What does Marine Velvet Look Like?

oceanlover

oceanlover

Member
I looked at the pictures in the illness stickie but didn't see any pictures of marine ick. What does it look like? What is it (a parasite, bacteria, etc.)? And what can you do about it?
One of my friends in another state has a blue reef chromis. She says it has a white film on it, solid white across the nose, and a few scales starting to pop off! She says the fish is swimming around normally, eatting, etc. I asked her to get a picture and test her water parameters so that it can be posted here. I was looking through the disease section in the meantime to see if I could figure it out.
Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.
 
naclh2o nut

naclh2o nut

Member
Not sure about the white face and scales falling off, doesn't sound like ick. Ick will look like the fish has salt grains on them. IME it will start as a few spots usually on or near the fins then spread to the body.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Originally Posted by OceanLover
http:///forum/post/2949535
I looked at the pictures in the illness stickie but didn't see any pictures of marine ick. What does it look like? What is it (a parasite, bacteria, etc.)? And what can you do about it?
One of my friends in another state has a blue reef chromis. She says it has a white film on it, solid white across the nose, and a few scales starting to pop off! She says the fish is swimming around normally, eatting, etc. I asked her to get a picture and test her water parameters so that it can be posted here. I was looking through the disease section in the meantime to see if I could figure it out.
Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.
Marine velvet is completely different from ich. It is however a parasite, like ich, that mainly attacks the gills. It is extremely lethal and WILL wipe out the entire tank in a matter of weeks if not treated. It appears as a powdery coat that can cover the entire body of the fish (by this time it's probably too late to save the fish). Other symptoms are scratching, hard breathing, and the fish staying close to the surface. The only treatment is copper. A fresh water dip will help but I recommend copper as soon as you are sure it's velvet.
I've dealt with velvet a few times in the past and it is by far the worst thing that could happen to your fish.
 
oceanlover

oceanlover

Member
Thanks for the advice Bioneck47. I'll call my friend and urge her to get some pictures, water tests, and start taking action.
Can anyone post a picture of a fish with velvet?
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
I think it would be difficult to get a pic of a fish with marine velvet. It presents itself as a fine dusting or powdering on the fish. This dusting is actually comprised of many tiny whitish-yellow spots.
I am sorry I cannot remember the book in which I read this. So I guess I can not give them the create I am sure they long for
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2949703
Amyloodinium (Marine Velvet)

Excellent pic Henry IMO it should be move to the permanent section on identification of diseases if you can get permission from the photographer
that is
unless of course it was you
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Cheez..................nope not mine. Got it off Googleimage.com.
Original photo from American Aquarium Products.
DOH!!
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
That is a good picture. In reality the fish would be dead long before it ever gets to that point though. That is why fish end up dieing from it. The aquarist fails to notice the symptoms early enough. As mentioned, copper is the treatment to use.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2949726
Excellent pic Henry IMO it should be move to the permanent section on identification of diseases if you can get permission from the photographer
that is
unless of course it was you

