RE: [Killietalk] Velvet disease

["Gwee Sia Meng" <siameng at tiongaik_com.sg>]

Thank Wright for your advice. There are a couple of Notho tanks with sea
almond leaves and the Nothos seem to be perfectly healthy. I am not sure if
this is shear coincidence or it does affect. When you mentioned when the
water is soft adding salt can cause more problem, does that means that if I
am using sea almond leaves adding salt is not advisable?

Looking forward for your reply.

Regards,
Gwee Sia Meng
AKA 08742
SAA 163
-----Original Message-----
From: killietalk-bounces at aka_org [mailto:killietalk-bounces at aka_org]On
Behalf Of Wright Huntley
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 10:56 AM
To: killietalk email list
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Velvet disease


Gwee Sia Meng wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> 1 month back I had about 10 Nothobranchius albimarginatus in a planted
tank
> and all of them were down with velvet, I took all the fish out of the tank
> leaving behind only algae eating shrimps (I left it empty for about 1
> month). A few day ago, I put in another healthy N. albimarginatus and it
got
> infect again. I thought the Oodinium will not survive more that 24 hours
> without a host. I had left the tank empty for more that a month. Could
> shrimp be host for velvet?
>
> I know velvet can be cured easily by copper treatment but I am really
tired
> of the Nothos down with velvet one after another even in my bare tanks.
How
> do you guys prevent velvet? I do have salt in all my tanks regardless if
it
> is Nothos or not.
>
> Regards,
> Gwee Sia Meng
> AKA 08742
> SAA 163

Your frustration is shared, Gwee. Some of us have been right where you are.

Velvet can be very persistent. Yes, it needs a host within 24 hours
after leaving the cyst stage, but that stage can last quite a while in a
quiet tank. More likely, the fish brought it back in with them, as
healthy fish easily carry invisible infections on the gills and tender
mouth tissue. Once conditions are right (bad for fish and good for
Oodimium) a new outbreak happens.

Your water may be a clue. Adding salt to really soft water can be a
problem. Have you measured KH and GH? Salt is a great suppressor of
Velvet Disease, but only if the tap water already has enough hardness
(Ca and/or Mg) for healthy fish-cell metabolism (GH>2-3 degrees).
Otherwise, it can have the opposite effect, I have found. [The salt even
can kill normally salt-tolerant (estuarine) plants like Java moss and
Java fern.]

If your water is very soft, try adding a little "Equilibrium" by SeaChem
and see if that doesn't bring the invasions to a halt.

AFAIK, shrimp are not hosts for velvet, and I share your reluctance to
use copper treatment.

HTH

Wright

--
Wright Huntley -- 760 872-3995 -- Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514


Education is what you must acquire without any interference from your
schooling.                -- Mark Twain