Marine velvet

[Queensreefer]

Will I able to kill velvet if I drain the tank and let it dry out for 4 months?

[flooddc]

Yes, but you will have to start over with your tank cycle.
Just go fallow for 10-12 weeks or more. Without fish in the tank, there is no host for marine velvet to live on.

[Rover88]

Marine velvet is a type of dinoflagellete, it is similar to ich in the sense it has a life cycle it will go through. Without fish, it doesn't survive.

Otherwise, the option is to treat the fish with copper based medication in a quarantine tank. If you do it in the main tank, all inverts will likely die, and you won't be able to add them later cause Copper gets in everything.

[SAT]

Yes, but you will have to start over with your tank cycle.
Just go fallow for 10-12 weeks or more. Without fish in the tank, there is no host for marine velvet to live on.

+1

The maximum life cycle time for marine velvet (Amblyoodinum) does not seem to be as well documented as Ich, but the references I have found imply a fallow period as short as 3 weeks at 25C might be adequate. However, the 72 days recommended for Ich (Cryptocaryon) is a good, safe period. In practice, I think Ich is often misdiagnosed as velvet.

[nereefpat]

+1

In practice, I think Ich is often misdiagnosed as velvet.

I think this is true, and also true the other way around.

I frequently see folks on here claim that ich wiped out their tank in a week. I always think..."that doesn't sound like ich."

[Dmorty217]

Fallow period for velvet is 6 weeks

[SAT]

Fallow period for velvet is 6 weeks

Can you give me a reference for that? I wasn't able to find it in my usual sources.