sea horse has fungus

joker

Member
OK
This is also posted in reef tank thread, hoping Sheree might know what it is.
Sorry about having to cross post.
Tank is a 29 gal hex.
20# LR
20# LS
this is a fish only tank.
it is about 2 months old.
I can not give parameters at this time due to bad readings from red sea test kit. Have a Master Sales Rep Hagen on order.
The horse was LFS bought, and we were told it was captive bred, but we have come to the conclusion that was not the case.
I am on the 2nd day of treating with Melafix, hoping that will help.
Specifics:
a web like substance has developed on my horses head. Looks like opaque filaments. They are spreading. She has developed a curtain of something on her tail, and it is RAPIDLY spreading, it was just a spot yesterday.
My wife has posted on Seahorse.org boards, and they dont have a clue. I am taking a scraping sample to Florida State Universiy Marine lab tomorrow, hope they can identify it, but I need help.
She feeds just fine. Hunts, hitches to surrounding objects, but does suffer some rapid breathing, but that may be due to the Melafix.
her only real tank mate is a firefish, and they leave each other alone. I have other pics that I need to clean up and post after I post this thread.
Let me know if I need to get you any other specifics.
Thank You and I hope someone has seen this before.
 

joker

Member
new pic of fungus on tail. may be hard to see, but wife is attempting to get other pics.
2 more to follow
 

joker

Member
are these chemicals readily available and easily obtained?? I have never had to do any dips before.
can I treat whole tank or does it need to be q'teened?
the only things in tank are this horse, a firefish and a yellow cucumber. Also a red sponge.
I guess I also need to ask if this stuff has become established in my tank and if it is, do I need to break down toss everything,sterilize it, and start all over??
Also if you dont mind, could I post your comment to the seahorse.org site for their future reference??
Thank You
:( :( :( :( :( :( :(
 

joker

Member
I got up last night and checked my horse and found a cirrolanid isopd attached to her tail. got it off without stressing her, and put it in with my mantis for it to eat.
I have had bouts with cirrolanids before, and Ophiura help in ident of those.
getting bad batches of LR from lfs I guess
 

joker

Member
I have just sent an email with pics to the Director of Marine Sciences at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in hopes of a positive identification of this stuff.
TerryB, thanks for the advice. I have never , ever done any dips and am not sure how to do it. I believe, now that I am typing tis post, that there is a sticky up top that tells how to do it. I will check after posting.
I will let you know when I get a positive id or this stuff goes away.
Thanks for all the assistance. I am glad I joined this board!!
 

killafins

Active Member
waterfaller, although a good guess i hihgly doubt that is the case. I think he has what is called a hippocampus spinosissimus but I'm not completely sure. It's a common name for the black seahorse or hedgehog seahorse.
THese type of seahorses do not grow 'spikes' as best described. If you go to seahorse.org there is an article on seahorses that have a list of diseases. I'm almost positive what ur seahorse has is there. GL
 
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