Velvet
Amyloodinium ocellatum (saltwater)Definition
Velvet (also called Marine Oodinium or saltwater dust) is caused by the dinoflagellate parasite Amyloodinium ocellatum. Far more aggressive than ich - infected fish typically die within 24-72 hours of visible symptoms. Looks like fine gold-bronze dust on the body.
Practical use in aquariums
Treatment: copper at 0.35-0.5 ppm in quarantine for 21+ days, with hyposalinity NOT recommended (velvet survives low salinity). Tank Transfer Method (TTM) is gold-standard: move fish to a new clean tank every 72 hours, 4 transfers total. Always quarantine new arrivals for 21+ days minimum.
How Velvet fits the bigger picture
Understanding Velvet matters because it's connected to broader husbandry decisions: disease prevention is cheaper than treatment - quarantine + dipping protocols paid back the first time you avoid a tank-wide outbreak.
Browse the Fast Aquatics care library for full husbandry tutorials covering Velvet in context.