seahorsecrazy

Anyone have any explaination? Two of my seahorses have started to get really skinny, fast,( over about a week) and are now hanging upside down. One is pointing his nose to the top of the tank and leaning over backwards, the other is hanging literally upside down. The only thing I have changed is added my sole surviving baby seahorse (just over 1 inch) and therefore adding bbs daily and I did a partial water change on Sunday, but they were kind of looking a little off colour, so I thought they must need new water, but this hasnt really changed things. I took out some of the plants that had started to die off thinking that the water was getting fouled, but that hasnt changed much either. Not really sure, but they are not too keen on the food over the last two days, and yet it is the same food I have been feeding for the last couple of months, so I think I can eliminate the food as a problem. Ideas? One keeps rubbing herself over all the liverock as though she has 'passengers' but I cannot see anything on her. I am at a loss. Their colours are still fairly good, slightly softened in tone, but nothing alarming. I think I am clutching at straws here, but hey, anything to give someone an idea of the cause.

Billy

You could breed seahorses with stripes!! they would be easily camouflaged when hiding in the long grass around the saltwater pool... They could go with the clown fish you bred with rainbow stripes on their heads and big red noses... Maybe a few white ones with black stripes on their tails too, that would be cool to see. :lol:

Thanks guys. Your support is really touching.

Yes there is a little blood in there as well, not an easy thing to avoid when drawing the fluid off. The initial fluid was the colour of plasma (blood carrying fluids) Almost is if it is the results of a bruise gone wrong? Could he have ruptured something having the babies I wonder? He did only have 12 that I found (while vacuuming the tank...) I am really at a loss for an answer. I guess i was looking for an easy answer and gas bubble seemed to fit the bill...

Sadly last night, my man finally passed away. He has spent well over a week with the swelling in his abdomen that we were unable to get right. The photos show how he was floating on the surface when he let go of the plant he was hanging on to. When he had passed away I took him from the tank, the swelling was rather firm, and when I took a sample of the swelling, it was full of fluid and immediately deflated his chest area. I took at least 0.3ml from his chest. I have a photo of the fluid if anyone can give me some answers... DO NOT LOOK AT THE NEXT PHOTO IF SQUEAMISH!! Not sure if it was a type of infection that had gotten into his chest as suggested a couple of times, or just something that happened for an unexplained reason. It seems that my thoughts of gas bubble disease were horribly wrong... :oops: I can only thank those who offered kind words, and support with suggestions and advice. Everyones help was much appreciated. Im just sorry it didnt come to a happy ending. Hope everyone else has a better start to the new year. Again, thank you

:oops: Sorry, I have not been able to get a clear photo of my lad to post up. I will get there soon - I promise :oops: He has finished his course of 5 diamox. He is still bloated and his bouyancy is not quite right, but I have introduced him back into the tank with his mate. Hopefully she will tempt him into eating again. He seems a little more comfortable in his tank again, but is not swimming around nor feeding just yet. It has been nearly 8 days since he has last eaten, and he is a little weaker. I have been holding him upright and trying to tempt him with food, and he did 'pop' a couple of times when I held mysis in front of him, but I was not really sure if he was trying to get the food, or just get me off him. I will try again in the morning. He is certainly a strong willed person. I think anyone with less determination would have given up by now and gone to the mysis-filled-happy-hunting-ground-for-seahorses days ago. I am able to get more diamox if I think he may need a repeat dose. But I would like to try him for a couple of dys back in his tank and see if he improves with the help we have given him. I hope I am making the right decisions, unfortunately all this is trial and error. Heres hoping for some good news in the morning. Good night all.

The chiller has arived. I will get home shortly and set it up fo him. He is starting to look a bit brighter, but there is no sign of poo. It will try and tempt him again with food this afternoon, but if no luck then I will try to tube feed him. Water changes are quite critical at the moment, the small tank only has 12 dozen 'noodles' and a piece of LR. Better to be safe than sorry with the changes. We are only 30min from our water supply, and there is always a good excuse to travel to Whakatane/ Ohope (KFC, Pizza Hut, McD, Hunting and Fishing Shop...) so no great problem on supply of water. I will post another photo tonight to get a better idea of the swelling to date. Once again, thank you so much for your help.

Thank you, we are still trying.

That was just cruel!!! (Mouth watering, drool, drool...)

