Velvet Med Plz Help!

[cubster]

Hi Have a new tank with 2 adult mollies 3 molly fry. Have been treating the tank with Rid Ich, by kordal. It is a ten gallon tank that is not cycled going on its second week. Well now the little male never seemed sick only the female who is now much better. Inspected the male because he seemed so dry looking. When I used the flashlight I saw gold. and rusty tinge to his scales. I am so sad for him last night and today he has taken to hideing. originaly thought it was because he had not eaten for 2 and a half days. I am currently dealing with an amonia problem and had stopped feedin but when I offered foood he rushed out and ate. Dont know what to do I dont trust the lfs since it is because of them that they are in this predicament. So can someone please advise a good medication? I am in the USA. Also does anyone know of fish surviving velvet. I want to know because it seems I am prolonging the suffering. BTW the fry seem to be active and disease free unlike the adults go figure. Do I euthanize (cringe) thanks for the help. I am currently doing 20-30 percent water changes in an efort to dilute ammonia. Thanks for your help

 

[The-Wolf]

first you need to understand the velvet parasite is very susceptible to light, actually the lack of light to be precise.

Treatment should be with a copper based medication and the tank should be blacked out.
this is achieved by wrapping the tank in a blanket or other similar thing so that light can not get into it.
also turn off the tanks own lights. Idealy make the room dark too, so draw curtains and keep drawn.
the black out should last for 36-48hrs and the only time you should let light in is to re dose with the medication.
do not feed or peek during the blackout.
once the blackout has finished you can turn the lights on when the treatment course has finished, normally 2 days after unwrapping it.

if you do this, I'm sure you will beat this nasty little parasite.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I would advise "anti velvet and slime" by interpet, but i'm not sure if you can get the interpet range of meds in the US. Marine salt can be used to help combat parasites like velvet, and would be beneficial for your mollys as they often do best in slightly brackish water conditions. I wouldn't advise euthanising the fish as velvet is completely treatable, as long as the fish is still eating there's always a chance it will get better if you find an appropriate med/s to treat the velvet.
What are you recent test results (if you have any) for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

 

[cubster]

I got to say thank you for your positive replies. I am very disheartned about this hobby thus far. I did darken the aquarium today but not blacked out so will defitnitly do that. I have been adding salt very carefuly but have no salt meter, will get salt levels checked tomorrow. Is the copper med safe to use with fry, in all honesty they are not my priority but just curious. thanks for all the help

As for the ammonia readings got them to 0 finally after doing a 45percent water change, nitrites 0 too. My kit does not include nitrate so I went to the lfs and they got a reading for nitrate, I am afraid to hope that it might be cycling. Did I mention the neverending water changes in the morening and evening lol. what should the ph be at? I wonder, although at this point with the meds I dont think it safe to try to alter it much. thanks so much

 

[The-Wolf]

doubtful that the fry will survive a course of copper treatment.

it is far better to have a stable pH than one that is always in flux.
most fish will adapt to pretty much any pH, there are exceptions of course and you should always check
by researching each fish before you buy them.

checkout the pinned water topic (see sig) and that will give you a small insight to the
complex world of water chemistry and how to deal with it.

 

[cubster]

One more question Wolf about the copper treatement, how long do you suggest I run it, 36-48 hours? Is that the the standard length of time? The LFS I went to yesterday did not carry it. I will get it today. Meanwhile do I insert carbon to remove the Rid Ich as it contains Malachite green and formalin? Or just add in the the copper med? I am going to move the fry to a separate tank when I treat the two adults I am just going to assume the female also has it although she is looking great now after I got rid of the Ich.

 

[The-Wolf]

yes run carbon for at least 24hrs to absorb the current meds, then
remove it and start you treatment with the copper based one.

out of curiosity, which one are you getting?
that will determine the number of days to dose.
the blackout should last for 36-48hrs then uncover the
tank but don't turn the tanks light on until 2 days after that.
try to keep the room dim too, curtain half drawn after unwrapping the tank should suffice.

 

[scooterchick]

Hi - Just to say about being disheartened......I've shed lots of tears over fish, the first one I lost was a rainbow shark, he had an ulcer when i got him, I thought it was a bite and didn't treat him. I stupidly cooked my tank and lost 3 barbs, then lost a bala to velvet, thought he was having a great time rushing up and down the tank, didn't know it was because he was suffocating. By the time i figured something was wrong it was too late. However with lots of fish still alive, you keep going. I read somewhere that every fish that dies is a lesson learned and leads to healthy fish in future. Everyone kills fish through inexperience, it's all a learning curve, we don't want it to happen but it does. Keep going though cos you obviously care about the fish and there will be plenty of fish glad to have an owner who really cares about their well being.

I have one sick fish at the moment and if I can save him then I will feel like I've turned a corner, so far I've always been too late, hopefully this time will be different!

Good luck!

 

[cubster]

Well kept the tank dark and decided to finsih with the ich treatment, since I was almost finshed. And the male who had velvet looks tons better. I uncovered the tank last night to change the water and test it and the velvet was 90 percent gone off of him he seemed to be his old self. Have to say that you guys have been invaluable. The information found here is amazing. If tommoro I see the male still has velvet I will start the copper although I went to 3 LFS over the weekend and they did not that med so I will try again tomorro. They wanted to recommend medicine that was used for whitespot hmph. They also told me to throw out the male molly with velvet. Anyways the male molly is not showing any symptoms of velvet like flicking or rubbing either so hopefuly when I take off the towels off the aquarium it may be even more diminished. Keep your fingers crossed. Thanks to all