Weird coloration on Kuda Seahorse...? Ich? Bacterial Infection?

[td3025]

Okay for some reason I've been having a lot of worries lately with my seahorse/pipefish tank. I don't want to ignore anything so I feel it's better to ask.


Gradually over the last month one of my seahorses behavior has gotten stranger and stranger. He always rests at the bottom, on his side instead of upright. And he hides constantly. He does eat, but very minimally. i've noticed weird coloration on him, i was finally able to get some sort of pic. Any ideas?

the pipefish were only added about a week ago, so it doesn't have to do with them.

Seahorses were captive bred.

Tank perimeters:

salinity: 1.021
pH: 8.0 (I did notice it going to 7.8 lately though, I've been using buffers to bring it back up)
nitrate: >5ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm

Here are the pics I could get.

 

[melypr1985]

Hmm. I'm not very well versed in seahorse ailments but I know a couple people who are. Those spots certainly resemble ich, but again, it could be something else or maybe even just sand stuck to him. Let's call some experts in this area for help.
@SeahorseKeeper @vlangel We need you please!

 

[Humblefish]

Also @Lionfish Lair or anyone on [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] familar with seahorses.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'd like to also call in @SeahorseKeeper

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Do have have a couple more pictures? There's a shape I want to take a closer look at.

How long have you had him?

Seahorses laying on their side is like a fever in an infant.... it can mean just about anything. That's not Ich on him, though.

Did you get them from a "hobbyist breeder"?

Are both pipes still alive and fine?

What is your tank temp?

 

[vlangel]

I can not tell from the photo but you can try a freshwater dip to rule out or determine that ich is the problem. Prepare rodi water that is the same temperature and PH as the display tank. Put the seahorse in and if it thrashes then ich probably is the problem. Seahorses usually tolerate FW dips pretty. I don't remember exactly how long a FW dip should be however. I am going to check on that.

 

[td3025]

Do have have a couple more pictures? There's a shape I want to take a closer look at.

How long have you had him?

Seahorses laying on their side is like a fever in an infant.... it can mean just about anything. That's not Ich on him, though.

Did you get them from a "hobbyist breeder"?

Are both pipes still alive and fine?

What is your tank temp?

Both pipes are fine. I was visiting the store I bought my first two pipes from on the phone and when he heard one passed he offered me a second free. I didn't plan on getting another and didn't read about their ability to possibly fight until after I agreed to take one but they actually doing just fine together, no fighting at all.

I'm going to prep a freshwater dip. But I must say I don't think that's what it is anymore. I got a closer look and his mouth seems pale. Possible skin erosion is what I'm thinking. Tank temp is 75.

I'm going to try to get a better pic and get some more insight before I do a dip. One sec!

 

[td3025]

I can not tell from the photo but you can try a freshwater dip to rule out or determine that ich is the problem. Prepare rodi water that is the same temperature and PH as the display tank. Put the seahorse in and if it thrashes then ich probably is the problem. Seahorses usually tolerate FW dips pretty. I don't remember exactly how long a FW dip should be however. I am going to check on that.

I've heard 10-12 minutes for a Seahorse. But that seems like a long time!
I'm going to post more pics before I do it though, I'm beginning to think its skin erosion.

 

[vlangel]

A freshwater dip is usually for 12 minutes. If you are leaning more toward a bacterial infection then I don't think I would do the FW dip. I would set up a QT tank and use Furan 2 or Triple sulfa to treat it. Also if you have access to adult brine shrimp you can gut load them with the antibiotic also as oral administration is more effective than a bath.

Usually a bacterial infection is brought on by a lapse in husbandry although most of us keepers have dealt with them some time or another. I would do some big water changes, and step up husbandry if possible. Also, I think I saw your temperature was 75°. It helps if you can lower the temperature to 68° for treatment.

 

[td3025]

@Lionfish Lair @vlangel

Here's some more pics. he's hiding perfectly from the camera but let me try to point out my concerns.

His mouth seems abnormally pale. Let it be noted he has lost a lot of interest in food as well. He still will eat, but extremely minimally.

(Sorry, he was perfectly hiding his face this is the best shot i can get. Also sorry for the not so attractive algae, this is my one fake plant and it tends to attract it the most)


He has weird discoloration. White patches on his body. Yet when I turn flash on it's almost harder to see it for some reason? I used to think it was just sand until the weird behavior started coming with it. he hides A LOT, lost interest in everything. lays around at the bottom most of the time. But it's been on going for weeks now, so I don't know exactly what it is.


No flash:

Flash:

I'll continue to try and get better pics. He's in a tough spot to take pics right now

 

[td3025]

A freshwater dip is usually for 12 minutes. If you are leaning more toward a bacterial infection then I don't think I would do the FW dip. I would set up a QT tank and use Furan 2 or Triple sulfa to treat it. Also if you have access to adult brine shrimp you can gut load them with the antibiotic also as oral administration is more effective than a bath.

