Guppy Velvet Disease | RapidCure, Methylene Blue, Coppersafe, Copper-AID
So what is velvet disease?
Diseases like velvet disease and gold dust disease affect tropical fish and are caused by dinoflagellate parasites of the genus Piscinoodinium. Tropical and (to a lesser extent) marine aquaria are the most common places to find the disease.
Infected fish often "flash," or dart rapidly from one end of an aquarium to the other at first, scratching against objects to alleviate their pain. Lethargy and "clamping" of the fins to the body are also symptoms. Without treatment, infected fish will appear to be covered in a brown, gold, or green "dusting" of particles, which are actually the parasites. In the final stages, fish have trouble breathing, refuse to eat, and die from hypoxia because their gill tissue has necrotized.
A roundup of what guppy hobbyists do to treat velvet
Although velvet does not appear to be common, you can take steps to deal with it as described here. Obviously, you'll have to resort to medication. American Products, Kordon, and Mardel (now Fritz Aquatics) are just a few examples of velvet fish food brands that are suitable for guppies. There are more than a half-dozen options on the market, and all of them will leave a temporary stain on the aquarium's surface. There are essentially two possible hues: blue (Methylene Blue) or green (Malachite Green). Like ink, it will stain your fingers if you touch it. RapidCure, Acraflavine, Methylene Blue, Mardel Coppersafe, and Copper-AID are just a few of the brand names available.
Velvet disease, also known as rust disease, is extremely contagious and causes the skin to take on a milky white appearance. It can be difficult to tell the difference between ich and velvet. Until a serious infestation occurs, it may be difficult to spot. It may bleed and the skin may flake off. In the event of damage to the gills, the guppy will have trouble breathing and may perish. Get the full story here.
The velvet bacterium, Oodinium linineticum, is a tiny, yellowish organism. It uses a pair of whip-like flagellum located in a narrowing in its middle. velvet is deadly on baby fish. Root-like tentacles on the parasites allow them to burrow into the fish's skin and extract nutrients.
Acriflavine, the first line of defense. The temperature must be kept between 77 and 86 degrees for methylene blue to be effective against velvet at dilutions as low as one-hundredth of a grain per gallon of water.
Video Caring for your fish using Methylene blue
References
Velvet (fish disease)Popular Diseases Among Guppies
Guppy Disease Diagnostic Chart
Diseases - Guppy Fish - The Best Aquarium Pet
Mardel Coppersafe by Fritz Aquatics
Copper-AID
Methylene Blue