Seahorse not doin to good

[timmyrules]

Ok guys, I know this is like my second seahorse thread of the day…..but I would really appreciate some help. So, I had an old seahorse pair, they were eating great and everything was totally good. Until about 2 days ago when the female passed away…I thought the male would be ok. But he’s not doing to good, he is weakly hitched on some decor. And breathing really heavy…he hasn’t eaten since the other seahorse passed. I am SUPER worried about him. Please respond asap.
#fishmedic#fishmedics

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok guys, I know this is like my second seahorse thread of the day…..but I would really appreciate some help. So, I had an old seahorse pair, they were eating great and everything was totally good. Until about 2 days ago when the female passed away…I thought the male would be ok. But he’s not doing to good, he is weakly hitched on some decor. And breathing really heavy…he hasn’t eaten since the other seahorse passed. I am SUPER worried about him. Please respond asap.
#fishmedic#fishmedics

Is there signs of tail or mouth rot?
Additionally any unusual swim motion, loss of appetite or flesh peeling?
What is nitrate level?

 

[timmyrules]

No sign of mouth rot…no flesh peeling…there does seem to be a loss of appetite. No unusual swimming patterns, but when he’s hitched on decor, he seems to be not hanging on very well. Nitrate were at 5, but I just did a 50% water change.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

No sign of mouth rot…no flesh peeling…there does seem to be a loss of appetite. No unusual swimming patterns, but when he’s hitched on decor, he seems to be not hanging on very well. Nitrate were at 5, but I just did a 50% water change.

Any new animals added to the tank?

 

[timmyrules]

Any new animals added to the tank?

Nope, the only fish in there was the seahorse pair…

 

[timmyrules]

Here’s the seahorse this morning, he is sideways at the surface of the water breathing heavy….i also noticed little red string looking things on the top of his head. What are they?

 

[timmyrules]

Should I freshwater dip the seahorse?
Please respond quick guys, I don’t know how much longer this little guy is going to last like this.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Should I freshwater dip the seahorse?
Please respond quick guys, I don’t know how much longer this little guy is going to last like this.

I was looking for some route that parasites could have entered the tank.

A FW dip is ONLY effective against external parasites, so I don’t see that of being any benefit.

The female dying and this one not doing well are clearly related.

If you have a treatment tank you could try dosing metronidazole…..

 

[timmyrules]

I already did a fw dip…and then I dipped it in saltwater with methylene blue….i am quite limited on any sort of fish medicine, is there anything else I could do for the seahorse?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I already did a fw dip…and then I dipped it in saltwater with methylene blue….i am quite limited on any sort of fish medicine, is there anything else I could do for the seahorse?

Sorry, nothing I can think of……

 

[timmyrules]

Do you have any ideas why it’s been acting weird, breathing heavy, and not eating?

 

[fishywishy]

Maybe its just old age, they only live like a year or 2.

 

[timmyrules]

Maybe its just old age, they only live like a year or 2.

That’s kinda what I figured…well, at the very least, I know he had a good life….thank you all for your help.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That’s kinda what I figured…well, at the very least, I know he had a good life….thank you all for your help.

I thought about "old age" also, but to have problems with both fish at essentially the same time makes that highly unlikely - not impossible, but improbable.

A more likely scenario is that both fish became weakened due to old age and then, Mycobacterium marinum (fish tuberculosis) became active and caused them to get sick. Seahorses are REALLY prone to myco and that is a bacteria that is present in every marine aquarium, so seeing them die form this is very common. You cannot treat it, and to diagnosis it accurately, you need to do expensive bacterial culturing, but public aquariums do that and see a LOT of seahorses actually die from this.....