Trouble Eating
- Thread starter er..md
- Start date
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
google "weak snick" and click on the top link that shows up. Should be a part of an article by Pete Giwojna....a guy who is very helpful for seahorse problems. Another wonderful site with lots of medical advice is that "org" site which we are sadly not allowed to link to...but you probably already know it. Weak snick isn't all that common, but it's not exactly "un"common in our hobby either.
ann83
Member
What are your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and temperature)?
I would try a freshwater dip (temperature and pH matched) for 12 minutes. Leave him in the dip even if he twitches, only remove him if he lays on the bottom and stops breathing. Put him in a hospital tank with new water (not water from the display), and wait 24 hours for signs of improvement. If he still can't eat, try a formalin bath (1mL of 37% formalin per gallon of water, heavily aerated) for 45 - 60 minutes. Then, put him in a hospital tank and add 1mL formalin per 10 gallons every other day for 3 treatments.
I would try a freshwater dip (temperature and pH matched) for 12 minutes. Leave him in the dip even if he twitches, only remove him if he lays on the bottom and stops breathing. Put him in a hospital tank with new water (not water from the display), and wait 24 hours for signs of improvement. If he still can't eat, try a formalin bath (1mL of 37% formalin per gallon of water, heavily aerated) for 45 - 60 minutes. Then, put him in a hospital tank and add 1mL formalin per 10 gallons every other day for 3 treatments.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
what're you thinking? gill or buccal parasites of some kind?
reefnutpa
Member
I'm thinking that Ann is thinking a ciliate issue, which is one of the usual causes of weak snick developing where there isn't any outward sign of snout rot, injury, infection, etc.
More common than one would think. However, reducing the ciliate load in the DT is a must if ciliates are found to be the issue or reinfection is likely with this horse or any others in the tank.
Tom
More common than one would think. However, reducing the ciliate load in the DT is a must if ciliates are found to be the issue or reinfection is likely with this horse or any others in the tank.
Tom
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
<BrainVoice>
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?"
</BrainVoice>
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?"
</BrainVoice>
reefnutpa
Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3159853
Not to intrude...(I read all horse posts) But how do you know if you have ciliates????
Is there a test??
I'm sure a lab could test swabs from the snout or test samples of detritus collected from the tank. But I'm not aware of any home-hobbyist test available.
Weak snick is caused by either parasitic, bacterial or mechanical injury issues.
I believe a lot of "weak snick" cases are ciliate related. From what I've learned/been told, ciliates just love lower flow tanks where detritus can build up in the corners, under rocks, etc. All in all, seahorse tanks can become pretty dirty over time considering the amounts of food they require a few times a day combined with their rather large defecations. That's why it is SOOO important to keep immaculately clean tanks and siphon all areas possible when doing water changes. And keep those filters clean, ESPECIALLY canister filters.
On a side note, while it isn't something that often happens..... for those that don't use a feeding dish, it is possible that if a seahorse snicks up any of the substrate it *could* cause an irritation/laceration in the snout depending on the substrate. IMO, that is one of the biggest benefits of using a feeding dish - the seahorses won't be eating off the bottom and accidentally snick something they shouldn't.
As far as treatments and how to procede, I will defer to Ann on that.
Tom
http:///forum/post/3159853
Not to intrude...(I read all horse posts) But how do you know if you have ciliates????
Is there a test??
I'm sure a lab could test swabs from the snout or test samples of detritus collected from the tank. But I'm not aware of any home-hobbyist test available.
Weak snick is caused by either parasitic, bacterial or mechanical injury issues.
I believe a lot of "weak snick" cases are ciliate related. From what I've learned/been told, ciliates just love lower flow tanks where detritus can build up in the corners, under rocks, etc. All in all, seahorse tanks can become pretty dirty over time considering the amounts of food they require a few times a day combined with their rather large defecations. That's why it is SOOO important to keep immaculately clean tanks and siphon all areas possible when doing water changes. And keep those filters clean, ESPECIALLY canister filters.
On a side note, while it isn't something that often happens..... for those that don't use a feeding dish, it is possible that if a seahorse snicks up any of the substrate it *could* cause an irritation/laceration in the snout depending on the substrate. IMO, that is one of the biggest benefits of using a feeding dish - the seahorses won't be eating off the bottom and accidentally snick something they shouldn't.
As far as treatments and how to procede, I will defer to Ann on that.
Tom
ann83
Member
Like Tom said, you can get a lab to test. If you had a good enough microscope at home, you could see them for yourself, too. "Ciliates" is a pretty broad grouping, though, not all of them being bad (those that infest your seahorse are bad, though). While it isn't beyond the hobbyist to be able to see and roughly identify some ciliates, it really falls in the hands of labs typically to identify them. If you want a quick test for ciliates, give your seahorse a freshwater dip and see how it reacts. If it twitches and is aggitated, it probably is carrying a high ciliate load. If it sits calmly in the dip, then you're likely a-okay. That's not a 100% accurate test, but it gives you a good idea.
I covered my treatment recommendations in my earlier post. Pretty much a rip off of Dan's recommendations.
I covered my treatment recommendations in my earlier post. Pretty much a rip off of Dan's recommendations.