Thanks DJ. Expect chiller to arrive Monday. Good timing as I will not be able to monitor his water too well from work. Really appreciate your help there. So far so good. He started to show a little interest in things happening around him today, but only briefly. Doesnt seem to have 'gone down' in his gut so far, but certainly a little brighter. Actually watched one or two mysis float past his face tonight - but not ready to eat yet. He even seemed to turn to the TV this afternoon and avoid any eye contact with me - must of liked The Simpsons :lol: He is on tablet number 4, and gone thru about 80 litres of water so far. Been changing about 20 litres each evening before adding more medicine. So far been chilling him with mizone bottles filled with frozen salt water. Hubby suggested chilly paks from the freezer, but I am not sure what is in them and whether they are toxic, so left them alone. His girlfriend is missing him, and keeps dancing at the front of the tank each time she sees anyone moving in the lounge - needs company. He is also in the lounge but on the other side and next to the cockatiel who really doesnt appreciate the new neighbour. We are all waiting to see when he will deflate. How long did it take for your guys to start 'going down'? Did you notice any difference straight away or does it take a little more time? I know I have another 48 hours to go before his number 5 tablet is used up, so maybe Im just a little anxious... Stay posted for updates...

I am on day 3 of the dosing with diamox. My man is still alive and looking rather peeved off. I am changing the water each evening and replacing the diamox. He is still very bloated and refusing to eat, but hanging in there. We can only wait and see.

Great suggestions guys. Yes, DJ it is a Jebo R 388. Dont think much different from 380. I have several drink bottles with frozen seawater in them adn I have been adding them to the water (filter) which runs from the top of the tank. Have given my man his first dose into his tank and he doesnt seem to be worried at all. Still sitting attached to the plastic plant at the bottom of the tank where I put him earlier this afternoon. I offered him a bit of food, but he wasnt interested. I honestly think he wont be able to fit anything in his stomach. All I can do is continue with the treatment I have now started and hope that I have got it in time. DJ, I will PM you about the offer for the chiller. Once again, thanks for the suggestions. I am willing to try anything at this point.

Thanks DJ, I have just picked up 5 diamox tabs from the chemist. I had to get a script from the vets, who couldnt give me a script without seeing the patient. luckily I had my camera in my bag and showed it to her. No problem there. Then, I had the same sort of thing at the chemist, but once I showed them the photos of the babies, they werent all that interested in my man, so the script went thru without a hitch. I was going to put him in a small 35 litre tank on his own, but i cant keep the temp down on that one. The chiller is in my big tank. Unless I have a heap of frozen saltwater to add every couple of hours, I dont know how practical that would be. My big tank is too big to dose in that ratio, so I may have to pirate the chiller off my big tank. Not too keen on that. Anyhow, I will come up with a solution shortly and act on it, or it may be too late. Thank you so much for your help.

Thank you DJ. I am trying my hardest to source some diamox. My local vets have heard of it, but do not stock it. I am off to the chemist today to talk to the pharmacist who happens to like seahorses. I may get a breakthru there - or else go to my doctor and try there. He is still hanging in there. He has managed to stay at the bottom of the tank for the whole of yesterday. The swelling has increased, but only a small amount. I hope I can help him. It's been a horribly stressful week so I would like to have something good come of it. I certainly hope I dont have to go thru one like this again. Even my Hubby has started smoking with the stresses, (he stopped cold turkey in October), me, I just have to turn to cake I suppose... I do appreciate everyones input though. Great to see a community can help each other and most have never even met. Well done everyone. :bounce:

I have been doing a little research and found a possible - allbeit horrible diagnosis. www.seahorse.org/library/articles/diseaseguide.shtml It looks like it is internal gas bubble disease. Treatment is dosing food with a drug called Diamox, and feeding it to him. Problem being he is not eating. The other solution is decompression for hours at a time in a tank at least 3 times deeper than the one he is in. That means I would have to put him in a tank (or structure) 2meters deep and have him 'fenced off' at the bottom so he does not rise to the surface. I do have the ability use the likes of downpipes for this, but I dont think the pressure would be right. Has anyone used Diamox in the past? Has anyone had any success?