There should def. be a section in the FAQ's section (created by beth) that explains the signs and symptoms of velvet and how it is treated. Although not as common as ich, it is still a parasite that most aquarist will encounter sooner or later.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by bioneck47
http:///forum/post/2951315
There should def. be a section in the FAQ's section (created by beth) that explains the signs and symptoms of velvet and how it is treated. Although not as common as ich, it is still a parasite that most aquarist will encounter sooner or later.
Marine velvet is rare, but it does happen. Trying to get a picture of it, before the fish dies, is close to impossible. It is hard to post an outline of what to look for. There isn't much detail to it. You may or may not notice symptoms. Velvet infects the gills first. Many people lose fish before they realize what is going on. Velvet does not always look the same. It can be just rapid gilling at first. It can be a powdery looking film that starts at the nose, or the gills. It can be a golden dusting. It is hard to just lay down a blanket statement on Velvet. Ich is easily identified. It is salt like specks on fish. Velvet is different. Velvet does not appear out of the blue, and it does not stay in the tank, without effecting the fish, like ich. Your fish will catch it quickly, if it is there. Quarantine your purchases and none of this is even an issue.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2952234
Marine velvet is rare, but it does happen. Trying to get a picture of it, before the fish dies, is close to impossible. It is hard to post an outline of what to look for. There isn't much detail to it. You may or may not notice symptoms. Velvet infects the gills first. Many people lose fish before they realize what is going on. Velvet does not always look the same. It can be just rapid gilling at first. It can be a powdery looking film that starts at the nose, or the gills. It can be a golden dusting. It is hard to just lay down a blanket statement on Velvet. Ich is easily identified. It is salt like specks on fish. Velvet is different. Velvet does not appear out of the blue, and it does not stay in the tank, without effecting the fish, like ich. Your fish will catch it quickly, if it is there. Quarantine your purchases and none of this is even an issue.
It would still be extremely beneficial to share information about it. I had to learn the hard way on how to deal with velvet. I lost between 12 and 15 fish to it and I could have probably saved half of them if I had the right information. For instance, keeping the DT empty for at least six weeks doesn't completely kill the parasite, like it does ich. I followed instructions from a so called "expert" on here (not going to give any names) and I lost 4 or 5 more fish when I added them back in. I also didn't know that copper is the only treatment option. Again, I learned this the hard way.
This is all information that would've def. helped me. I also wouldn't necessarily say that velvet is rare neither, unless I'm just extremely unlucky, but I've had three different occasions that fish arrived with velvet. Luckily the last two were caught during qt. Not to mention, my LFS display tank was recently infected. So all I'm saying is to at least provide basic information in the FAQ's about velvet. IMO it should be way much higher on the priority list than ich, popeye, and HLLE.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Here is another pic from *** Sorry Henry, no other site names

Also google this article. Pick the first option that comes up.
Coral Reef or Velvet Disease, Amyloodiniumiasis, A Virulent Dinoflagellate Disease of Saltwater Fishes
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by bioneck47
http:///forum/post/2952330
It would still be extremely beneficial to share information about it. I had to learn the hard way on how to deal with velvet. I lost between 12 and 15 fish to it and I could have probably saved half of them if I had the right information. For instance, keeping the DT empty for at least six weeks doesn't completely kill the parasite, like it does ich. I followed instructions from a so called "expert" on here (not going to give any names) and I lost 4 or 5 more fish when I added them back in. I also didn't know that copper is the only treatment option. Again, I learned this the hard way.
This is all information that would've def. helped me. I also wouldn't necessarily say that velvet is rare neither, unless I'm just extremely unlucky, but I've had three different occasions that fish arrived with velvet. Luckily the last two were caught during qt. Not to mention, my LFS display tank was recently infected. So all I'm saying is to at least provide basic information in the FAQ's about velvet. IMO it should be way much higher on the priority list than ich, popeye, and HLLE.
I most certainly agree with you. Velvet is one of the hardest parasites to over come. It takes at least two months, three is better, of a fallow tank to fully be rid of the parasite. I have a friend that introduced it to his tank via live rock. That is why I say to quarantine every thing. Ich is not the only concern out there. Sometimes people think that I am overboard on quarantining, until something comes up.
Originally Posted by xmasia
http:///forum/post/2954332
will a cleaner wrasse or shrimp help?
No, with velvet it will not. Quarantine everything. I cannot stress that enough. BTW, welcome to the boards
 
valp

valp

New Member
I think my fish have ICH or VELVET. I mainly fish only in the tank. my porcupine puffer just died and seemed fine and then in a few days just started to breathe heavily and get a cloudy appearance on his eyes. I have a large Hawain Black trigger that's beginning to show similar symtoms... he's hiding on the bottom and stopped eating. I have a small Picasso trigger for over 1 year & he seems to be fine. confusing! BETH wrote in many threads that HYPO treatment is the best because copper will permanently hurt any inverts. My question is... will HYPO treatment affect star fish, live rock & cheato algea??
 
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