# how fast does mardel usually heal velvet?



## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

i have velvet on my betta and have a couple of questions.
1. will this disease spread to my filter?
2.how fast will mardel heal him and does it get ri of the parasites?
3.im keeping the light off to kill the parasites and ive got a blanket over the tank but is there anything else i should do?
4.when can i put him in a new tank?
*c/p*


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

Copper will kill the free swimming stage of the Protozoa. It will not affect the Velvet spores on the fish. Only temperature will do that. There are 3 stages in the life cycle of the Velvet Protozoa. One is on the fish that drops off into the tank bottom when it matures. That timing is temperature dependent. Keep the water/fish at 72F and it may take a month. Raise the temperature to 82 to 85 and the process takes less than a week. The Spores that fall off the fish have to mature as well. It is also temperature dependent. When they mature they release hundreds of free swimming Velvet Protozoa looking for a fish to attach. This is when one can kill off the Velvet. They are protected in the other 2 stages. 

So, raise the temperature to the 80's. Keep the filtration going and get the parasite life cycle jazzed up so you can kill off the only stage it is susceptible. Forget the light off or on, it really doesn't help. The free swimming stage is what needs to be attacked.

Velvet Protozoa is not always a parasite. It is attached to the fish just because the fish is around. That is when light comes into play. Velvet will cover a fish in days and unless there is a distress in the fish, the protozoa just grows in numbers with photosynthesis.

Stress appears and the parasite appears. But the fish is covered with them and nothing will save it. 

Charles H


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

i cant raise the temp above 78. so is my betta destined to die?


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

Google "tropical fish velvet disease treatment"


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

i did


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

Some how you need to get the temperature up and get the Velvet off the fish so the Copper can kill the free swimming stage.


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

how bad is my fish suffering? i might need to put him down. i have NO way of adjusting the temp. unless i can put a heater on the glass of the tank.


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

It would be good to purchase a small heater got the little 5 gallon. Raise the temp slowly.
Copper Safe is my choice to kill the free swimmers. It is cheap enough to change out the water every 3 to 5 days, all of it, and refill with Chlorine free water at the same temperature. and retreat the starting dose. If the fish was healthy before you saw the Velvet, he might last beyond the parasites.

Velvet has a very high mortality rate but it is possible to kill off. Bettas tolerate warmer water. Clean treated water feed him well. Suffering? - I don't know what that means in the fish world. You might be able to get him past it.

Charles H


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

So, where are you going now?

Charles H


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

i got the heater and the temps at 86


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

Copper Safe?


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

what about copper safe?


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

ive got the temp at 86 but should i raise it to 89 or leave it?


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## inkmaker (Jun 10, 2009)

86 is fine


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## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

ok


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