seahorse and vibrio

[mimi307]

Hi all
First let me say I have learned tons from you all over the years. New to posting so bear with me. To make this short...recently purchased 2 seahorses. Long story short have Vibrio. 1 died and other not gonna make it ( haven't given up yet though!) My main question is as this is bacterial infection, can other animals catch. nothing else in tank but if my girl dies will anything else put into tank catch as well. Thanks in advance for info.

 

[reefnutpa]

Other types of fish - no. Other types of syngnathids (seahorses, pipefish) - yes.
The Vibrio will be able to be found within anything in the tank: live rock, substrate, macroalgaes, inverts, etc. The only way to make the tank 100% safe again for seahorses is to sterilize the tank. A way to make the tank "safer", would be to do many, many huuuuge water changes and then try again. The water changes would help dilute the pathogens. However, no way to tell if it's diluted enough or not until you'd try to put more seahorses in the tank.
NOT picking on you - but this is the reason I cringe when people post pics of the newly acquired seahorses.....and they put them directly in the main display tank. IF those seahorses were carriers of something and weren't QT'd first - the DT is now rendered useless for more seahorses without sterilization.
Tom