Is It Velvet?

[Phaedra]

Hi everyone. This is driving me crazy and I just don't know what to do. I'm so new at this, I've heard yes it looks like velvet and no.
I bought some aquari-sol from my LFS, but I don't want to dose him if I'm just overreacting.
Also, if the consensus IS that it's Velvet, does anyone know the proper amount of aquari-sol to add to a 3g tank? The directions only say "12 drops per 10g of water". Is that like... 2 and a half drops?
Here is a link to my original topic in the Bettas forum.
Also, any advice or suggestions are welcomed.

 

[Tolak]

It's copper sulfate, I've used a similar product with cory fry. 1 drop per gallon should be fine, you don't want to go over, it gets toxic fast. Don't use it with soft water, you want a tds of at least 200ppm. It will kill snails & other invertabrates. Don't use it in a tank with algae eating fish unless you remove the algae, it concentrates in algae and kills them.

 

[Phaedra]

Okay, thanks Tolak! Any comment on whether it looks like velvet to you? Or have you experienced it before?

 

[Tolak]

It could be, with the random gold specks. Copper isn't going to hurt a well fish if dosed correctly with the proper water parameters, and it's one of those meds that bacteria don't build an immunity to.

Velvet will often attack the gills with fry, and they go to the surface & stay there looking for more air since their gill function is diminished. Often with fry you have to go by behavior, with close examination with a magnifying glass. Once in a while I'll have fry that show those symptoms, they get dosed with copper.

 

[Phaedra]

Okay well, I couldn't stand waiting any longer and added 3 drops to his tank and turned the heat up just a skootch. His temp is at 81 already (internal hanging thermometer). Since adding it he's really acting up, flicking around and swimming up and down. I moved the thermometer so I could read it easier and he's swimming very erratically around it.

Gah! I'm so worried for him!

I took out his carbon filter too, should I save it for after medicating, or what?

 

[Tolak]

12 drops per 10 gallons is 1.2 drops per gallon. I always start a little under with copper. You have to make sure you have harder water, soft water is a no go with copper. That means no distilled or ro water, bottled water is probably a bad idea. Harder tap water works fine.

Save the carbon for after medicating, I find the best way to remove copper is with water changes. If the fish looks like it's in distress do a 50% water change.

 

[Phaedra]

Well, I returned his thermometer to its original spot and gave him a couple of betta bites and he seems much calmer now. He's still flicking around a bit but seems to be calming down. Should I still do a water change?

I used aged tap water when I did his water change this morning, but I'm not sure if I have hard water or soft water...