Velvet Sea is the(home)studioproject of Bert Bruines. He is based in Zwolle… Read Full Bio ↴Velvet Sea is the(home)studioproject of Bert Bruines. He is based in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The music is a mixture of singersongwriter, indiepop, country and has some psychedelic elements. It's warm, intimate, sincere and melancholic.
Three albums have been released so far. All of them recieved, without exception, very good reviews in the media and airplay on national and local radiostations.
Bert, the only regular member of Velvet Sea has played in several bands with different styles: indie pop/rock (Soaptrip, Drive Cooler), postrock (Blue Bungalows) and stonerpunk (Tetna Shot).
His current band is an alternative guitarpoprock/country/singersong band named Breitner.

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All the Blue is Whiter
Velvet Sea Lyrics

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The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

Comments from YouTube:

Carlos23

5y↑14

I feel your pain man sorry for your loses . I’m glad you didn’t give up keeping it real is what makes your videos Authentic👍

john smith

5y↑34

Been there before. It's a horrible thing, but it's part of the experience.

I've got an established tank, and QT new adds for 3 months. It's a long time, but I think it's worth it in the big picture.

john smith

@ReeferGil I do, and I still had ich in the tank, nutrition seems to provide immunity once fish settle in the tank, but adding fish to an established tank is the time to be careful. Oddly most times if fish have something, it seems to show about 4 weeks into QT.

ReeferGil

You QT for 3 months? Nothing wrong with that at all. You'll know if fish have any obvious illnesses within those 3 months for sure. Thanks for sharing!

Mark In The Middle

5y↑45

I stopped watching when you said 8 year old Clowns...anyone who keeps Clownfish, Ocellaris in particular, knows how special certain individuals could be. I lost a pair to brooklynella about a yr ago, they were close to 4yo. I did everything I could. It broke me to the point of tears and I'm 33yo. Loved them both but one was next level intelligent and would beg for me to put my hand in the tank so he could chill in it. You will never be able to replace that pair, but adding another pair will help deal w the grief. They are special fish.

Karen Nation

4y↑1

@Wreckanize sorry for your loss. I lost a clown to this as well ust 2 days ago and a hawkfish. If I had not of ran across this video I would have thought it was ich as well. When I saw the cloudy eyes I knew! I just purchased about 18 frags I guess it been about a month. I dint know corals could give velvet or any disease! I am going to quaratine it all from here on out! Now I have to try to catch my remaining fish and treat them. That isnt going to be easy! LOL

Wreckanize

I just lost two clowns after putting in a coral from an LFS I've never been to. Within 2 days of putting the coral in, my clowns (only two fish in my nano) had perished. I cried, and it still brings tears to my eyes. This was just a few days ago. Still trying to determine if it was velvet or brook. Going fallow for 8 weeks.

I stand with isreal

ReeferGil thank you 🙂

ReeferGil

4y↑1

@I stand with isreal its crazy how attached we can become with our fish pets. Sorry for your loss.

I stand with isreal

Mark In The Middle i’m so sorry reading your comment almost bring me to tears I am so very sorry for your loss your comment was very dear to me and I’ll never forget it couple weeks ago my favourite fish got stuck in a powerhead I am still extremely sad it was also the first fish the bread in captivity in my responsibility

4 More Replies...

William Gauthier

5y↑1

You're an awesome reefer. I've learned from your videos, so keep 'em coming! We learn from our mistakes. Sorry for your loss.

ReeferGil

William, I truly appreciate your post. Thank you.

Angelina Roseee

Dude I totally understand how you feel I am dealing with the same thing right now as a semi new hobbyist. So far I've lost an Auriga Butterfly fish, Sailfin Tang, Coral Beauty Angel, my Porcupine Puffer is on its way out dying as we speak and my Powder Blue Tang is in HORRIBLE shape. It really REALLY sucks and I feel defeated. I have my 4 clowns in a different tank now for a couple months (they were never sick) but I do have a couple more fish in my display tank (a file fish, hawkfish) that are not showing any signs of being sick. Not sure what to do with them as I want to leave that tank Fallow for the recommended 74+ days.... But I won't give up. I will figure this hobby out eventually, any tips would be helpful!!!

Ben Le

5y↑20

Sorry for your lost. Thank you for all your videos

Torise Wooldridge

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do know how hard this can be, so I feel your pain. I think showing what you have will help people in the hobby who aren't aware of these types of situations. I know when I went through it there wasn't alot of good content out there for me to reference. It was hard on my wife and I too. Glad you kept going though. The restart and recovery can be worth it. Though it cost a lot to be in this hobby the fish that are our pets mean a lot to us. Thanks again..

ReeferGil

Torise, I can't thank you enough for the kind words. Sorry you also went through it too, really a crummy experience. Appreciate your post!

