# Treating for velvet now



## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

I have started to treat for velvet as 2 mollies died with signs of having the disease which must mean that it is in the tank. I see no sign of it in other fish but I'm not taking a chance of other fish dying of velvet.

I'm using Protozin (not sure if any one here has any experience with it.) I have removed the charcoal from both filters and so there is only sponge as a filter medium. Will this be OK? I have to add the product for the next 2 days and then again on day six. How will the tank cope with out the charcoal for six days? Should I do a water change any time?

Unfortunately, when I removed the filters some of the crap fell back into the water and so the water is now murky. Will this harm the fish at all.

I have also put some coarse salt in the water as well.

If there is anything else I need to do please let me know.

Thanks,

Marc


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

I just finished posting on your other thread....maybe we just found the problem. You had enough crud in the filter that when some of it got back into the tank it made the water murky?? When was the last time that you changed the filter or cleaned it?? Charcoal left in the filter for a long time can hurt and possibly kill fish. 

As to the treating, as I said in your other thread I would skip it and let them be. If fish are already weak then the poison of the meds can kill them anyway. Plus, it kills some of the bacteria from the nitrogen cycle. I hope they are okay though, God knows you have already spent enough money on fish that you don't get to enjoy anymore!!!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What symptons did the Mollies have?


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

Well, I have 2 filters and at every water change I take one of them out and clean the sponge and the charcoal, so essentially each filter gets all it's muck cleaned out every 2 weeks. I think they collect so much muck because the water quality here is not so good. I'm thinking of getting a water filter to remove some of the solids in the water supply.

The symptoms the mollies (and other fish that died) showed was they would crach on the bottom, have clamped fins, not want to eat and when they eventually died, they were very thin. The one dalmatian molly had a goldish sheen on her body when I took her out of the tank which is characteristic of velvet and some of her scales were also coming off. If even one fish had velvet then it must be in the tank so I just want to be rid of it. 

The 2 mollies I have left and the 8 tiger barbs are healthy and don't seem sick and I want it to stay that way.


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Could be velvet for those guys. IMO, stop throwing good money after bad with getting fish until you an figure out how to improve your water quality. Velvet is a disease that takes hold of a fish in poor water easier then in good water. If your water is bad then they are always going to be more susceptible to disease. What are the names and sizes of your filters?? Found a site that said to turn off the lights too and turn up the heat to 28 degrees Celsius. 

I'm attaching a link to a site with some velvet info. It also has some good information about other common fish problems too with pics mostly. Hope it helps. 

Aquarium FD - Oodinium (Velvet) - Disease Identification, Diagnosis & Treatment


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

OK,

I've finished the treatment and all the fish have come through it OK. I did a big water change and have added a little more coarse salt (1 gram/liter).

I will keep an eye on things before I add new fish to the aquarium and I will add more fish slowly. I want to get a test kit this coming week and a smaller tank to act as a hospital/quarantine tank but I can only get one at the moment, so I think I will get the test kit for the moment.


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