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View Full Version : Can TTM and Formalin mask velvet?


coolxborg
06/06/2016, 11:01 AM
Hi -

In March, I bought 1 female Anthias and a pair of clowns. All were given Formalin baths then went through TTM and prazipro doses. After treatment, I held them in a hospital tank.

In early-mid April, I bought two swallowtail angels and 1 emperor. They went through the same process then I added to the same hospital tank (60gallons) as above.

Then about two weeks ago, the angels and anthias were all scratching in the hospital tank. I removed them from the hospital tank and gave another round of formalin baths (in case it was velvet). Then went through more rounds of prazipro (in case it was flukes). All were doing fine and i saw some mild scratching. Then this past weekend, the fish turned for the worst and were dying.

So ive had these fish for about 6 weeks prior to showing any signs of velvet.. Could velvet actually not show up for this long? Or did the formalin baths and ttm just mask it for a few weeks?

Deinonych
06/06/2016, 11:17 AM
Are you certain it was velvet? What were the symptoms besides scratching? Formalin treatments should not mask velvet symptoms. If anything, it should kill any velvet organisms present. 6 weeks seems like a long time for velvet to lay dormant.

coolxborg
06/06/2016, 11:50 AM
In the past few days, they started being lethargic, a couple were swimming by the surface, and heavy breathing. Never saw any spots.

I suppose it could be Gill flukes? (Also performed fw dips but didnt see any flukes).

ThRoewer
06/06/2016, 12:01 PM
Formalin, in the bath concentration, doesn't kill velvet, but just causes it to dislodge, and if it was less than a day on the fish it can attach to a new host (or again to the previous).
6 weeks is consistent with the time it may take for velvet to show if present.
Though with the short velvet lifecycle you would see something much earlier (as you did).
The 2 chemicals I know to being able to kill velvet (most of the time) are Chloroquine Phosphate and copper sulfate.

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Deinonych
06/06/2016, 01:33 PM
Formalin, in the bath concentration, doesn't kill velvet, but just causes it to dislodge, and if it was less than a day on the fish it can attach to a new host (or again to the previous).

Good point about bath concentration. To the OP: at what concentration did you administer Formalin?

coolxborg
06/07/2016, 12:54 AM
The baths were about 30-35 min long and 20 formalin drops per gallon of water.

ThRoewer
06/07/2016, 11:30 AM
These days I go always a few drops over the recommended dosage and never less than 45 minutes.

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Jeff4777
06/07/2016, 11:58 AM
These days I go always a few drops over the recommended dosage and never less than 45 minutes.

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I go 45 to 50 mins with a hair over normal dosage too. Unless there is a wrasse im very careful.. lost 2 wrasses unsure if related to formalin/prazi or not

coolxborg
06/07/2016, 12:02 PM
That looks to be a gap in my regimen. Ive never done longer than 35 min. Will change that.

jbvdhp
06/07/2016, 04:31 PM
Hope your fish pull thru bud.


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