Do Seahorses get narcolepsy?

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Just kidding, of course, but one of my juvie's really does seem to have some sort of sleep disorder. I have three juvenile S. Erectus that I ordered at the same time from the same source and they've been doing really well for several months. But for the past four days when I'm doing my twice-daily feedings of frozen mysis the female doesn't come running when I tap on the glass (my signal that food has arrived and come on out and get it!) So of course I start searching the tank for her and have found her, eight times now, lying down on the sand looking very dead. So I get the net to retrieve her body and when I move her she kicks into action, starts swimming strong and fast, and acts ravenous as she snicks up a bunch of food. Next feeding, same thing, for four days now. Always lying down looking dead until I nudge her and then she perks up and eats. She looks fine - no marks or lesions or signs of illness.
No, I haven't removed her and quarantined her - I'm afraid the stress of that would do her in and I really don't know what to treat her for at this point.
Any thoughts?
Sue
 

meowzer

Moderator
How odd.....I have no clue what could be up, but am very interested to hear what others may have to say about this.
 

flower

Well-Known Member

I don’t know a thing about seahorses..so I am just tossing out a thought..I noticed some critters play dead if they feel threatened. Do seahorses play dead like sea stars do?
 

teresaq

Active Member
I have no clue either. What is the temp in your tank?? Maybe pm Ann and ask her to look at this thread
T
 

ann83

Member
Is she just lying out on the substrate in the middle of nowhere unhitched, or is she lying on the substrate while hitched to something and while staring down a tasty amphipod treat under a rock?
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Hi Guys.
I tested the water a few hours ago and the only thing that was off was nitrates..... they came in at 60. I did a 25% water change, cleaned the FLuval, etc. and then fed them. Same routine.....she was lying on the substrate in the front of the tank but when I gave her a nudge she sprang to life, ate a bunch, and then laid down again!
No, she's not hitched or staring at potential food.......it's very strange. By the way, the water temp fluctuates between 71 and 72 degrees.

Sue
 

ann83

Member
Hmmm... I'd worry she was sick, especially since this is a new behavior. I really would move her to a hospital tank.
 

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I gotta agree here. Sounds like she may have a bug...you should QT her and watch for similar signs in the others. It's good that she's eating, but just to be on the safe side a hospital tank might be in order.
Check her feces when she's by herself. Are they normal, or stringy? Any evidence of worms??
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
OK, that will be my plan for tonight -- I'll set the 10 gallon QT up for her. Too bad I dumped all the water from the water change yesterday but I guess it's probably a good idea to do another water change in the existing seahorse tank by taking 10 out of there for the QT.
I'm really afraid the stress of the new environment might do her in but you're right - she needs to get segregated so I can get a better handle on what's ailing her. I have lots of meds that I bought "just in case" when I first got into seahorses but without knowing what's bothering her it's probably more harmful than helpful to just start medicating randomly, right?
I've got the sponge from a sponge filter living in the HOB refugium of one of my other tanks -- that'll go in the QT tonight and will hopefully have some copepods living in it.
Thanks for the feedback.... let me know if I should use any meds in the QT water.... are there any meds that act as a good old basic "cure all" when you don't know what's affecting the seahorse?
Sue
 

reefnutpa

Member
When you nudge her and she gets up and eats.... is her swimming normal or does she appear "heavy" and unable to swim about the tank (vertically - up and down) with ease? Any swelling or bloating of her body?
Tom
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by ReefNutPA
http:///forum/post/3113331
When you nudge her and she gets up and eats.... is her swimming normal or does she appear "heavy" and unable to swim about the tank (vertically - up and down) with ease? Any swelling or bloating of her body?
Tom
It amazes me that she perks up with such grace and energy when I nudge her -- she seems to have NO PROBLEM swimming back and forth across the tank a few times chasing after frozen mysis. However, now that you mention it, I have been shouting at her through the glass to "LOOK UP!" because it frustrates me that there are pieces of food so close to her that she doesn't notice -- she goes for the ones that are at eye level or below her, NOT above her.
Also, now that I have been staring at her so much lately I notice she hasn't grown as much as the other two have. I got them all from the same batch at the same time but the other two are males and the "sleeping sickness" one is a female. Would that account for the difference in size? She's also stayed a lot darker than the two males - they have changed colors and are much lighter than her.
So yes, I wonder if she's having problems with heaviness that causes her to stay at the bottom....... if so, what does that indicate?
Sue
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by ReefNutPA
http:///forum/post/3113331
When you nudge her and she gets up and eats.... is her swimming normal or does she appear "heavy" and unable to swim about the tank (vertically - up and down) with ease? Any swelling or bloating of her body?
Tom
It amazes me that she perks up with such grace and energy when I nudge her -- she seems to have NO PROBLEM swimming back and forth across the tank a few times chasing after frozen mysis. However, now that you mention it, I have been shouting at her through the glass to "LOOK UP!" because it frustrates me that there are pieces of food so close to her that she doesn't notice -- she goes for the ones that are at eye level or below her, NOT above her.
Also, now that I have been staring at her so much lately I notice she hasn't grown as much as the two have. I got them all from the same batch at the same time but the other two are males and the "sleeping sickness" one is a female. Would that account for the difference in size? She's also stayed a lot darker than the two males - they have changed colors and are much lighter than her.
So yes, I wonder if she's having problems with heaviness that causes her to stay at the bottom....... if so, what does that indicate?
Sue
 

ann83

Member
heaviness with bloating would indicate edema; probably a bacterial infection... however, I wouldn't expect her to be able to "perk up" and swim around easily if suffering from edema.
try moving her and keeping things quiet, lots of hitches, lowered temperature, and see how she behaves in the QT, that could give more of an indication of where to go from there.
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Here is a new, (but again, strange) symptom: when I went home for lunch she was lying on the bottom but when I tapped the glass to let them all know it was chow time she got up and started looking -- didn't even need me to physically nudge her. I was overjoyed thinking that meant she was feeling better, but when she got up I noticed that the very tip of her tail is white. (approximately 1/4") I went to feed the rest of my critters and when I checked back in the tank she was back at the bottom and her tail was no longer white!?!?
Sue
 

meowzer

Moderator
Oh Sue, my heart sank when I read white tail.....I am thinking of you, and I sure hope you figure out what it is...
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3113598
Oh Sue, my heart sank when I read white tail.....I am thinking of you, and I sure hope you figure out what it is...
After reading and following you through your long and unbelievably committed efforts, my heart sank when I saw the white tail today, too. Almost afraid to see what I find when I go home in a few hours. I guess I better start doing some research and homework right now, like maybe re-reading your thread. I can guarantee, however, that I wouldn't be as committed and dedicated as you were. Sad, but true.
Sue
 

meowzer

Moderator
Well if you need anything, let me know...I have some meds that I will not be using, and I would be more than happy to do as someone did for me, and send them to you.
 

ann83

Member
could the white tip of the tail have been sand stuck to it temporarily? That would explain why it colored back up. Either way, if it colored back up, then its not tail rot, at least not yet, so that's good. :)
 
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