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Re: Lineatus fry
Hi!
A couple of postings about mysterious die-offs of golden lineatus fry
rang a bell. It may not be the problem, but generous feedings of baby
brine shrimp (especially if some dies and remains uneaten on the tank
bottom) set up a prefect environment for velvet - the bane of killie
keepers. I have had a sudden disappearance of fry even in planted
set-ups, starting with the smallest fry, then the bigger ones - and then
I thought to take a flashlight to the yet bigger killies in time to see
the dusting on their sides that indicated velvet. Successful treatment
usually followed for the survivors.
The problem with fry is that the velvet is seldom visible before it is
too late. If the fry are shimmying or if their fins (and especially
tails) are clamped, they probably have it. The chlorine removers in the
tanks will make no difference. The medicinal dyes may darken the water
interfering with the velvet's photosynthesis (that is why the green in
acryflavin may work best) but those dyes, word has it, can be
carcinogenic.
Salt in the water is useful in helping the killies combat the velvet. I
also turn off lights and do use the dye acriflavin or acriflavin plus
(Aquatronics' acriflaven plus triple sulfa). For really persistant cases
sometimes covering and darkening the tank with lots of newspaper masking
taped in place is useful too.
Almost too many snails in the fry rearing tanks, water changes, careful
feedings and maybe some salt in the water are precautions which make
velvet much less of a threat.
By the way, those of us with well water around Northern Illinois have
less problem with velvet than some of us with water from municipal
supplies drawing from Lake Michigan. I wonder, despite all the ammonia
and chlorine water departments are dumping in, if velvet (does it have
an encysted form?) is coming through the water mains. Finally there is
something to be said for well water!
All the best!
Scott