Usually a bacterial infection is brought on by a lapse in husbandry although most of us keepers have dealt with them some time or another. I would do some big water changes, and step up husbandry if possible. Also, I think I saw your temperature was 75°. It helps if you can lower the temperature to 68° for treatment.

Lapse of husbandry: I was out of town for over a week and left my tanks in the hands of another. Then again his odd behavior started before that. The visible stuff came afterwards though. Either way, Should I leave the other pony and the pipefish in the DT during all this, or should they all be moved to a QT tank?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Didn't you have a pipefish just die?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Was this horse involved in a recent tank move? Was this horse ever in the tank were another kuda died (even if they weren't in there at the same time). If not the same tank, was the rock that was used with the first, used with this horse?

 

[td3025]

Was this horse involved in a recent tank move? Was this horse ever in the tank were another kuda died (even if they weren't in there at the same time). If not the same tank, was the rock that was used with the first, used with this horse?

1) a pipefish passed in this tank but it was after the weird behavior started - the weird behavior of the pony was ongoing before pipefish were even involved.

2) no other creature has passed in this tank. It was setup solely for the two ponies I have and they were the very first inhabitants.

 

[vlangel]

Lapse of husbandry: I was out of town for over a week and left my tanks in the hands of another. Then again his odd behavior started before that. The visible stuff came afterwards though. Either way, Should I leave the other pony and the pipefish in the DT during all this, or should they all be moved to a QT tank?

Going away when you are a seahorse keeper presents some challenges for sure. There are some tricks I will share when we get you through this crisis.
I would leave the healthy pony and pipefish in the display tank but I would definitely do multiple big water changes, blow off detritus, wipe down all the glass sides, change carbon ect... Also lower the temperature in the display at 74° or below if you haven't already. The dangerous bacterias that attack seahorses reproduce exponentially in temperatures above 74°.

 

[td3025]

Going away when you are a seahorse keeper presents some challenges for sure. There are some tricks I will share when we get you through this crisis.
I would leave the healthy pony and pipefish in the display tank but I would definitely do multiple big water changes, blow off detritus, wipe down all the glass sides, change carbon ect... Also lower the temperature in the display at 74° or below if you haven't already. The dangerous bacterias that attack seahorses reproduce exponentially in temperatures above 74°.

Thank you! I'm getting to work right now on a big water change. I'm going to run by my lfs tomorrow for the meds for my one seahorse. I have a 16G tall qt running so he'll be going in there. If for any reason this isn't skin erosion/mouth rot are these meds potentially harmful? Or is it ok for me to assume that is what it is?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Please don't think these questions are because I'm not listening, but I'm having trouble getting it organized in my brain. You had one horse die and you bought two more from the same place. What happened to those? Is this them?

 

[td3025]

Please don't think these questions are because I'm not listening, but I'm having trouble getting it organized in my brain. You had one horse die and you bought two more from the same place. What happened to those? Is this them?

yes this is those!

the one seahorse that died that I had initially, died in another tank. It was never in the 45 I have now.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Now I remember those horses. I did not like the look of them. I remember feeling a little bad that I said your fish looked like cull O.O

The black female looked fine, except for being sick, but that male looks like..... cull. O.O There's also been alot of hybrids floating around.

I just do not have a good feeling about these horses, wherever it is they are coming from.

Do you have a video camera? Can you get one of him eating and perhaps another of the two males flirting when you see it again?

Do you have access to Furan-2?

I feel the problem started at the breeder's. It may not be the current problem, but it's where the snowball effect started.

 

[td3025]

Now I remember those horses. I did not like the look of them. I remember feeling a little bad that I said your fish looked like cull O.O



Do you have a video camera? Can you get one of him eating and perhaps another of the two males flirting when you see it again?

Do you have access to Furan-2?

I feel the problem started at the breeder's. It may not be the current problem, but it's where the snowball effect started.

I do have a camera! They haven't flirted whatsoever ever since the smaller one started acting ill.
I'm going to pick up furan 2 tomorrow morning, one of my lfs has some in stock.
The female that passed (my very first seahorse before I owned these guys) was a wild caught apparently after further speaking with the lfs store. While the two I own now are captive bred. Although this is my first time owning seahorses I've had several other tanks before this successfully. This one has just seemed to have one issue after another even dating back to the smaller initial seahorse tank before I upgraded I'm hoping I can get to the root of it all. I absolutely treasure seahorses and would love to successfully raise these guys.
And I'll try to get a vid of him eating as well! He's done a lot less of it lately.