What are the symptoms of Marine Velvet?

An extremely fine golden to rust-coloured dusting over the body, often mistaken for ich; Extremely rapid breathing with flared gills, fish crowding the surface or strong flow; Heavy flashing, refusal to feed and darkening colour, often with sudden mass deaths overnight; Kills faster than marine ich - mass mortality can follow the first signs within a day or two. It usually starts with: The parasite arriving on new fish, live rock or corals without quarantine; Temperature or salinity swings and stress after moving fish; Overcrowding and unstable water letting the parasite multiply rapidly.

How do you treat Marine Velvet?

In order: 1. Move every fish into a hospital tank at once (Marine velvet moves extremely fast, so isolation is the only way to buy time; convert the display tank to a fallow state and leave corals and invertebrates in place.) 2. Start with a freshwater or formalin dip (For fish in severe respiratory distress, give a 3-5 minute dip in temperature- and pH-matched freshwater (or formalin per the label) to strip some of the parasites off quickly; watch throughout and return the fish to saltwater at the first sign of rolling over.) 3. Copper at 0.15-0.25 mg/L in the hospital tank (After the dip, move the fish into a copper hospital tank, holding 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it belongs in the hospital tank and never in the display tank.) 4. Leave the display tank fallow for at least 6 weeks (With all fish out, keep the display tank fishless for at least 6 weeks so the host-dependent stages die out naturally; its tomont stage is shorter than that of marine ich.) 5. Finish the course and watch for relapse (Complete the full copper course even after symptoms fade, and drip-acclimate for 1-2 hours before returning fish; velvet relapses very fast, and stopping early usually reverses the recovery.)

What medication treats Marine Velvet?

Chelated copper: Hospital tank only, held at 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it must be dosed in a hospital tank.; Formalin: For short baths only, timed to the product label and watched throughout. It is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates and must never enter the display tank.; Chloroquine phosphate: An alternative available in some markets, used at the label dose in a hospital tank only, kept out of light and with attention to invertebrate toxicity; purity varies between sources, so prefer copper if unsure.

G-04 / 16Marine

Marine Velvet海水丝绒

Extremely urgent. It kills faster than marine ich, often causing mass mortality within a day or two, so isolate and start treatment the day the golden dusting appears.

Illustration to come

G-04 / 16 · Marine Velvet

SpecificationsDisease atlas

Cause: Parasite
Severity: Severe
Contagion: Highly contagious
Corals / inverts: Not safe
Also known as: Amyloodinium ocellatum、Gold dust disease (marine)

Symptoms

An extremely fine golden to rust-coloured dusting over the body, often mistaken for ich
Extremely rapid breathing with flared gills, fish crowding the surface or strong flow
Heavy flashing, refusal to feed and darkening colour, often with sudden mass deaths overnight
Kills faster than marine ich - mass mortality can follow the first signs within a day or two

Typical triggers

— The parasite arriving on new fish, live rock or corals without quarantine
— Temperature or salinity swings and stress after moving fish
— Overcrowding and unstable water letting the parasite multiply rapidly

Treatment, in order

1 · IsolateMove every fish into a hospital tank at onceMarine velvet moves extremely fast, so isolation is the only way to buy time; convert the display tank to a fallow state and leave corals and invertebrates in place.
2 · MedicationStart with a freshwater or formalin dipFor fish in severe respiratory distress, give a 3-5 minute dip in temperature- and pH-matched freshwater (or formalin per the label) to strip some of the parasites off quickly; watch throughout and return the fish to saltwater at the first sign of rolling over.
3 · MedicationCopper at 0.15-0.25 mg/L in the hospital tankAfter the dip, move the fish into a copper hospital tank, holding 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it belongs in the hospital tank and never in the display tank.
4 · Water changeLeave the display tank fallow for at least 6 weeksWith all fish out, keep the display tank fishless for at least 6 weeks so the host-dependent stages die out naturally; its tomont stage is shorter than that of marine ich.
5 · ObserveFinish the course and watch for relapseComplete the full copper course even after symptoms fade, and drip-acclimate for 1-2 hours before returning fish; velvet relapses very fast, and stopping early usually reverses the recovery.

The standard treatment uses copper or formalin, which is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails and everything on live rock. Treat in a quarantine tank only, and leave the display tank fallow for the full period above before returning the fish.

Medications and cautions

Chelated copper: Hospital tank only, held at 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it must be dosed in a hospital tank.
Formalin: For short baths only, timed to the product label and watched throughout. It is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates and must never enter the display tank.
Chloroquine phosphate: An alternative available in some markets, used at the label dose in a hospital tank only, kept out of light and with attention to invertebrate toxicity; purity varies between sources, so prefer copper if unsure.

Prevention

Quarantine all new fish for at least 4 weeks and confirm no dusting or breathing problems before adding them
Rest corals and live rock separately and never introduce water of unknown origin
Keep temperature and salinity stable and reduce stocking density
Watch breathing rates daily, since overnight deaths are often the first sign of velvet

Frequently asked questions

What are the symptoms of Marine Velvet?: An extremely fine golden to rust-coloured dusting over the body, often mistaken for ich; Extremely rapid breathing with flared gills, fish crowding the surface or strong flow; Heavy flashing, refusal to feed and darkening colour, often with sudden mass deaths overnight; Kills faster than marine ich - mass mortality can follow the first signs within a day or two. It usually starts with: The parasite arriving on new fish, live rock or corals without quarantine; Temperature or salinity swings and stress after moving fish; Overcrowding and unstable water letting the parasite multiply rapidly.
How do you treat Marine Velvet?: In order: 1. Move every fish into a hospital tank at once (Marine velvet moves extremely fast, so isolation is the only way to buy time; convert the display tank to a fallow state and leave corals and invertebrates in place.) 2. Start with a freshwater or formalin dip (For fish in severe respiratory distress, give a 3-5 minute dip in temperature- and pH-matched freshwater (or formalin per the label) to strip some of the parasites off quickly; watch throughout and return the fish to saltwater at the first sign of rolling over.) 3. Copper at 0.15-0.25 mg/L in the hospital tank (After the dip, move the fish into a copper hospital tank, holding 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it belongs in the hospital tank and never in the display tank.) 4. Leave the display tank fallow for at least 6 weeks (With all fish out, keep the display tank fishless for at least 6 weeks so the host-dependent stages die out naturally; its tomont stage is shorter than that of marine ich.) 5. Finish the course and watch for relapse (Complete the full copper course even after symptoms fade, and drip-acclimate for 1-2 hours before returning fish; velvet relapses very fast, and stopping early usually reverses the recovery.)
Is Marine Velvet contagious, and how urgent is it?: Contagion: highly contagious. Severity: severe. Cause: parasite. Extremely urgent. It kills faster than marine ich, often causing mass mortality within a day or two, so isolate and start treatment the day the golden dusting appears.
What medication treats Marine Velvet?: Chelated copper: Hospital tank only, held at 0.15-0.25 mg/L with a copper test kit for 14-30 days. Copper is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails, starfish and live rock life, so it must be dosed in a hospital tank.; Formalin: For short baths only, timed to the product label and watched throughout. It is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates and must never enter the display tank.; Chloroquine phosphate: An alternative available in some markets, used at the label dose in a hospital tank only, kept out of light and with attention to invertebrate toxicity; purity varies between sources, so prefer copper if unsure.
Is the treatment for Marine Velvet safe for corals and inverts?: No. The standard treatment (copper or formalin based) is lethal to corals, shrimp, snails and everything on live rock. Treat in a quarantine tank only, and leave the display tank fallow for the full period given above.