Quick marine velvet cure?

[Jonathan lee]

So i made a really dumb mistake last week. Bought a saddleback clown from a very expensive lfs. They sell their fish and corals double the price compared to others. Expensive dumb mistake. Put it straight into my clownfish breeding tank and boom all my clowns including the new saddleback got velvet and died in 2 days. I half dosed copper when i noticed the velvet and its been one week at the full Cupramine dose but im wondering if i could just take down the whole tank, wash everything well and sun it for a few hours(including soaking bio media in freshwater)? Theres no sand or rock in the tank. Would that kill velvet? Then i could just start it with 100% new water and sterilised bio media which i will seed with bacteria. Instead of waiting 5 more weeks…

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So i made a really dumb mistake last week. Bought a saddleback clown from a very expensive lfs. They sell their fish and corals double the price compared to others. Expensive dumb mistake. Put it straight into my clownfish breeding tank and boom all my clowns including the new saddleback got velvet and died in 2 days. I half dosed copper when i noticed the velvet and its been one week at the full Cupramine dose but im wondering if i could just take down the whole tank, wash everything well and sun it for a few hours(including soaking bio media in freshwater)? Theres no sand or rock in the tank. Would that kill velvet? Then i could just start it with 100% new water and sterilised bio media which i will seed with bacteria. Instead of waiting 5 more weeks…

Cupramine needs to be dosed for at least 14 days (30 is better) in order to eradicate velvet. The tank the fish came from also needs time for the velvet to die out (guess on that vary from 28 to 75 days, depends on who you ask). Nobody truly knows though, no studies have even been done of this organism. 45 days seems to work out o.k. though.

Velvet can handle low salinities, down to 4 ppt, so just soaking the tank in FW may not be enough to fully eradicate it, unless you rinse and dump and refill to remove all residual salt. Drying it for a few hours isn't enough to really help, crevices may not dry out fully.

Jay

 

[ChiCity]

you have to run your system fallow for a minimum of 6 weeks

 

[vetteguy53081]

you have to run your system fallow for a minimum of 6 weeks

Minimum of 30 -45 days but 60 recommended as it has a different cycle than that of ich and can be as little as 2-3 weeks depending on strain as velvet is in essence a flagellate

 

[Jonathan lee]

you have to run your system fallow for a minimum of 6 weeks

Even if i start fresh? Take down the tank, clean and set it back up.

 

[LeftyReefer]

It's a breeding tank with no rocks or substrate?

then I would just bleach it, break it down, dry it completely and then restart it.

 

[Jonathan lee]

Minimum of 30 -45 days but 60 recommended as it has a different cycle than that of ich and can be as little as 2-3 weeks depending on strain as velvet is in essence a flagellate

Do i still have to wait the 60 days even if i take down the tank, filter, clean them well and set it back up

 

[threebuoys]

So i made a really dumb mistake last week. Bought a saddleback clown from a very expensive lfs. They sell their fish and corals double the price compared to others. Expensive dumb mistake. Put it straight into my clownfish breeding tank and boom all my clowns including the new saddleback got velvet and died in 2 days. I half dosed copper when i noticed the velvet and its been one week at the full Cupramine dose but im wondering if i could just take down the whole tank, wash everything well and sun it for a few hours(including soaking bio media in freshwater)? Theres no sand or rock in the tank. Would that kill velvet? Then i could just start it with 100% new water and sterilised bio media which i will seed with bacteria. Instead of waiting 5 more weeks…

By your description, the tank is bare bones. Not sure what filtration method you are using. With no rock, sand, etc, you can break it down, mix a strong bleach solution ( no fragrance or soap in the bleach, e.g. dollar store bleach usually) wash it down, let it soak over night, thoroughly rinse with fresh water and you should be ok. Very important to do the same with your filtration and anytthing else that was in the tank.

 

[Jonathan lee]

It's a breeding tank with no rocks or substrate?

then I would just bleach it, break it down, dry it completely and then restart it.