Victactoe

Wow I’m so glad I saw this. I have what I thought I was ick in my tank but treatment isn’t working and my fish are suffering in the same way. I hope I can save the rest of them. 😞

Cheesehead 🧀

Something similar happened to me. Except I was a newbie and didn’t know I should quarantine fish before adding to DT. My son picked up a mimic half black tang on a whim and we put him in our DT and marveled at his beauty next to all our other fish. We had a dark maroon clown that was just a ham. We also had a porcupine puffer that was more like a puppy than a fish, a HumuHumu trigger, a coral beauty. They all had names, we loved them like crazy. Not 5 days later the Tang looked strange. 2 days later he was dead and my puffer had “spots” all over his fins. I called my LFS, whom I have a pretty good report with. He said I had ich. I started treating with Ich-X and hypo-salinity. Two days after that my trigger was dead. I was devastated. That’s when I learned I didn’t have ich, I had velvet. The only fish that survived out of that tank were the coral beauty and the clown. I ugraded to a bigger tank and got all new filters sand, rock etc and transferred them into the bigger tanks about a month after treatment was finished and they were showing no signs of any illness. In the new tank I got a baby porcupine, a niger trigger, a volitan lion and a beautiful bird wrasse. Everything was going fine for about a month. Then boom my puffer had velvet again. This time the whole tank died except my puffer. My spunky, quirky little clown was gone within a few days. Again, I was devastated. Now all I have in there is the puffer and he’s still fighting the bacterial infection that often comes after velvet. I’m discouraged and ready to give up. I didn’t understand how after doing everything right, and the water parameters being really good, I could still have this happen. What I learned is that puffers are very sensitive and susceptible to illness and don’t have the slime coat that most other fish have. So now, even tho I love both tangs and puffers, I will never purchase one again because I am so scared. 😢

Colten Lynn

So proud of you!!!!!

K-reef Aquarium hobby

5y↑1

Must have been so hard. Thank you for this video. And so happy you didn't quit. Always love your content.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

What's up K Reef. Really appreciate that.

Paul Rubinchik

5y↑5

Hey bro,

Love your vids an glad your still into the hobby. Sorry about your loss.

I think I currently have ich but now after seeing your video might be this stuff.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Yea, keep a close eye on it. Thanks for the kinds words and the best of luck with your current situation!

Edward Thayer

I had this happen before! Definitely a very hard thing to deal with! Because I was useless in any of my attempts to treat it. I honestly don't think it is treatable! So sorry for your experience!

ReeferGil

Hey Edward, your post is right in line with what I read online. There wasn't much I could do once it got to the point I finally realized it was MV.

Aida

Thank you so much for sharing. I have definitely been following your clowns. I am so sorry for your loss - but at the same time it is so refreshing and happy to see your come back. Keep up the great work.

ReeferGil

Thank you very much. Some updates on my new clowns on Instagram.

Ken Chetcuti

5y↑1

This was the most informative video I have ever seen. Thank you. I’ll consider all of this and I appreciate you from keeping my wife from crying too. Fish on!

ReeferGil

Thanks man! Keep those tears in check.

DEAN TIERNAN

I’ve had a blue tang for 2 years now and last week developed what I think is itch. He’s going silly rubbing himself against rocks but I put ehiem UV in on low flow and it seems to be a lot better

Rookie Reefer

5y↑1

Ahh Gil.. i feel for ya man. So glad you stuck with it 👌 we all learn from our mistakes

ReeferGil

Thanks man!

Jeremy C

I feel for you. This happened to me a few years ago, was devastating. I recovered and started to stock again, and followed a proper quarantine process. Got my first few fish in no issue. Started my second batch of fish, then hurricane Irma came through, I had no power for 8 days, even though I had enough power to run the pumps, the ambient temp in my house got too high, my main tank and quarantine tank got to 85 degrees, and I was forced to move my last 2 fish in the main tank. I ended up loosing 1 fish at that time. But then my tank (240g) sprung a leak and I had to take it down, while my fish were in a smaller tank (40g) my anemone decided to get in my wave maker and poisoned my tank all but the lone survivor damsel, that to this day lives happily in a 20g long with the left overs of my refugium. One day I hope my wife will let me get a large salt tank again, but it's been over a year since my last issues. Keep up the good work

ReeferGil

Dang Jeremy, that's a lot to have gone through. I've never experienced power outages longer than a few hours, so I can't imagine. I bet that damsel will always be your favorite fish. It would be my favorite for sure, you guys have been through it together.

•LUNATICRIDER209•

Feel your pain been there done that. Not a great way to learn but it definitely makes you smarter when adding anything to the tanks. Smart with staying with it. Been in this hobby for 15 yrs and been threw my fairs shares of ups and downs. Cheers from California!

Darren Dzirasa-Payne

5y↑3

So sorry. It's very hard. Thank you for sharing. I've been in a similar position and it's horrible, everything goes quickly out of control.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Isn't it so true! Thank you for the comment Darren.

Benson Ramon

3y↑1

I kept making the same mistake with velvet. Kept thinking the fish can fight it off until it's too late. Kept using reef safe medications that are not effective but always thought it should since they sell it. It's a scam that never gets caught or penalized. Kept trusting sellers that fish is free from pests and so no quarantine. Lesson learned is to quarantine all fish and go slow. As soon as it swims against the flow, treat with copper right away. Don't wait. Velvet is a pain in the...

ReeferGil

I agree 100%

Nicandro Sanchez

Good video I’m sorry about your losses I have 120 mix reef tank I have two clown fish i’ve barely bought a baby blue tang 3 months ago i’m looking out for any diseases and everything but he looks healthy he’s eating thanks for the video

cegentry

5y↑2

Back in the day (I have been doing this a long time) nearly every fish purchased was sick with something or another. It was damn near impossible to have more than 2-3 fish in your tank. Added on top was a lot of fish were caught with cyanide so if they didn’t die from a disease the cyanide got them.

