# Treating Velvet For Over a Month Now...



## BettaChic (Feb 1, 2012)

> Housing (Hospital Tank)
> What size is your tank? 2.5 gal
> What temperature is your tank? 84 F
> Does your tank have a filter? No (Hospital Tank)
> ...


Hello Everyone,

I've been treating Ghosty for Velvet for over a month now. I noticed him flashing, then found small gold specs on him when I used a flashlight. I put him in a 2.5 gal QT, raised the temperature to 84 F, covered the tank to make it dark, and started treating with Mardel's Coppersafe. I treated him with that (while doing 100% water changes every 2-3 days) for about two weeks. Then someone on this forum suggested using the salt water treatment. 

For the next 10 days, I upped his salt dosage to triple the amount, and then weaned him off. He seemed to be doing better, but I could still see some gold around his gills. There were two particular spots (one on his back tail and one on his top fin) that were gold, and eventually started turning a light green or bluish after the treatment. You can see them in the pictures with the bright light and circles below.

After the saltwater treatment, I put him back on the Coppersafe treatment because it didn't seem like I got it all. Am I doing something wrong or is there anything else I can do to get him better sooner? My tank just finished cycling a few days ago and I've been waiting for him to get better to introduce him to his new home.

How much longer should I continue the treatment for? Are the greenish/blue spots still Velvet? Are the gold around his gills for sure Velvet?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I thought the same with my betta too, treated him for velvet, no improvement. Gave up and let him be. one day as I was flaring him I notice that said "velvet" got brighter and shinier. Finally realized it was just natural coloring of some sort... when he really flares the gold atuff on his gill covers almost goes white.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

I personally don't see any velvet on this fish? That gold just looks like natural colouring, this is velvet:



















If I recall correctly, velvet is fairly deadly and will literally suffocate your fish to death as it dies of hypoxia.


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## Tamyu (Mar 17, 2012)

I agree that it doesn't look like velvet.
I don't know what he looked like when you started treatment, but I have seen fish with velvet... And it isn't a few specks of gold. It is like a dust on their entire body that shimmers gold in flashlight. I have also never seen a fish with it that wasn't clamped and very clearly unhappy. 
I don't have much experience with bettas, but I doubt it would be any different. The gold on him looks like natural coloration, and it changing color makes it seem very likely that it is.


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## SwaggDaddy (Mar 28, 2012)

hi my betta name is shushi and lives in a 10 gallon but no heater or tempeture how can i do somthing


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## frazier71 (Mar 17, 2012)

Yeah that doesn't look like velvet he actually looks pretty healthy. If he had velvet he would clamp his fins lay at the bottom or top be itching pretty bad like against rocks and ornaments. You would know. He also wouldn't be eating very well. When a betta is sick you'll know it. And swingdaddy what are you asking ? If you want to do something about temperature get a heater and a thermometer. The handing ones are like a dollar and get a heater for a ten gallon tank.


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## BettaChic (Feb 1, 2012)

Wow, thank you so much for all these encouraging posts! I was hesitant to stop treating because I wasn't sure if it was Velvet or not, and the fins were turning red, which I also thought was a symptom.

I'm so happy to hear everyone agrees he is Velvet Free! The next few days are going to be monitoring the newly cycled tank closely and getting ready to introduce him! Thanks again!

<3 BettaChic


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