Does my fish have velvet?
Velvet in fish can be very deadly for your whole tank. This disease can quickly wipe out everything in your tank. Fish who have velvet will be scratching their body against any hard surface in the tank. This is to try to remove the parasites from their skin.
What are the symptoms of velvet?
Your fish may display some of the following signs:
- Lethargic
- Rapid Breathing
- Not eating and weight loss
- Holds fins next to body
- Labored or rapid breathing
- Yellow to rust color dust on the fish’s body
- Pealing of the skin in severe cases
What is the cause of velvet?
Velvet is caused by the parasite Oödinium pillularis or Oödinium limneticum. These parasites may be present in many aquariums but only cause issues if your fish is stressed, sick, being transported, has a sudden temperature change or has poor water quality.
How to treat velvet?
If your fish has velvet, you do a few things to help treat your fish.
- Increase the temperature of the water by just a few degrees
- Dim the aquarium lights for a few days
- The treatment of choice for velvet is copper sulfate for 10 days. A good brand to look for is SeaChem Cupramine.