Things have improved drastically. To the point where we rarely see this type of situation. Best thing you can do is keep those tangs in quarantine for a very very long time. Make sure your quarantine setup is large and water quality is on par or higher than your display tank. Your only mistake I see was you probably rushed to get them into the display as quick as possible. It is hard not to.

May I ask where you purchased these fish? I don’t have room, time, or funds for quarantine. I buy all my fish from Divers Den. I pay more but the fish are super healthy. Props to Kevin Cohen and team.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Already have everything on track, I restarted this system late last year. I will have to do an update on the progress of the new build soon.

cegentry

ReeferGil glad you have found cooler people in your area than I have in mine. The hobby should be fun and have a strong community not a lot of that going down here. I sure hope you get everything back on track and have much success going forward. 👍

ReeferGil

@cegentry Ya, there are jerks, but I'd say most are willing to help. I also had a 75 gallon that I was very happy with.

cegentry

Thanks for the reply as well. This is a very lonely hobby for me. I have a single friend who I correspond with. All other people I have met have been jerks or trying to make a buck and In and out of the hobby quickly. It has become a rich boys hobby and I can’t afford to play that game but I tell you what my little 75 is banging for what I can afford to do.

cegentry

By back in the day I’m talking late 80’s to mid 90’s. Probably should have clarified. I basically stopped keeping tanks for about 7 years because I found it to be impossible. It wasn’t that we didn’t have the technology because not much has changed there but the quality of the care of the animals from reef to home has improved. Unless of course you are buying from a LFS in the middle Tennessee area. 😐

1 More Replies...

Realtor Ashfaque Khan

Oh man RG it was really painful to watch those clownfishes...i feel for you bro and i am glad you didnt quit the hobby. We all do make mistakes but mistakes makes us strong and move on and stay in the game. I have been following you since i entered this hobby RG in 2012...remember back in the days Newyorkstello...yeah since than bro...2nd phase is coming along well and i am very happy for you...keep reefing...

ReeferGil

Wow! That has been a long time. New York Steelo and Arc Angle are the two reasons I even delved into this hobby. Without their visual aids by way of a video, I wouldn't have jumped into it. Thanks for being a longtime follower. Subbed ya!

Tina Bloomfield

5y↑1

So very glad you didn't give up!! You are one of the peeps I look up to. I also lost all of my fish to velvet. I know the feeling

ReeferGil

Hey Tina, longtime no see. Thank you very much for the kind words. It was a brutal experience.

Scott From Rosco's Reef

I do remember when this happened and it's just as hard now as it was then. Very happy that it did not take you out of the hobby all together. Great, also, that you can close out this chapter and start a new story. All the best.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Scott, I hope you're doing GREAT. Thanks again for the support and post! Take care!

SSSami

I too own a pair of black clowns so it hurts so much to see yours suffer 😭 I'm so sorry for your loss and your fish would be proud of you for learning from it

Xerox

Thx for sharing an informative vid. One of my Clown Male is having same powdery Stuff near its tail and its been there over a month now. She was previously treated with Amipicilin in a QT and She recivered thinking it to be bacterial. Now she is having it again since last 1 month..LFS suggested to leave it and start heavy fees as Rico also suggested. She eats Off and On but rest all Fishes including Blue Hippo are fine. I feed them 5 times. My tank is mixed reef 85 gal. NO3 at moment under 10. Suggest way forward pls. Thx

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey Xerox, hard to say without knowing what the fish actually has. It does sound like a fungal infections, but again... hard to say without knowing. If you have a QT I would remove it and treat there. Good luck.

Darren R

I am fairly new to this and think I have just lost a puffer and a clown to this. I doubt you will see this, but any help or advice is so much needed. Thank you

Lee and Mandy Battersby

such a hard video to watch but thank you for sharing everyone needs to see the bad side as well as the good and hopefully this can help people in the future

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Thank you very much Lee and Mandy, really appreciate the post.

Scott Campbell

As a physician, I understand disease processes and treatments. I have been the the aquarium hobby for 50 years. Saltwater fish concern me with sushi restaurants on every corner and many die offs in hobbyists tanks. Freshwater fish are 98% raised in captivity vs Saltwater 99% wild caught. Living in Hawaii, I have seen many debates over wholesale capture of Hawaiian fish with sales worldwide. Just think of all the fish deaths before they show up at your LFS. Deaths at the LFS/Distributors. Deaths at hobbyists homes. Treatments are shotgun treatments as few people take there fish to a vet. I wish there was a higher percentage of raised saltwater fish. I have, 4 tanks.(150, 120,70, 30) Two tanks are salt and two tanks are fresh. I have lost saltwater fish in the past but have not been replacing them. May stick with freshwater fish like cichlids and Discus. I have clownfish I have tank raised which I keep. Just like exotic birds and all their deaths before they arrive in your home. I am backing away from saltwater fish until more are tank raised or better treatments. I did quarantine my fish in the past with prophylactic bacterial/protozoan treatments but some still slip through. Sad!

ReeferGil

Hey Scott, you're hitting on a very hotly debated topic going on in the saltwater hobby world right now. Access to corals and wild caught saltwater fish is narrowing as countries are starting to ban such practices. We may not feel the immediate impact of these new laws right away, but we eventually will. Especially when stores start to shutdown. Hopefully the attention will become focused on doing exactly what you said, tank raising more saltwater fish and doing a better job propagating corals. Thanks for bringing this to light.