Starting to worry about my boy. He is really bloated now and wont eat. Bloating is over whole abdomen and seems to be heading up his neck. Definately air or a gas of sorts because as soon as he lets go of anything he just 'pops' up to the surface. Can he get things tangled when he had the babies? I dont know if he has passed anything since he had them. Could it be a build up of gases in his stomach - much like horses can get colic? It must be quite painful. He is not a fat seahorse, normally can see his humps and bumps quite clearly - not like these photos. The one almost fron-on shows just how bloated he is. Even when he has gorged himself on live mysis he never got that size. It is definately not in his pouch. Dont really know what to do. If he was a cow, I would stick a pin (bloat knife) in him to let the gas out. Bit difficult on these fellas.

I dont think it is in his pouch. It is his stomach which is bloated, not his pouch. Looks like he has had a huge meal, but it seems to be air. His pouch is quite collapsed - the sides touching each other. Do you think I should try with the pouch? Or could it be something else. He doesnt mind me handling him a bit.

Thanks heaps guys. I will get over it Im sure. My male has an air problem though... His stomach seems to have air in it (not his pouch) and he keeps bobbing to the top of the tank. He is able to get to the bottom but it takes a huge effort and he is letting me put him on the weed at the bottom where he can get a bit of food. He doesnt seem overly stressed - just peed off. Dont know if he has gulped air somewhere or something more sinister. I did take them out of their tank when I cleaned it on the weekend after finding the babies, but I just scoop them out with another container in their own water and put them into another bowl for the cleaning, then return them once the water temps are equalised between tanks. He is spending a bit of time hanging completely upside down as though trying to fart out the bubble. Suggestions?

Sorry to say that the last two have gone as well. I really couldnt expect alot considering the hurried arrival and my lack of practivce in keeping babies. Heres hoping for a better success rate next time. Thanks for all your help and advice.

Alas, we are down to 2 babies. But they seem - dare I say it - fit and well. One is hiding on the liverock and comes out to catch bbs, the other is hiding in the floating plant. They are both fairly timid, but they are still there. If all else fails, I know i can start brine shrimp within 12 hours, and have a tank set up and running within 2 hours. It is a lesson i have learned well. Hope tomorrow is better than today, but I am resigned to the fact I masy lose them as well. I am keen to have another go - if my horses let me that is...

The rest are still looking strong. i have not got my hopes up too far as this is really a very big learning curve - especially since they were a surprise arrival yesterday afternoon and I was not in the slightest bit organised. So far so good. Early night tonight - spent too long watching the babies - need to catch up on some sleep. Going fishing in the morning - the kahawai are still running. Have to spend the rest of the day watching my darlings... Obsessed? Me? Surely not? I can stop any time I want! Cant I? :oops: :oops: :oops:

have been home and done a waterchange, added a few more baby brine, and found 1 baby has not made it thru the day. I am not as upset as I thought I would be, because the others a full of energy and buzzing around the tank like idiots. A few have found a plastic plant at the bottom and are clinging on to it, and the others are playing in the floating plant and on the surface. Surely i am imagining it, but have they grown already??? I know I was told they grow fast, but I hope it is just my imagination. Some things you need to know that you may be insane, and not reality. :-? Anyhow, I have a few more hours I can sit and watch them... mustnt forget mum and dad, I cant neglect them now they have proven their worth...

All 12 are still alive this morning. :bounce: I am attempting to add photos. Please bear with me as this is my first attempt. They are all full of energy and when I added baby brine they were on the hunt straight away. :lol: Haven't been this clucky since... cant remember (my own babies are 14 and 15yrs old!) Yay, photos worked. Im going back to watch my babies now - I'm going to have to tear myself away soon the go to work. The Boss wont allow me maternity leave to watch my new editions :lol: :lol: :lol:

They are from LivingArt. Cold water horses. Thanks LA, the mysis came at just the right time. As I got back from your place on Thursday, I found the freezer had died and all my SH food had thawed. The last of the stock had to be thrown out. The new stock from you has worked out really well. They are chomping it down as big gluttens they are! Babies in 30 litre tank on their own with a couple of floating plants for them and some liverock. Have got some clean water sitting in ice cubes for the afternoon to chill the tank slowly in out heat wave. No chiller on that one unfortunately - have to be careful with water temp. Thanks Mystic, I am definately going cross eyed. I think it is time for sleep. Too easy to sit up all night watching them. YAWN!! Thanks for the kind words everyone. I'll be keeping you all posted with any updates as soon as they happen. Cheers, good night.