Yes. No rock or substrate. Just the clay pots. I was thinking of soaking the tank, piping with diluted bleach

 

[Jonathan lee]

By your description, the tank is bare bones. Not sure what filtration method you are using. With no rock, sand, etc, you can break it down, mix a strong bleach solution ( no fragrance or soap in the bleach, e.g. dollar store bleach usually) wash it down, let it soak over night, thoroughly rinse with fresh water and you should be ok. Very important to do the same with your filtration and anytthing else that was in the tank.

Yea its just a 20g with a pump that pumps water up to a box with filter floss and bio media then it flows back down into the tank. Its a bare tank just has clay pot for the clowns to lay eggs.

I was thinking of cleaning and soaking with diluted bleach. Will soak everything including pump and pipes. The clay pots i may just soak in freshwater and sun dry for a few weeks since i wont be needing them anytime soon since i need to start with a new pair of clowns

 

[Jonathan lee]

Cupramine needs to be dosed for at least 14 days (30 is better) in order to eradicate velvet. The tank the fish came from also needs time for the velvet to die out (guess on that vary from 28 to 75 days, depends on who you ask). Nobody truly knows though, no studies have even been done of this organism. 45 days seems to work out o.k. though.

Velvet can handle low salinities, down to 4 ppt, so just soaking the tank in FW may not be enough to fully eradicate it, unless you rinse and dump and refill to remove all residual salt. Drying it for a few hours isn't enough to really help, crevices may not dry out fully.

Jay

Since its a bare tank. I could take it down and bleach it right? Soaking everything that touched water. And it should be good to go in a few days?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do i still have to wait the 60 days even if i take down the tank, filter, clean them well and set it back up

Give it the fallow period for at least 30 then take it down

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Since its a bare tank. I could take it down and bleach it right? Soaking everything that touched water. And it should be good to go in a few days?

Yes - but make sure you use plain bleach with no additives. You want about 200 ppm. To much and you end up having to rinse and rinse and rinse. About 100 ml of 5% bleach per 10 gallons ...

Jay

 

[threebuoys]

Also. Replace the bio media and floss.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Give it the fallow period for at least 30 then take it down

What? why?

 

[Tired]

Bleach everything except the clay pots. Use those for plant purposes, not fish purposes, since they're porous.

No need to run fallow before bleaching. Bleach is bleach, and dead is dead.

 

[MnFish1]

Even if i start fresh? Take down the tank, clean and set it back up.

If you take it down, sterilize everything - lets say with bleach - you can re-use it as soon as you're sure that the bleach residue is gone. There are multiple protocols out there - with different dilutions. You just have to make SURE - that everything is sterile (i.e. filter, heater, tank, lid (if any), etc. as well as anything inside the tank. I'm assuming (it wasn't totally clear) - that all of your fish are dead at this point.

In any case - sorry for your losses - its never easy. Hope this helps

 

[Tamberav]

I would just take it down and let it get bone dry for awhile. Drying out kills velvet but you need to make sure everything is dry... not water drops hanging out in a filter area, ect.

I would toss out any media. Replace anything cheap that doesn't dry well.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Since its a bare tank. I could take it down and bleach it right? Soaking everything that touched water. And it should be good to go in a few days?

Yes

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I would just take it down and let it get bone dry for awhile. Drying out kills velvet but you need to make sure everything is dry... not water drops hanging out in a filter area, ect.

I would toss out any media. Replace anything cheap that doesn't dry well.

When I run a Tank Transfer Method TTM I used distilled white vinegar to sterilize. I then place everything in a room in front of a fan to dry (speeds the drying process. Out doors in the sun is ok as well. Once completely dry bleach or vinegar will sterilize the tanks and equipment.
I have had bio material like Matrix. What I’ve done here is spread it out in something like a cookie sheet or Rubbermaid tote. Dried it with the same fan then let sit for extended time (at least a few weeks) I’ve even soaked in vinegar water first. Then I rinse in boiling water, tumbling in a colander or stirring with a spoon of small amount. Allow to dry again, then place in bags etc to re-sead in a sump etc.