I think its Velvet.....

My porcupine puffer is getting these tiny little white spots on him. they last a couple days then he looks fine, then he gets them again. from what pictures i've seen it looks to small to be itch. but i cant seem to find a good pic of what the velvet looks like. Here are a couple pics of my puffer, sorry they are not to terribly clear..






Also I lost my Niger Trigger after about 4 days home from the LFS. I couldnt find any pics showing what this was, it looks like some kind of skin disorder or he was rubbing up against the rocks or something. i never noticed him doing it, and he was eating find and swimming around. then one morning...*sigh*




But on the good side....foxy is looking great! and she's been in there the longest!




But im thinking it is velvet, and the niger probably introduced it into the tank because that seems to be when it all started. I guess im just looking for some reasurance or any other ideas of what it might be so i can treat the tank before it gets to bad. I've tried an Ich treatment, and a treatment that is sapposed to kill/get rid of parasites, bacterial, and fungal infection. but nothing seems to have worked. Im thinking i might do copper since i have no inverts in the tank atm, just those mushrooms you see in the picture with foxy, but those are easily moved.

Thoughts and suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks!

 

Use of Copper in a potential reef tank is never a good idea.

Do some serious water changes...make sure water params are pristine...

Get a cleaner shrimp or neon goby.

Good Luck.

 

This will just be a FOWLR, I have a seperate tank for the reef, suprisingly enough. i have better luck with Corals than i do fish. =/ would think it would be the other way around.

I think the puffer would make short work of a cleaner shrimp wouldnt he?

Neon goby would be an intresting idea. i'll read up on them. maybe he wont become fish food for the niger or puffer.

The water params were good. i think i just introduced it into the tank when i bought the niger, i inspected him and he looked fine at the store. but if it was infected his gills i dont think i would have seen it.

Really i just want to make sure this is Velvet im looking at.

Thanks!

 

If you do use copper in your FOWLR, be prepared to not be able to use the rock in that system in any kind of reef application as the rocks will absorb the copper and then slowly release it back into your water.

 

Try lowering the salinity of your water slowly to a reading around 1.010 til you see the ich disappear. Once this has happened you can gradually raise your salinity level back up again!!! This is a fairly safe alternative to using chemicals that aren't always successful and often times will lead to more damage being done in the long run!!!! Trust me...
Also, I would add iodine to your tank if you aren't doing so already!!! Great antiseptic among other things!!!!
Good luck!

 

Good to Know! I think i will wait on the copper, pick up a couple of those gobbies, and keep on the weekly water changes and see how it goes....I do dose garlic in their food daily. is there anything else that you would suggest in their food to help out even more? I feed Krill/Mysis/Brine/Carrots/Peas the puffer loves peas and carrots. =)

 

That sounds easy enough! I'll get started on that tonight. Now when you say slowly....is that over 3-4 days or over 1-3 weeks?

Now where's that karma button. you guys are awsome. =) Thanks everyone.

 

do it over the course of a few days... 1-3 weeks and I am afraid that your fish will have died by then...
just be careful!
As for your food, I like to add a liquid supplement like coral-vite or prime reef vitamin/trace to my food as a soak...tastes good with chicken and beer!!!!!hahahahaha
sorry did I say that, man 5 year olds say the darndest things!!!!
No, seriously soaking the fish food before feeding helps to ensure that they are geeting their vitamins etc. over and above those provided in their flake and frozen foods!!!!