# Treating velvet with heat, salt, and blackout



## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

Bump


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

no.

i have always used meds, and black out, to treat velvet. I also do add salt. Problem with velvet is that usually by the time you notice it, its pretty severe.


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

Yeah, and spread to another tank as well. I was hoping to not have to medicate because I need to treat a 55g and a 30g (I hope that's all). Does a blackout help? I suppose it does or you wouldn't do it. What meds. do you recommend? Flub? Thanks for the reply. I watch your threads, btw. I'll be getting fish from you at some point. Maybe a few more than anticipated, when this is all done. :^(


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

I usually use salt and copper. If I remember correctly, some of the meds are light sensitive, which is why I turned off the lights and it used to be rumored that the velvet cholorplasts (spellign) required light to divide. From a quick search, I see that isno longer the case


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

Here is a link that I found to be very informative. In it, a blackout (mentioned in previous post) is recommended for treatment. It does not mention how long this blackout should last. Any input on this would be appreciated. http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/oodinium


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

that is a quite good article. Blackout for all of treatment, if possible.


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

Will do. I'm thinking 14 days. Will update. Thanks again.


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

Well, I waited to update this thread until I was sure of the results. I used black garbage bags to cover my 55g and 30g hex completely. Over a two day period, I added salt to a concentration of 3 teaspoons per gallon and raised the temp. to 88 deg.. I kept fresh greens in the tank daily for my GN pleco and fed the others twice a week. I did 30% weekly wc, adding 3 tsp./gal. salt to the new water and made sure to vac the substrate well each time. I ended up maintaining this treatment for a total of 3 weeks. Sometime, during the last few days of treatment, the temp. shot up to 96 deg. in my 55g.(crap)! During each wc, I would have to remove a few dead fish from each tank. My GN pleco did not seem to be bothered at all by the treatment. I lost 9 cardinal tetras with one survivor. All 8 of my tiger barbs perished. A few guppies were lost but, most survived. 4 harlequin rasboras died with 4 remaining. 3 rc shrimp are left out of about 30. Strangely, the pond snail population was not affected. My jungle val, which was newly (2-3 wks.) planted, bit the dust, as did my anubias, which was already stressed from a H2o2 treatment (full strength spray outside of tank) for bba. My java fern was unaffected. After two 30% fresh wc, all seems to be well again. The losses were sad but expected. Velvet is no joke! In my case, heat, salt, and blackout seems to have worked without other meds. In the future, I will start this treatment immediately upon seeing flashing. I delayed treatment, this time, because I didn't see the white spots that I have seen with ich in the past (big mistake). I think this delay caused more deaths than if the treatment had been started sooner. I hope this post might be of some help to someone else. This was my experience and your mileage may vary. Hope your fish stay happy and healthy.


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## EnigmaticGuppy92 (Jan 31, 2012)

i can empathise with how ur feeling just lost my betta to cotton wool disease recently it sucks when u do everything u can and it doesnt work good luck for the future


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## TWINSCREWED (Nov 21, 2011)

Just a note I too recently went through a bout of Velvet in one of my tanks. The easiest diagnostic indicater was the flashlight test. Darken the entire room and use a white light and shine the fish, as they turn from the light, they appear to have a golden dusting. I had pretty significant losses, also. All for a couple black neons that I didn't want but couldn't see them flushed. Since then I qt everything that comes home with me, no more trusting of fmily and friends. UGH.
BTW I treated too. Think Velvet is to fast moving to salt and heat. Ick, on the other hand, I've had success with hea and a little salt.


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

The flashlight technique is how I finally diagnosed the disease. The tiger barbs were in the worst shape. Heat and salt alone will not work. The blackout is the most important part of the treatment as velvet is a form of parasitic algae.


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