velvet

so im reading that you should keep a tank without fish after velvet for 2 months

so this is what i dont understand
velvets life cycle is 5 weeks? beginning to end
IF you have fish thats 5 weeks
if its in the swimming stage it has to die off within 3 days without host
if its in the end of the life cycle it naturally will die off within what a week?
so whats the need for all this wait 2 months stuff when its not even likely to be in your tank after 30 days

 

no answers but plenty of views?

 

Trapstar

correctly identifying the parasite is no easy task to start with
Velvet is a term used to describe more than one form of Oodinium

whist some sites do document the live cycle as 3 - 5 days
there are other sources of information that indicate some strains can remain active for 30 days plus, depending on water temp - they last longer if the water is cooler than 75 degrees for example

in addition - many sites suggest removal of fish for treatment (normally copper based meds) and many of these suggest keeping the fish in isolation to monitor them for as long as 5 weeks, in order to make sure they are not affected by the parasite before introducing back into DT

the longer you can leave the aquarium without infected fish in it
the better the chances are that any fish you do introduce of not being infected

Steve

 

you always seem to say the day haha