Marine Velvet or Ich? *PICS*

ScubaSteve · #1 03-23-2011, 07:28 PM

Ich. I'd get treating them in hypo asap. I just lost my butterfly to ich because I tried to let t fight it off naturally but it just kept coming back. I was fine and eating well until one day it just took a serious turn for the worse and was dead in 48 hours.

Bblinks · #2 03-23-2011, 08:13 PM

ICH, I had a recent out break of ich, my hippo, yellow, sailfin all had it, I tried protomarine since it was the only choicefor a tank with a lot of corals, but I really don't think it did anything. After conversing with the guys at JL, I bought a bottle of selcom and garlic extract, feed them twice a day once in the morning once at night. Now it has been 3 month, the hippo still get a spot here and there but the rest of them are back to full health again. I really think the garlic help fight off the diesease and also boost the appetite of the fish. IMO if you have a hospital tank and if you are lucky enough to catch the fish then copper is the way to go but if you are like the most of us, I would just keep them well fed with selcom and garlic, let it take its course, and with any luck come out victorious in a few month.

apex82 · #3 03-23-2011, 09:10 PM

Thanks for all the help. I am still puzzled because I will see big spots on them in the morning, like sea salt size. Then later on there are still a few spots but mainly look like someone dumped baby powder on them. If you look at the butterfly in the pick, the black stripes use to be pure black. Now there is cotton powder coating everywhere... I thought ich had fairly distinctive spots?

I want to setup a hospital tank, the only issue is maintenance. I cant deal with water change everyday and getting the copper set to a perfect level on a daily basis. I am feeding frozen mysis,brine,bloodworms,pellets,flake about 3-4 times a day soaked in garlic guard and selcon. Definately a lot of extra nutrients, but figured keep them eating as much as I can. I guess I will just continute to do this until I see one take a turn for the worse and then take drastic measures...

Bblinks · #4 03-23-2011, 09:20 PM

apex82, I forgot to mention JL and OA which are my lfs both have offered to take my ick infested fish in for treatment. if I were you I would try to take them out to the lfs if they are willing and let them treat it. Just a thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by apex82

Thanks for all the help. I am still puzzled because I will see big spots on them in the morning, like sea salt size. Then later on there are still a few spots but mainly look like someone dumped baby powder on them. If you look at the butterfly in the pick, the black stripes use to be pure black. Now there is cotton powder coating everywhere... I thought ich had fairly distinctive spots?

I want to setup a hospital tank, the only issue is maintenance. I cant deal with water change everyday and getting the copper set to a perfect level on a daily basis. I am feeding frozen mysis,brine,bloodworms,pellets,flake about 3-4 times a day soaked in garlic guard and selcon. Definately a lot of extra nutrients, but figured keep them eating as much as I can. I guess I will just continute to do this until I see one take a turn for the worse and then take drastic measures...

apex82 · #5 03-24-2011, 03:47 AM

Trigger broke out today and it looks a lot more like ich... Hoping its not velvet. I will give lfs call tomorrow. Thanks

daniella3d · #6 03-24-2011, 11:52 PM

Did you introduce something recently? velvet does not live peacefully in your tank waiting to pop up. Ick can do that and be in a low state of contamination on the fish gill until the fish weaken but not velvet. If you introduced nothing new (fish, coral etc.) within the last month I would exclude marine velvet.

There is no need to treat with copper if it is not velvet as it is easy to keep and maintain an hyposalinity tank. With some liverock the water quality stay top on. I have a hippo tang, a kole tang and a damsel in a 21 gallon for a month now in hyposalinity for ick and they are doing great. No sign of ick for a month so in a week or so I am going to start raising the salinity slowly for a week. Never had a problem with ammonia or nitritres because of the cured liverock. However before doing hyposalinity you must be sure that it is not velvet because once in hypo, the salinity cannot be raised quickly and you cannot use copper with hypo together.

apex82 · #7 03-25-2011, 03:57 AM

Unfortunately I think its velvet... Trigger body turned brownish with layers of cottony white and will not eat along with a few others. I removed the three worst, did a fw dip and placed them into a 20g quarantine and started copper this evening. I seeded two sponges for the hob filter most of the day in my sump... hope that will be enough. It really looked like ich before but once it got ahold it definately lost the white spot look and was more like a brownish/white powdery film covering the fish. They are looking rough, I dont know if they are gonna make it... Had to touch the oven once and will quarantine from now on.