Parasite Identification/treatment

B

bubbarockies

Anthias
#1
#1
Hello all,
I had what I thought was an Ich outbreak but now after some research I can't seem to figure out which of the "big 3" it is. I wish I could get pictures but my camera isn't that good an you can't see parasites in the picture. Anyways. My 2 clowns and Purple Tang are showing spots (very small, smaller than salt) the most. I can't really see them on my clown goby or foxface. The clowns act fine, but the tang is skiddish and darts around the tank sometimes. Clowns are eating, tang kind of is, not as much though. So, I have a QT set up and I was going to run hypo but I have read that it won't work for velvet or brook, so I am thinking about switching over to doing copper. Will copper work for treating brook and velvet as well? Please help me, I'm new at treating fish.
Params are good enough for corals to be thriving and growing, but I can do a full test today if necessary. Last values checked a month ago:
NH3-0
NO3-5-10
Ca-520
Alk-10 dkh
pH 7.8-8.1 varies throughout the day
 
D

daverf

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
#4
When did symptoms start and what "precipitated" them (new fish added, change of routine etc). Do you mean that the slime coat is sloughing off the tangs? That would be a likely reaction to skin parasite.
 
B

bubbarockies

Anthias
#5
#5
Well I thought I was battling Ich and my PBT died shortly after getting him into QT. The rest of my fish seemed to be doing well and all but the clowns seemed to be too smart for a fish trap so I left them in the DT as they weren't showing signs. I left for 36 hrs (so I missed a feeding but that's nothing to cause an outbreakt right?) and when I got home they had small spots and lots of them. It doesn't look like the slime coat because, at least in my experience, that is a translucentish white and moves with current. This looks like it is missing scales in these locations. I really wish I could get pictures but I can't get any even remotely useful ones.

I guess the punchline of this is if I treat with copper in a QT will that treat all 3 of the diseases? that way I can be sure to actually treat them instead of running hypo and having it be velvet or brook.
 
D

daverf

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
#6
I would definitely get them in QT asap if a fish died (sorry to hear). I still don't follow exactly when it started and what precipitated (did you just add the PBT without QT?) as that helps someone make a better guess at what you're dealing with for lack of a pic. It does sound like it could be velvet, nothing really treats this effectively and it kills all fish quick (within 10 days). If you think it is brook, copper (or hypo) are probably your best bet to start quick treatment. You could also try to get some chloroquine phosphate.

Hypo does treat brook, but is difficult to do unless you have a refractometer and ATO (usually error in administering it is why people thinks it doesn't work).

Just make sure you are testing the copper levels with a copper test kit.

I have no idea what the missing scales are. Maybe abrasion? A missed feeding wouldn't cause enough stress to fuel a disease infestation IMO.

Good luck!
 
FishTV

FishTV

Sting ray
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
#7
After doing a little reading, it looks like copper is only successful in treating Ich, and velvet.... Not Brook.
 
jahmic

jahmic

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
#9
Re: Parasite Identification/treatment

Did you already flush the dead PBT? It's easier to get pics of a dead fish out of the water ;)

More importantly...if you ask for Patrick at Neptunes, he could likely get a scraping off the fish and put it under a microscope. With a positive ID you'll be able to figure out a targeted treatment.

Sorry to hear you're having issues...hopefully things take a turn for the better.
 
F

FinsUp

According to my watch, the time is now.
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
#10
that sure sounds like velvet - which wiped out my tank a few months back. Only things that survived were a couple of wrasses (extra thick slime coat) and 1 of my tiger gobies. If ya have that, I feel for you. Hopefully you can get a solid diagnosis and go from there. My fish were dead before there was even time to treat.
 
B

bubbarockies

Anthias
#11
#11
I actually just ran into some financial stuff and I don't have the $$$ to dish out to finish the setup of a QT and buy the meds and what not. So I am left with a couple of options... I need to either sell some corals, or get someone to care for the fish. My only issue here is I don't want to infect other peoples tanks. If I sell coral from the same tank as my infected fish, will I transmit some of the velvet to the purchasers tank?
 
B

bubbarockies

Anthias
#14
#14
If anyone has an open QT/Hospital tank I would greatly appreciate that, but if I don't get them in soon I'm afraid they'll not make it much longer if I don't start to get them treated.
 
Haulin Oates

Haulin Oates

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#15
#15
Parasite Identification/treatment

I have a 29 gallon tank with stand and a penguin 350 HOB filter. You could borrow it if you want.
 
B

bubbarockies

Anthias
#16
#16
I appreciate the offer. I have a 55 gallon tank and a canister filter, the problem is that I don't have water or salt mix so to fill it I would have to purchase that along with the Cupramine and a copper test kit. What I would ideally do is sell my coral to make the money back after purchasing all of that, but I'm worried that I'm going to give someone else this same stuff which I definitely don't want to do. I honestly am considering breaking this tank down and sticking small until I graduate and have the finances/space to maintain something this large. My only issue is, again, I don't want to pass this on to other people by selling them my coral/rock or whatever and having the velvet be on there.
 
J

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
#17
I have a 29 biocube that is always running with copper - it is going right now. If you want to bring them up, it is empty. My general experience/opinion is that if a fish dies during a move it probably is too weak to make it anyway.

You can always get ich or velvet from coral. If you do sell some, just be honest. I, for one, never believe that my tank is 100% disease free, because I don't QT my coral in a fallow system. Many people are like this and don't really care as long as the seller is honest.
 
J

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#18
#18
FWIW - unless you have a QT going already, you will likely kill the already weakened fish with the cycle that is coming from a fresh setup. They are really cheap and easy to set up, but that doesn't matter now, of course... but planning for the future, just fill your QT from water from your display when you change water and keep it warm and put some mysis juice in there every few days to feed the bacteria if there are no fish.
 
Haulin Oates

Haulin Oates

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#19
#19
Parasite Identification/treatment

jda123;254446 said:
I have a 29 biocube that is always running with copper - it is going right now. If you want to bring them up, it is empty. My general experience/opinion is that if a fish dies during a move it probably is too weak to make it anyway.

You can always get ich or velvet from coral. If you do sell some, just be honest. I, for one, never believe that my tank is 100% disease free, because I don't QT my coral in a fallow system. Many people are like this and don't really care as long as the seller is honest.
Click to expand...
Agreed. As long as you're honest, it's the buyers responsibility to dip and quarantine how they see fit.
 
sethsolomon

sethsolomon

Hammerhead Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#20
#20
Blazinjack;254448 said:
Agreed. As long as you're honest, it's the buyers responsibility to dip and quarantine how they see fit.
Click to expand...

Can you dip coral in malachite green to kill the velvet while not harming the coral?
 
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