SanDi

Ahh so sorry for the losses. This sure brings back some dreadful memories for myself. Seems like when ich strikes we still have hope but when we realize its velvet the hope becomes grim. We all go through it at some point , still does not make it any easier. This time around I too will have qt with a seperate hospital tank just in case. These videos are eye openers so thank you for sharing. 🤗

ReeferGil

Thanks Sandi, you're so right about the feeling of dread once it's learned you have MV and not Ich. MV took my fish so fast too, sucked!

Reefgrrl

5y↑1

Glad you’re back Gil, what an awful thing to go through. Hard to share but probably cathartic so allows you to move on. On with the show! 👍🏻👍🏻

ReeferGil

Well put Reefgrrl!!!! Thank you very much!!!

Reef Raf

wow bro really sorry you had to go through this!! just watching this video after 6yrs!!

FishFreakPhil

5y↑2

Thanks for sharing that. Hopefully you will have helped other reefers besides myself.

ReeferGil

Thanks Fish, I hope so too.

Sheem khaa

Wow I'm sorry to hear Mr reefer this hobbie will always be a learning experience for all. Keep in mind its never a failure we all learn from any kind of incident. Keep us updated on this reef build.

ReeferGil

I love your attitude! You're absolutely correct, thank you so much.

Sun Rise

Very sorry to hear about your loss. Same happened to me as I lost all my Storms and Angel fish, I think it was ick

Briana Gilford

4y↑1

I'm going through this right now, hence why I watched this video. Very informative, thank you. My 6 year old sailfin looks horrible. I'm going to QT her and hope for the best....I have other large fish in there but they look good right now. If you were me, would you QT everyone and treat them too?

ReeferGil

Crud, I just noticed your post. Sorry for the late reply on such an important question. Marine Velvet is very aggressive, not sure what the difference is with freshwater. For Marine Velvet, I would QT all.

Lily Beaumont

I have freshwater velvet in my QT tank...lost 3 fish so far...I was treating for white spot...I will use something for both velvet and white spot from now on..

Lisa Ryan

Thank you so much for sharing. I am sure it was very hard and sorry for your loss. I too feel your pain. We just went through it last month. It was impossible to capture, quarantine and treat just the fish by the time we realized what was happening. We added a reef safe treatment, three fish survived and still seem symptom free at this time. May I ask, how long did you quarantine your fish this time and did you treat them before moving to your main tank?

Karen Nation

May I ask what was the marine safe treatment? I had 2 fish just die from what i now believ was MV. I have 2 fish in tank but dont think I will be able to catch them. Scared to death to add anything to main tank, because I had a crash in a differnt tank and lost almost all my corals and just spent of 1,000.00 on frags for this tank. I cant loose my corals again. My hubby will force me out of the hobby! I am very sorry for your loss. Its hard losing a pet, and fish are pets too right? I literaly cant watch another one die and gasp for breath. Its heartbreaking and there is nothing you can do once they get to that point!

ReeferGil

Hey Lisa, sorry you're going through this now. I QT my fish for 4 weeks, but I'm going to QT for 8 weeks after this experience. I do not treat healthy looking fish. I know some people do that, but I'm just not a fan of doing it that way. I'll treat if they have symptoms. Since your remaining fish were exposed, I would remove them and place them into a QT (if you have one) and treat with Cupramine (copper).

I stand with isreal

4y↑1

Bro I know you feel I was there too I really really hate when I lose a fish of any kind matter fact I hate losing any living creature i had a responsibility to my favourite saltwater Molly got stuck in a powerhead and I woke up in the morning to check on her I saw her like that and I freaked out after that I removed it and buried it in my backyard which I think is the right thing to do in a situation like that

Dan Sufor

5y↑4

What I found effective against MV was Cupramine and daily freshwater dips (until you can acquire some copper to put in). I once had fish with MV but didn't have copper at the time. So I did freshwater dips of 5 minutes a day until I was able to get a hold of some Cupramine. I then added the copper and kept it at therapeutic for three to four weeks and then they were velvet free. Good luck and be careful.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

You've laid out the best starting point for anyone who is trying to fight MV IMO. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, but at least people reading these comments have a fighting chance by trying your method. Thanks for the post Dan.

Jeff’s Reef Tank

5y↑1

Hey Gil I was wondering what happened to you. I'm glad to hear Rico helped get you back 👍🏾👍🏾

ReeferGil

Yea, this was a big reason why I went dormant. I had taken time off for the summer but then this happened. Nearly took me out completely.

Lefty left

That is one of my biggest fears. My tank is still dry & the reason why is because I want to avoid making any devastating mistakes.Thank you for not quitting the hobby. Your vids are my favs. Thank you.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey Lefty, thank you very much! I truly appreciate that.

RMSpeltz Farm - ReefDVMs

5y↑6

Excellent hear you didnt give up. We see issues with tanks monthly in this profession and while I like to say only a reefer it is not, people make errors with raising all livestock including Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Goats, and yes coral/fresh or saltwater fish.

The key is to learn, do better, try harder, and understand ones limitations so we do not repeat. You did a great job making this vid and we glad you showed the video. We have vids out too that are hard to swallow but welcome animal husbandry. Glad to see you back up and running. Knowledge is power, understanding and dealing with the knowledge is wisdom. Keep reefing;)

Unown To Most

Well said

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey Ryan… thanks so much for the kind words and continued support. Really really appreciate all of your feedback and advice. Hopefully see you and your beautiful wife at a future show! Lunch on us.

