New babies
- Thread starter teresaq
- Start date
danu
Member
Congrats on the new additions.
I don't like the look of the last pic. The loss of pigmentation is not normal. I have seen this before. Sometimes the area increases and sometimes it doesn't. In all cases where I have seen it the horses didn't last long term. I don't believe it to be bacterial more likely from ciliates under the skin.
Dan
I don't like the look of the last pic. The loss of pigmentation is not normal. I have seen this before. Sometimes the area increases and sometimes it doesn't. In all cases where I have seen it the horses didn't last long term. I don't believe it to be bacterial more likely from ciliates under the skin.
Dan
S
shrimpy brains
Guest
Did that last one look like that when you got it?? I hope she'll be OK!
danu
Member
Teresa, I hope I am wrong! If I am correct, this would be an infestation within the seahorse. The obvious symptom is that it is under the skin. There is no way of telling if it has spread internally, which inevitably it will unless halted. If I am correct, the animal could drop tomorrow or could go on for up to a couple of months. Since this is internal, external parasitic treatments wouldn't be of much use for the affected horse. Internal treatments are limited. The drug of choice would be chloroquine. It can be expensive and is a prescriptive drug. If you can get a hold of this, I can advise you on the recommended treatment. The other horses may or may not be infected. If you do a chloroquine treatment, I would consider treating all horses that have been exposed.
Depending upon what is in the tank, I would consider formalin to kill any that may be in the water column to prevent it from spreading to other animals and lingering within the tank. This type of ciliate can reside in the tank for a while and live off of organic matter. Formalin is quite effective for the ones that are in the water column, but it will wreak havoc on any corals and many invertebrates. Snails and most shrimp will do ok with it.
Again, I hope I am wrong! I hate to be a spoil sport!
Dan
Depending upon what is in the tank, I would consider formalin to kill any that may be in the water column to prevent it from spreading to other animals and lingering within the tank. This type of ciliate can reside in the tank for a while and live off of organic matter. Formalin is quite effective for the ones that are in the water column, but it will wreak havoc on any corals and many invertebrates. Snails and most shrimp will do ok with it.
Again, I hope I am wrong! I hate to be a spoil sport!
Dan
beth p
New Member
Hi Guys. I was concerned about Teresa's new babies so I took 3 from the same tank that hers came from to the University of Florida's Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory that is really well equipped to diagnose disease in saltwater fish. They have aquatic vets there with many many years of diagnosis experience, particularly in seahorses as they treat any sick from the Fl aquarium. I love this place! They did skin scrapes, gill samples and also a bacterial culture, which result we won't have until monday. In the meantime, the only thing found on the skin scrape of 1 of the ponies was a very few (4) flagellates. They recommended the use of formalin to clear this up, one dose should be enough as these are not egg layers. If you can, put airstones in your tank, turn off the filter and let them sit in the formalin for 1/2- 3/4 hr until it becomes inactive. Hope this helps.
I have already done the ones in this tank, and am about to check 3 of them to see how successful this has been. I will let you know the results when I have looked at some skin scrapes under the scope.
I have already done the ones in this tank, and am about to check 3 of them to see how successful this has been. I will let you know the results when I have looked at some skin scrapes under the scope.
ann83
Member
Teresa, I got your PM. If Dan weren't already in this thread, I'd probably be behind the scenes picking his brain for his experiences anyway. I defer to him in all things seahorse.
I do agree with Dan and Renee. It doesn't strike me as a standard pigmentation issue. I don't have any first hand experience with pathogenic ciliates, but some of them can be really tough. Uronema among them. Chloroquine would definitely be the go to med, and the only really useful treatment if that's what it is.
If you do a formalin treatment, which wouldn't hurt, I'd be careful doing it in the display. I'll go back and look through some things, but Dan would probably be better at giving advice on it. I know that you can use formalin with cycled filters, but there are likely things in your display that will be negatively affected. Either way, definitely oxygenate heavily.
Also, FWIW, sounds like Beth is doing everything she can to help you out here. Hopefully she'll be able to get you some answers you'd probably never be able to get on your own.
I do agree with Dan and Renee. It doesn't strike me as a standard pigmentation issue. I don't have any first hand experience with pathogenic ciliates, but some of them can be really tough. Uronema among them. Chloroquine would definitely be the go to med, and the only really useful treatment if that's what it is.
If you do a formalin treatment, which wouldn't hurt, I'd be careful doing it in the display. I'll go back and look through some things, but Dan would probably be better at giving advice on it. I know that you can use formalin with cycled filters, but there are likely things in your display that will be negatively affected. Either way, definitely oxygenate heavily.
Also, FWIW, sounds like Beth is doing everything she can to help you out here. Hopefully she'll be able to get you some answers you'd probably never be able to get on your own.
beth p
New Member
Thanks Dan. I'm going to wait til tomorrow morning to do some more skin scrapes. Meanwhile, everyone's feeding well and behaving as normal. I spoke with Teresa and she's treating her little ones. She says they're all feeding which is good. I also got to look at some seahorse 'scales' under a good magnification today, they are pyramidal and unique. Seahorses are so cool.
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3138950
thanks everyone I will keep everyone informed.
Ann, These horses are in QT not in my display
TeresaQ
Just to let you know...I'm following this
http:///forum/post/3138950
thanks everyone I will keep everyone informed.
Ann, These horses are in QT not in my display
TeresaQ
Just to let you know...I'm following this
ann83
Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3138950
thanks everyone I will keep everyone informed.
Ann, These horses are in QT not in my display
TeresaQ
Well, then, that's fantastic. Makes things tons easier, and means if there's something wrong, the display is still safe. Ignore my formalin rambling then.
http:///forum/post/3138950
thanks everyone I will keep everyone informed.
Ann, These horses are in QT not in my display
TeresaQ
Well, then, that's fantastic. Makes things tons easier, and means if there's something wrong, the display is still safe. Ignore my formalin rambling then.
ann83
Member
At least keep them in QT until Beth gets all the results back. Personally, so long as you are able to keep parameters stable in the QT, I would go with a full 8-9 week QT. Better safe than sorry. It would be a big pain in the . to end up finding out you introduced a pathogenic ciliate to the display tank (you're talking at minimum, fallow periods, and at most, a tear down), so if there's even a risk, I'd be extra careful. Did you/are you doing the formalin baths?