Velvet And Coral Disease
Velvet Oodinium belong to a group of parasites known as dinoflagellates, which is related to algae and contain chlorophyll. It is a fairly common disease to diagnose as the fish is covered with a layer of fine gold dust. The marine equivalent is called Coral Fish Disease Amyloodinium.
Symptoms Of Velvet And Coral Disease
This disease is quite easy to diagnose as the body of the fish is covered with a fine gold dust giving it a velvety look. The parasite goes through a similar process as the parasite that causes White Spot. The is another disease caused by the O.pillularis where the color is more brown. The gills of fish can be damaged with this disease.
Treatment Of Velvet And Coral Disease
Velvet disease is normally treated by copper based treatments, but they are toxic to invertebrates and should not be administered to marine tanks if they contain them. It is advisable to establish long term bath cures like methylene blue, however fish medicine is constantly evolving so also discuss your fish heath problems with your local aquarium store to see if there is any new and better medicine available. Avoid using methylene blue in tanks with biological filtration.