Blinkyfish

I feel your pain, I lost all but one fish, I had these fish in a holding tank after my tank breakdown ready for the new build. They were held for 6 months when my YT damaged itself on some rock and was quite stressed from here I lost all my fish to brooklynella. I hadn’t added a new fish for two years and hadn’t had new coral for 18 months the only difference was I had UVC on the old display tank and not in the holding tank. I have no idea where the brook came from but I can only surmise one of the fish was carrying the disease and at time of stress it went haywire. I was so upset, I did try formalin dips as copper is not effective but only managed to save the one fish 😪 I felt like giving up but the new upgrade was here so I’ve taken a break but I’ll be back 😊

ReeferGil

Crud, that really sucks man. YES, take a breather... I certainly did. If the hobby pulls you back in then you know it in your heart it's the right thing to do.

THE REEFIN RICAN

Sorry for your loss. Everyone goes through this at some time in the hobby. It’s the worse part of the hobby. I half to see that you are back up and running a new tank. Will follow the build. Thanks for sharing the good and bad.

ReeferGil

Definitely Rican... thanks for your support!

Rena Marr

Man, I am so sorry about your loss of your pets. I get it - I have a spawning pair of percula clowns that are 21 and 19 years old. I am gonna be devastated when they are no longer in the tank. Again, thanks for sharing and I'm sorry you had to go through it.

ReeferGil

Rena, are you serious!!! Man, I would love to see your clown pair. Do you have Instagram?

Karen Nation

So sorry for your loss. I am very glad I ran across this video because I am pretty positive it velvet that my fish had. I thought it was ich but wasnt convinced. I need a magnifying glass to see the spots. The clown fish was acting a little different the few days prior but I figured it was wanting to host on a new big lobo I got. It was kind of ran out of her and her mates spot in the back of the tank by a new flame hawkfish we got so i was kind of happy because the clowns were swimming more and hanging in the center of the tank and doing that crazy loppy swim that clowns do instead of huddling kind of in the back, but then it was sitting on the lobo so I moved the lobo and put a bubble coral there thinking it would make a bette rhost. It was eatting a little less looking back but still eatting and didnt think anything of it. Then a day or two later it just had a mottled looking appearance not so orange but kind of blotchy and wasnt eatting. This was later in the evening I noticed but breathing was fine and I didint know what to think. Next morning it was gasping for air, cloudy eyes and I noticed white dots with a magnifying glass and I saw a few pics of ich where it wasnt so pin point but thought it must be ich and read by the time its gasping its to late. It died shortly after. The hawkfish is dying now and gasping for air. This was day after clown died and I was trying to come up with a plan. I knew I would never catch that fish for quarantine. I am a newbie and have been lucky so far with no quarantine but that ends today. I am gong to try to get the other two out and read up more on velvet and what to do! Thanks so much for sharing this heartbreaking story because I probably would have followed the ich treatment and when I saw your fishes eyes I knew it must be velvet. I never read anything about the eys with ich! Glad to know you are back in the hobby and happy reefing :)

CJ'S AQUARIUMS

5y↑5

Wow that footage was eye opening. Never seen it in person before. Great video. Way to keep doing what u do! 😎💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

E Faciler

My boy cj in the house!

ReeferGil

Thanks CJ, horrible experience.

Darling Spook Arts

5y↑1

I think it should be more widely discussed that fish keeping comes with a lot of mistakes but as long as we learn from them, it's okay. Yes, it sucks to know we could have saved them but the reality is, fish are going to die from our mistakes and everyone makes them. I see so many people get upset at other people over these mistakes but seriously, as long as you don't repeat them, it's nothing to make anyone feel worse than they already do for.

ReeferGil

Well put! We need to chalk it up as a learning experience, share it with others and move forward. Thank you for that!

Francesco Pagano

Geez... SAME exact thing happened to me back in March and I had the same exact clowns with the same exact feelings/emotions about the loss. Greta video's. Just subscribed!

ReeferGil

4y↑1

Thanks Fraancesco, crappy video to make. Miss these guys bigtime!

Blue Carbon Reefing

I have been exactly where you are. It was a devastating event that I hope no one goes through. It is also the main reason why I changed my QT process and now keep the fish in QTs for months for observation before they make it into my main display. I am wondering if you didn't add something else wet (inverts or corals) that didn't have velvet in the water. I am surprised that after 4 weeks of QT it didn't rear its head until after. I am glad you decided to stay in the hobby and things are going well now! I have always enjoyed your channel and look forward to seeing more. 💪👍

ReeferGil

5y↑1

I don't QT any inverts, although I should and there's no reason I shouldn't. My QT hasn't been medicated with anything like copper. But I don't think I had added anything new to the tank when the breakout occurred, but then again it's been a longtime ago. I am definitely going to QT fish longer after this experience.

Jonas Daunoravicius

So sorry Gil that you, your family, and your fish went through this. It's good seeing you still in the hobby. Good seeing you.

ReeferGil

Jonas, thank you so much for the uplifting words. You'll be seeing me more!

Mirabela Zlatan

this happened to us saturday, all my fishes died the same as on the video, it s heartbreaking, we brought a new fish and i think he was sick and killed my all fishes... cried for 3 days.... we quit heaving fishes , to me was depressing and still hunts me the way they died and how much they struggled 😭😭😭

ReeferGil

Geez, that really sucks. So sorry, I know your pain.

