I have a chalk bass in QT parameters are fine. It developed ich or velvet not 100% sure on what it is but it appeared in a matter of hours. It has only been in QT for 2 days and showed no signs before today. Currently is breathing heavily. He even ate yesterday. I do not have anything on hand to treat fish tonight so it will have to wait until morning unfortunately. Treatment help and id would be great! Sorry for picture quality it is best I could get on my phone.
Velvet or Ich on chalk bass (Pictures attached)
- Thread starter dnott3
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Big G
captain dunsel
That's velvet. You could give the fish a freshwater dip. It will relieve the fish of a tremendous number of the parasites allowing it to breathe better, and it will buy you time to start treatment. Time is not your friend here.
www.reef2reef.com
Freshwater Dip
Freshwater Dip What It Treats – Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases: 1) Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum) 2) Brooklynella hostilis 3) Uronema marinum 4) Flukes (Monogeneans) 5) Black Ich (Turbellarians) Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes (see video...
www.reef2reef.com
JasonK84
I want more!!!
He is in rough shape! Fresh water dip would provide some immediate relief. Need to start copper treatment ASAP! I really don’t like FW dips myself but since you don’t have any meds it’s pretty much your only option other than wait and I don’t know if it’ll last the night.
To me looks like it has several things going on. Velvet, possibly ich as well, and what looks like flukes on its tail fin.
@HotRocks
To me looks like it has several things going on. Velvet, possibly ich as well, and what looks like flukes on its tail fin.
@HotRocks
I will get it in a freshwater dip right now. Does it matter on copper treatment brand? I have read about using copper. Is it safe to go up to the therapeutic level right away or do I have to raise it slowly?
Big G
captain dunsel
CP goes to therapeutic immediately.
All coppers need to have some ramp up.
Chelated coppers like Copper Power or Coppersafe are a bit easier on fish and have a larger dose with a wider therapeutic range = more wiggle room for error.
Can pre dose with chelated copper at 1.0 ppm and then spread out the remaining dose over 24-48 hours (which is fast) to treat velvet.
1.5-2.0 ppm is their therapeutic range. I try to hit the sweet spot of 1.75 ppm
Using a Hanna copper checker makes less stress on you and the fish. Those color matching copper test kits are horrible to read.
All coppers need to have some ramp up.
Chelated coppers like Copper Power or Coppersafe are a bit easier on fish and have a larger dose with a wider therapeutic range = more wiggle room for error.
Can pre dose with chelated copper at 1.0 ppm and then spread out the remaining dose over 24-48 hours (which is fast) to treat velvet.
1.5-2.0 ppm is their therapeutic range. I try to hit the sweet spot of 1.75 ppm
Using a Hanna copper checker makes less stress on you and the fish. Those color matching copper test kits are horrible to read.
I will be getting some copper as soon as I can in the morning and get the treatment started. hopefully he can make it long enough to get a copper treatment. if nothing else it is a great learning experience.
Edit: I am assuming there is nothing more I can do for tonight other than hope he makes it until morning?
Edit: I am assuming there is nothing more I can do for tonight other than hope he makes it until morning?
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Big G
captain dunsel
Add some O2. A powerhead aimed up to the surface where it's actively rippling the surface is best.
and the fish is fighting infections from the tremendous number of insertion points from the parasites. Do you have any wide spectrum antibiotics? Kanaplex, Furan2, etc.
and the fish is fighting infections from the tremendous number of insertion points from the parasites. Do you have any wide spectrum antibiotics? Kanaplex, Furan2, etc.
I only have general cure and prazipro on hand. I feel like a horrible fish hobbyist lol. I also just snapped this picture after I put him back into QT from FW dip I found this worm that is actively moving around any ideas what it is?
Big G
captain dunsel
Those are Bristleworms. Very common in tanks. Some like them as they can be good sand turners and cleaners; some don't like them as they can sting your fish if they brush up on them and some fish even eat them and end up with a mouth full of spines. And they can get really, really long.
DaddyFish
“5 percenter”
If the little dude survived the freshwater dip and now you have him back in QT, I would dose with General Cure now since you said you have that on-hand. Time is NOT your friend with Velvet.I only have general cure and prazipro on hand. I feel like a horrible fish hobbyist lol. I also just snapped this picture after I put him back into QT from FW dip I found this worm that is actively moving around any ideas what it is?
Big G
captain dunsel
Prazipro will help if the fish has flukes. But it does use O2 from the water column. Very important to run a powerhead aimed at the surface if you choose to use it. It takes 24-48 hours for a dose of Prazipro to degrade.
DaddyFish
“5 percenter”
I'm one of those weird ones that avoids copper. Hopefully someone else with copper experience will chime in here?
This much I do know, Velvet can return overnight with a vengeance and you may have a dead fish by morning. The FW Dip only removes most of one stage of Velvet. It's a temporary relief for the fish to help keep it from suffocating. I've lost the Velvet battle twice in 12-months. It's unbelievably fast!
Would you suggest praziopro or general cure tonight to give him the best chance?
That sucks to hear. This is the first time i have encountered it so it will be a great time for learning and be prepared for next time and maybe change the way I QT.
DaddyFish
“5 percenter”
GC has Metronidazole which can be effective against Velvet. Here's something I extracted from an old HumbleFish post on another forum...
1. Prazipro contains a stronger concentration of praziquantel (9.46 mg/gal) than General Cure (7.5 mg/gal). While both should get the job done, I like praziquantel a little stronger for eradicating gill flukes being it's such a mild active ingredient.
2. The other active ingredient found in General Cure is metronidazole, which is mostly used to fight intestinal worms/parasites. Metro is not as gentle on fish as prazi IME, so I don't like to expose fish to that unless I have to.
Big G
captain dunsel
Probably. GC works great for treating both flukes and internal parasites. But I don't like to mix meds if possible. The fish need the copper the most. And it will be hard on it too. It is after all a poison.
Big G
captain dunsel
The FW dip removed most of any flukes that may have been in the fish's gills and body flukes too. So the Prazipro would be kinda redundant right at this moment. But would be needed later. I'd wait for the copper tomorrow. Copper Power is the most reliable. Coppersafe will work too. Best to use one of them they are easiest on fish.
Cupramine by Seachem is usually the most widely found though. It can be a bit tough on fish as the dosage is smaller and the therapeutic range is narrower. Do not use the instructions on the bottle. The two big doses can be brutal on fish.
Calculate the total number of drops needed for your size tank. Then spread out the drops over 24-48 hours to get to therapeutic level. Doing a few drops in the AM, then some at lunch, and then some in the PM, is much easier on the fish.
Therapeutic for Cupramine is 0.50 ppm
Using a Hanna Copper Checker is best and easiest. Or use Seachem Copper Test kit or Salifert, they are the only color matching test kits that will work with Cupramine.
Cupramine by Seachem is usually the most widely found though. It can be a bit tough on fish as the dosage is smaller and the therapeutic range is narrower. Do not use the instructions on the bottle. The two big doses can be brutal on fish.
Calculate the total number of drops needed for your size tank. Then spread out the drops over 24-48 hours to get to therapeutic level. Doing a few drops in the AM, then some at lunch, and then some in the PM, is much easier on the fish.
Therapeutic for Cupramine is 0.50 ppm
Using a Hanna Copper Checker is best and easiest. Or use Seachem Copper Test kit or Salifert, they are the only color matching test kits that will work with Cupramine.
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