be the ones that introduced it for me. Glad to hear that the lemon peel made it.
 

Smite

Premium Member
Supporter
2020 POTM
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
6,357
Likes
3,765
Points
83
Location
Garden Grove
#5
Maybe I'm wrong but i think mandarin and wrasse tend to fight forms of ich off better due to a thicker slime coat.

After the lemon peel was introduced back into the display it never showed symptoms again?


Edit: Sorry for your loss. I've been there 2 times myself before. First time lost all but my fire fish. Second go I destroyed my tank, threw them in QT and was able to save half of them. I've QT'd ever since.
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Messages
1,747
Likes
5
Points
38
Location
San Clemente
#6
mandarin are very resistant. Wrasses are too, but it seems to vary. I had the Lemonpeel in QT for 4 months, got new fish that went into QT with him for the last month. There haven't been any return symptoms for about 3 months now. It was a little risky, but I had an email conversation with Bob Fenner over at WWM. It was the only choice I had short of tearing the tank apart. I did weekly water changes (double my normal amount), vacuumed the sand thoroughly every time, and crossed my fingers. I dose vitamin C daily, which helps their immune systems. I QT now as well. I've lost plenty of fish over the years, but the Snowflake Clowns I had for over 6 years, That was the worst. The female was special, had a big lip deformity, but so sweet. 6 years and that girl never once considered biting <3
 

Latest posts

Top