Wok Star99

I feel your pain, I just recently lost my betta fish of 2 years to dropsy, I was away at school and I felt horrible. It sucks to lose a pet

ReeferGil

5y↑1

I have a soft spot for betta fish, My very first fish I ever had. Sorry.

richelle

So sorry for your loss , it is hard to imagine 💛

ReeferGil

Thank you Darla

TEE REEFER

Thank God you came back to the hobby we need people like you keep your head up be strong

ReeferGil

Hey Tee, well I most certainly appreciate that. Thank you for the positive vibes!!!

william trujillo

Yep. Had this same thing happen:( it’s terrible. New to the channel. Love the videos. Thanks man

ReeferGil

4y↑1

Yes, it was absolutely a horrible experience. Thank you for the sub.

Scott S

We just lost our tank to Marine Velvet. I had a hippo tang that we had 13 years old and other fish that were 5-7 years old. It has been awful. 😢. My hippo had ich a number of times when we moved homes, so I did not realize it was marine velvet. The hippo survived 3-4 weeks with the disease and I had to put the fish (as well as others) out of their misery😢.We were worse people, we never quarantined and got away with it for over a decade. We learned laziness is not excusable.

ReeferGil

oh my gosh man, I'm so sorry. That's just a horrible experience. Thank you for sharing.

A Breeze Duct Testing

Glad to hear your back..
I looked for you and Rico at MACNA in Vegas. I only met Aaron Aquaruim .
I currently fighting algae problems.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey A. Sorry I missed you. I'm sure we will meet up at a future event. Sorry to hear about your algae issue. I'm sure you'll get a handle on it.

Tshering Sherpa

Man sorry for your loss. I have two clown fishes I've had for 5 years and cant imagine losing them.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey T, yea... you can relate. Thanks for the post.

Patriotsoul

I always qt with copper and prazipro. Some say that is bad but I say letting your fish suffer is bad. QT with copper always!

Rogue Aquariums

5y↑1

Really sorry you had to go through this. It’s painful to see your pets die off like that. I’ve been through it twice since I’ve started. Glad you regrouped and got V2 up & running. It’ll be as good as the first one. Keep up the good work.

Rogue Aquariums

Unfortunately, i do..

ReeferGil

Thanks Rogue, you know how tough it is to go through.

Cowabunga Reefer

Man..I know this is a year old but sorry for your losses. I had the misfortune of going through the same thing a few weeks ago. I lost all my fish. Like you the hardest for me was the clownish I had for six years. Mated them together and had them since babies. Worst thing ever. This was when I finally put the fish all together into my new system. Tang was the culprit as well. If I didn’t have so much coral I would have been done with the hobby. Thanks for covering this topic.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Sounds like a mirror image of my experience too. Glad we both stuck with it.

Gilbert Rodriguez

I just experienced a marine velvet outbreak in my tank. It killed a clown trigger, and two lightning maroon clownfish. There is currently no fish left in my system. Do I have to remove all the live rock, and sand? Should I dump the sand, and buy all new sand? I would really appreciate the advice.

ReeferGil

If you don't have anymore fish in the tank, I would leave it fallow for at least two months. Ghost feed the tank every now and then to keep as many of the beneficial bacteria content. Then add fish slowly, like one or two max every three weeks or so.

Damarris Ferguson

Glad you came back man! Reefing is in your blood.

ReeferGil

Oh, you know it Damarris… YES SIR!

Patrick Clemmons

I experienced this myself last year. It broke my heart when I couldn't save my clowns. Sorry, for your loss.

Patrick Clemmons

Haha it's all good, yesssssss it feels so good to have fish again

ReeferGil

Ah, I misread your post... in that case SAWEET, welcome back!!!

Patrick Clemmons

Yep, I have it running again. Restocked. Doing upgrades before i put coral back in it.

ReeferGil

That's what I did too, can't blame you. You'll know when/if the time to get back in is.

Patrick Clemmons

@ReeferGil it's all good. I had to take a break from the hobby. Regained myself, rebuilt.

1 More Replies...

Brian's Fish Tanks

Glad to see you back! Velvet sucks man. I lost everything in my 125 last summer to it, except for 2 wrasses that survived... Sorry for your losses.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey Brian. Ya, lots of people here have had experience w MV. I'm actually really surprised. Hope all is well.

Creation’s Reef

Fish lost always is a tough part of the hobby. Don’t know much about marine velvet but it sounds catastrophic

ReeferGil

Oh look who shows up a week later. I thought you were my boy! LOL

Reza Pratama

I've got the same problem. I misinterpreted ich for velvet that i might introduce when doing WC with sea water from untrustworthy LFS. I dose them with aquapharm ich treatment (reef safe) for 3 days and now 14 of them are gone. 2 domino damsels & 1 coral grouper left. Now i know why people buy salt instead of sea water. Here in indonesia, sea water is cheaper, about 30¢ per 5Gal.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

I've read people do it both ways. I ended up doing a hard reset, but only because I was going to tear down the tank and jump out of the hobby.

Reza Pratama

@ReeferGil Thanks man, really appreciate it. I have a question btw, should i restart my reef (cycle a new one with salt obviously) or should i just fallow the tank?

