Penyakit Velvet Ikan Laga: Gold Dust Disease Diagnosis & Treatment
Penyakit velvet ikan laga (velvet, gold dust or rust disease) is a parasite infection that covers a betta in a fine gold or rusty "dust". It's easy to miss in normal light, so the fastest way to check is to shine a torch on the fish from the side in a dim room. If you see a gold shimmer, treat it straight away: dim the lights, treat the whole tank with a proper ubat ikan, and keep treating until the parasite's life cycle is broken. Velvet moves faster than white spot and can kill fry and weak fish in days.
What Causes Velvet?
Velvet is caused by a tiny parasite, usually Piscinoodinium (often called Oodinium). It attaches to the skin and gills and feeds on the fish. Unusually, it also contains chlorophyll and can make some of its own energy from light, which is why dimming the light helps during treatment.
Like white spot, it has a life cycle:
- On the fish: the parasite is attached and protected.
- Off the fish: it drops off and divides into many new parasites.
- Free-swimming: new parasites search for a host. This is when medicine works best.
Warm water speeds up the cycle. In Malaysian tanks at 27–30°C, it moves quickly, which means it spreads fast but also responds to treatment sooner.
How to Spot Velvet with a Torch
- Switch off the room lights and the tank light.
- Shine a torch (your phone torch is fine) at the fish from the side, not straight on.
- Look for a fine gold, yellow or rusty sheen, like dust or paint, especially on the back and fins.
Other signs:
- Clamped fins, sitting still, hiding in plants (see kenapa ikan laga duduk diam)
- Rubbing on decor ("flashing")
- Fast breathing or gasping, because the gills are affected
- Loss of colour, not eating
- In later stages, skin may peel
Dark-coloured bettas make velvet easier to see. On pale or yellow bettas, it can be very hard to spot without a torch.
Velvet vs White Spot
| Velvet | White spot (ich) | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Fine gold/rusty dust, like a coating | Distinct white dots, like grains of salt |
| Visibility | Often only seen with a torch | Easy to see in normal light |
| Speed | Faster, more dangerous | Slower |
| Light | Parasite uses light, so dim lights help | Light makes little difference |
| Common in | Bettas, gouramis, fry, many tropical fish | Most freshwater fish |
If you see white dots, read our white spot treatment guide instead. Treatment overlaps, but the details differ.
Penyakit Velvet Ikan Laga Treatment: Step by Step
1. Treat the whole tank
If one fish has velvet, the parasites are in the water and on surfaces. Treat the tank, not just the fish. For a betta kept alone in a small tank, that's the same thing.
2. Dim the lights
Turn off the tank light and cover the tank with a cloth or keep it in a dim room for the treatment period. This weakens the parasite. Keep some air and ventilation.
3. Use the right ubat ikan
Common active ingredients for velvet include copper-based treatments and some other antiparasitic formulas. Look in fish medication for products labelled for velvet or Oodinium.
- Copper is very toxic to shrimp and snails. Remove them first.
- Dose for the real water volume. A 5-litre betta tank is small; measure carefully.
- Remove activated carbon from the filter, since it absorbs medicine.
- Follow the label for how many days. Treatment usually continues several days after the dust disappears.
4. Add aquarium salt (optional, for bettas)
Some keepers add a low level of garam ikan alongside medicine to help the fish's slime coat. Check the medicine label first: not every product should be combined with salt. See garam ikan untuk apa for doses.
5. Keep temperature stable and add air
Bettas do well at Malaysian room temperature. You don't need to push it higher. If the tank sits in an air-conditioned room and gets cool at night, a small heater keeps it steady. Gill damage makes breathing harder, so gentle aeration helps.
6. Water changes
Do water changes as the medicine label allows, with water treated with anti klorin. Vacuum the bottom to remove dropped parasites.
Why Velvet Comes Back
- Stopping treatment too early. The fish looks clean, but parasites are still in the water.
- Adding new fish without quarantine. Bettas from farms, shops or contests may carry it.
- Shared nets, cups and water between betta containers. Rinse equipment, or keep one net per tank.
- Stress: dirty water, cold nights in aircond rooms, big temperature swings.
Malaysian betta keepers often keep many bettas in cups or jars side by side. If one gets velvet, check all of them, and don't pour water from one container into another.
Prevention
- Quarantine new bettas for 2 weeks in a separate container.
- Change water regularly, using anti klorin.
- Use daun ketapang (catappa leaf): many local keepers use it for its mild tannins. It's not a cure, but helps create a calm, slightly soft environment.
- Keep temperature stable.
- Buy from reputable sellers and inspect new fish with a torch on arrival.
Our betta care guide covers the setup that keeps velvet away.
FAQ
Macam mana nak tahu ikan laga kena velvet?
Tutup lampu bilik dan suluh ikan dengan lampu suluh dari tepi. Kalau nampak debu halus warna emas atau karat pada badan dan sirip, kemungkinan besar itu velvet. Ikan juga biasanya kepit sirip, kurang aktif dan bernafas laju.
Ubat apa untuk velvet ikan laga?
Guna ubat ikan yang dilabel untuk velvet atau Oodinium, biasanya berasaskan tembaga (copper). Rawat seluruh akuarium, gelapkan akuarium, keluarkan udang dan siput, dan ikut dos pada label sehingga habis.
Is velvet contagious to other fish?
Yes. It spreads through water, nets and decor. Treat the whole tank and keep separate equipment for each betta container.
Can a betta survive velvet?
Yes, if it's caught early and treated properly. Advanced velvet, with heavy gill damage, is often fatal, especially in fry.
Does daun ketapang cure velvet?
No. Ketapang leaves are a helpful conditioner that many keepers use, but velvet needs a proper medicine. Use ketapang for prevention and recovery, not as the main treatment.
Shop healthy bettas and velvet treatments from Malaysian sellers on FishyHub.