Oodinium Without Host

Harris Tiu

Member
Mar 16, 2019
43
1
8
36
Makati
Hello Barr Report!

I am interested in making a planted tank and populating it with small fishes like Cardinal Tetra that I have already quarantined.
But before I do that, I would like to make sure the planted tank is free of parasites (the display tank).

I was wondering if the Oodinium/ Velvet parasite would be starved to death by setting the planted aquarium temperature to 28C or 82F and leaving it without fishes for 2 weeks?

During this time, i will continue with medium lighting, 25-30ppm of CO2 and EI fertilization.

can anyone share with me their experiences?

Cheers
-Harris
 

Kyalgae

Lifetime Members
Lifetime Member
Aug 25, 2016
347
235
43
Canada
Hello Barr Report!

I am interested in making a planted tank and populating it with small fishes like Cardinal Tetra that I have already quarantined.
But before I do that, I would like to make sure the planted tank is free of parasites (the display tank).

I was wondering if the Oodinium/ Velvet parasite would be starved to death by setting the planted aquarium temperature to 28C or 82F and leaving it without fishes for 2 weeks?

During this time, i will continue with medium lighting, 25-30ppm of CO2 and EI fertilization.

can anyone share with me their experiences?

Cheers
-Harris


I have no experience with these critters, just had a read up on them. Very interesting. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a parasitic dinoflagellate. By heating your tank you hope to increase their life cycle speed? It sounds like these things can photosynthesize to some degree I would try to starve them as well. I mean a week without light shouldn’t destroy your tank. Can the oodinium use water column nutrients to some degree? Maybe a 90% water change, and a blackout with no nutrients for a week would kill them off. Do these guys go dormant? Do they hide in the substrate at all?

Hopefully someone has dealt with these before, Im interested to know the solution.
 

Harris Tiu

Member
Mar 16, 2019
43
1
8
36
Makati
I have no experience with these critters, just had a read up on them. Very interesting. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a parasitic dinoflagellate. By heating your tank you hope to increase their life cycle speed? It sounds like these things can photosynthesize to some degree I would try to starve them as well. I mean a week without light shouldn’t destroy your tank. Can the oodinium use water column nutrients to some degree? Maybe a 90% water change, and a blackout with no nutrients for a week would kill them off. Do these guys go dormant? Do they hide in the substrate at all?

Hopefully someone has dealt with these before, Im interested to know the solution.

Hey Kyalgae, i posted at ukaps and plantedtank.net aswell and an expert and guru confirmed that simply leaving the tank empty for 2 weeks without fish at 28C should starve Oodinium parasite to death.

I wouldnt bother with turning down the lights for the sake of my plants. especially if i can starve the parasite while leaving the lights with the regular photo period. I do believe its like Ich where the cyst falls to the substrate and hatches with many free-swimming parasites.

As for the Oodinium being photosynthetic, I've read that they store energy in chloroplasts and use this as a fuel reservoir. if without a host and the reservoir runs out, then they die. This is why I ask because I needed to know how long to leave the tank without a host while setting it at the right temperature.

Check links for the replies to this topic at other forums:
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/oodinium-without-host.56976/
https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...discussion/1289413-oodinium-without-host.html