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Gee, that's really too bad. Sorry Reza, wish you the best.

mr fry

Both of my clown fish died yesterday. Your experience pretty much matches would happen to me. yes I am discouraged. What's next I was thinking of draining all the water in the tank that just given it all complete water change taken my time and start again.

Brett Duncan

What was your qt process for version 2? Did you observe or medicate?

ReeferGil

I did not pre medicate. QT for 4 weeks. Wish I QT for at least 6 weeks.

Michael B.

Poor babies :( I 'm so sorry. I'm glad your staying!

ReeferGil

Thank you Michael, it really was bad.

Aaron Hoyt

Same thing happened to me. Lost my entire tank. Arowana, Tiger shovelnose, oscars, parrot fish, moray eels, Jack dempsey, pike ciclid, puffer fish, alligator gar, rope fish, clown knife and more.. It was devastating watching it unfold.

ReeferGil

Dang man, that just flat out sucks. Sorry man.

915Mang

5y↑2

Sorry Gil, It sucks loosing fish, Thank You for sharing and not holding back. Great information

ReeferGil

Mang, thank you much sir. Your videos are super informative and entertaining. Keep it up!

The Sea Lab

Oh dude I've just been there myself! It's so rough

Santiago Reefing

5y↑1

Damn man, I do feel your pain as we are responsible for these little creatures and their wellbeing. Glad your back and sharing your experiences so that others can learn.

ReeferGil

Glad to see you're back too. I'll be following your new nano tank build! Thanks Wil!

michelle L

This video helps diagnose what has killed 3 of my betas. I know what to do now. Thanks.

ReeferGil

Thanks Michelle, I hope all turned out well. I post daily on Instagram if you're interested.

Erik-Jan Heida

I'm sorry for your losses. I have I question. Im 16 years old so I dont have the biggest budget.(400$ or so) I have 7 years of experience with freshwater. I also work at a lfs. I'm thinking about starting a 30 gallon reef but I'm really scared I am going to do something wrong. What fish/corals would you recommend? And what are some easy beginner mistakes with saltwater. Thanks

Erik-Jan Heida

@ReeferGilhi, just send you a pm via ig.

ReeferGil

Hey Eric, I started replying but so many things to consider. If you have IG, send me a PM.

Bobby Lee

mine has/had marine velvet right now. so far a filefish, 3 clowns, and a yellow longnose. pretty sure i'll lose my other filefish but my purple tang, goby, and bluesided wrasse are looking great. had it in the tank for about 2 months now

ReeferGil

Bobby, so sorry man. It's really hard to watch. Best wishes.

Daniel & Xavier Isaacs

I feel.your pain Gil. Same thing happened to me 2 months ago.

ReeferGil

Geez, doesn't it bite hard man. Sorry you had the same experience.

flynn Greenberg

Feel Ur pain am going through it now

HollaAtChaReefBoy

5y↑2

I watched all your videos and I agree with you, this was the toughest to watch as it was the toughest for you to make the video. Question for you regarding marine velvet. What would you suggest for treatment? What is the process? I experienced ich but not velvet. Thanks for being honest in your videos and that is something I always appreciate about your channel. ReeferGil is one of my favorites!

ReeferGil

5y↑1

I think it's recommended to go fallow for at least a couple of months. Sorry you went through your ordeal.

Brandon E

5y↑1

I just had the same thing wiped out all my fish;( I think once you go fishless and keep the system running it no longer can exist right? My tank is just cleaner shrimps now

HollaAtChaReefBoy

@ReeferGil what? ReeferGil watching my videos??!! So honored! You are like a reefer celebrity to me. Lol. Man that does sucks that once we recognize its velvet, it's too late. :-(

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Haha, thanks man. Really enjoyed the last couple of vids I watched on your channel. I have to get caught up on your build. Honestly, once you have it, trying to treat is pretty grim. I asked for input from anyone who has successfully treated a fish with velvet and got no one. You can try copper and whatever else the internet peeps suggest. My understanding, once you know it's velvet is almost always too late.

SSEEAAHHAAWWKKSS RULE!!!

I'm new to the hobby. What's the best way to avoid "marine velvet"?

ReeferGil

You'll get a few different answers to your question. But my opinion is if you have the room, quarantine your fish for 6 weeks min.

RaleyWeGrind

5y↑11

Literally went through this a week ago. Lost 9 of 10 fish

INFINIITY

5y↑1

Julissa Sauceda I own aquariums myself and have enough knowledge regarding them. After some thought I came to realise how it actually is cruel so going to do the humane thing of getting rid of them. You obviously have no idea about the trade and the process involved in robbing the fish from their own homes where they naturally belong.

What kind of logic is that? So according to you because they get over populated in the wild you think keeping them in tanks to suffer solves the problem?? Your reasoning is absurd and you’re uneducated. I find it bizarre how people can’t understand that it’s cruel. Fish are intelligent beings more than people think they are. Why do you think they go up and down the glass and show erratic behaviour? Because they’re confined. They’re created to dwell in the vast spaces of the waters in the wild, not in glass boxes moving up and down left and right in the same space till they die.

INFINIITY

5y↑1

donnyhockey4 you’re probably an animal abuser. Don’t know where u got vegan from. This is about treating fish the proper way, it’s got nothing to do with vegan meat etc. You should be put in a box, restricted, unable to move freely then see how you like it imbecile.

Donovan Houde

@INFINIITY shut up u stupid vegan

RaleyWeGrind

5y↑1

INFINIITY what you want to do is what you want to do. You know nothing about me I'm not about to argue with you. I buy fish for my education and enjoyment you don't. That's the only fact relevant right now. Beat it

INFINIITY

5y↑2

RaleyWeGrind providing you with facts is trolling? Is that the best you could come up with. Lmao talk about being wilfully ignorant. You don’t care about your fish otherwise you would of accepted the information as truth. You and these aquarium keepers all are exactly the same, making these fish suffer for your own enjoyment by keeping them captive in your tanks.

3 More Replies...

Franklin Michael

Someone asked me to take care of a couple fish for him and it turns out they had velvet... Lost all my fish except a watchman goby and a clown goby, and then the watchman jumped out a week later 🤦🏻‍♂️. I shut my tank down and it's stayed like that for 2 years, but I'm starting a new 20gallon nano soon, the right way...

Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine. I'm never making that mistake again.

ReeferGil

3y↑1

Oh man, what a horror story! Glad you're jumping back into it.

mr. 100 ups in 60 god

5y↑1

I couldn't afford a reset on a tank like that, beautiful, maybe one day I'll go salt.
Thanks for the knowledge

ReeferGil

@Kay Skywalker I started my aquarium hobby path with betta fish. I always remember back when I see them. Velvet really sucks.

Kay Skywalker

theres velvet in fresh water too, I lost two bettas to velvet. I didn't know what it was on the first betta, the second betta died as well from it. It's hard to kill and very discouraging to watch.

ReeferGil

Thank you.

Sarah R

My fish died recently due to my ignorance about ammonium (thats why I'm doing my research now) they were 6 years old, I'm still in grief but restarting my aquarium slowly without fish until I feel that I'm ready

ReeferGil

4y↑1

Sorry to hear Sarah, I know the feeling too well. Best of luck to you on your new journey along with your renewed knowledge.

Kaytlin DiGiovanna

Your new tank looks great!

ReeferGil

Well thank ya very very much! Update on the new tank coming soon.

Richard Smoczynski

Marine velvet can hit you even if u do everything right.it comes down to have these unique creatures in fractions of water.compared to their natural ocean habitats.ive had marine velvet before and it did not come into my system for months after I set up and things were running excellent .it can lay dormant in ur system.just like ick.dont be so hard on ur self man these hobby brings alot if ups and downs .more ups tho .so that's what keeps me going

ReeferGil

Thanks Richard, it was torture watching my little buddies suffer like this. I appreciate you sharing your experience with us too.

SC Reefer

5y↑2

Very sad buddy!! I'm glad you bounced back.

ReeferGil

Thanks SC I hope life has been good to you my friend.

Fat Jons eating adventures

Good reefers acknowledge their mistakes and share them openly. Good lessons for us to learn

ReeferGil

Much appreciated. Thank you.

Mr. Miyagi

I have freshwater. My clown loaches have velvet!!!! They are 8 years old too. OMG. All the other fish are okay. This is so upsetting. I don't even know what to do as the copper tx isn't good for loaches. Ugh. My favorite fish of all time! I raised the temp, but nothing seems to help!

RACECARS and REEFTANKS

Velvet is the worst!

I've lost my share of fish to this lethal disease. I lost all my fish back in January after they had been in the tank for over a year and all quarantined. I was able to diagnose how velvet entered my system. Just recently started adding fish back to my display. I know how discouraging it can be. I'm glad you stuck it out and kept going with the hobby.

RACECARS and REEFTANKS

@ReeferGil thanks man!!! I'm trying to develop it.

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Thanks man, sorry to hear about your loss too. I didn't know you had a YT channel. Subbed!!

Huy

Same, Velvet killed all my fish I was so sad

Blue reef

Sorry for you loss, I know what you went through. Happen to me to a year go. Qt is important but pick fish that are hardy and less likely to catch a diease. Best for treating new fish I isolate them in 2 gallons of water. Treat then with copper and change they water everyday . Do that for 7 days. Then Qt for 6 weeks. Year free no ick or velvet. Velvet is the worst..good luck

ReeferGil

Thanks Pasquale, sounds like you have a solid plan there.

ROTTER TUBE REEF

Sorry dude. I had that when I started in the hobby. Ever since then I quarantine EVERYTHING, before putting in main tank. Yeah tearing down the rock is a hassle but it needs to be done and all fish need to be removed. Sorry dude lesson learned and you’re better for it. QT for 6 weeks minimum

ROTTER TUBE REEF

5y↑1

@ReeferGil you'll do great dude

ReeferGil

5y↑1

Hey hombre! Longtime no see. Yes! You're absolutely correct. I am full steam ahead now! Update on my progress with version II coming.

No Limits K9 L.L.C.

when you QT do you use meds? If so how did velvet get passed the meds?

ReeferGil

4y↑1

No, to this day I do not pre medicate the water. I QT and observe. I messed up in this case by not QT fish long enough.

andres G

Does an UV sterilizer would work to prevent or stop this ?

dpchmdnn

I have lost all but 2 fish to velvet in the last 2 weeks, the weird thing is that the only new species I added were freshwater mollies that I wanted to turn saltwater as I've succesfully done before and corals. I don't think the mollies could have carried the disease as they were living in freshwater and freshwater velvet wouldn't survive saltwater so it could have been the corals. It's so sad, no I'm not sure how long should I wait to add more fish.