Dawn's seahorse garden. Farewell 36g bowfront!

[vlangel]

Oh no! Really sorry to hear, but wishing for a smooth and speedy recovery !

 

Thanks I am hoping for the best.

Sorry to hear, Dawn! Sounds like you have it under control though. Your seahorses are lucky to have you .

Yes, me too. It was disheartening but they are both still eating well and I caught it early so hopefully we will have positive results!

I hope the horses recover quickly!

 

 

 

IMO this is the issue with the yellow polyps. Slimer doing better, polyps receding. Can you get a Salifert PO4 kit and test with it to get a more accurate reading?

I am hoping for the best too Mark. At least this isn't my first time through this.

 

I will try to get a salifert test for PO4, right now I still use red sea. I use salifert for CA and Mag.

[ReefWeeds]

Keeping my fingers crossed, Dawn. I can imagine how disheartening this must be! I'm so glad you noticed so quickly.

[vlangel]

Oh no!

Good thing they've got an experienced fishy mom.

 

I don't know too much about seahorses, what are the main causes for them to get a bacterial infection "out of nowhere"?*catching up on the last few pages*

Noooo not the yellow polyps! They are so gorgeous!

Well, I am hoping I will have as much success this time with the bacterial infection as I did when I treated Adam last summer.

 

Seahorses don't have scales like fish, they have skin which is more apt to get an abrasion or cut. Also their digestion is both immuned impaired, and inefficient. They do not have the ability to produce antibodies in their gut that other fish do. Finally they eat a very high fat protein diet but do not process it very well. Thus most of it comes out the other end and they need to eat more to get the energy they need. That is why seahorses eat a minimum of twice a day. Which is also why they put such a heavy bioload on their tank. There are no test kits to know the bacterial count in a tank. The keeper just has to guess that their husbandry is adequate and I guess mine was not, as evidenced by 2 sick ponies.:-(

[vlangel]

I did a 50% WC of the QT and added the medication furan 2 for day 2. Adam and Eve seem kind of depressed not being in their own enviroment. They did eat all the ghost shrimp I put in yesterday but are not interested in frozen mysis at all. I added more live ghost shrimp today and also ordered a fresh supply as the ghost shrimp I have left are pretty big. I think those will arrive tomorrow hopefully.

[natalia_la_loca]

Very sorry that your seahorses are sick Hopefully you got them into treatment soon enough for a full recovery.

[vlangel]

Very sorry that your seahorses are sick Hopefully you got them into treatment soon enough for a full recovery.

Yes, its grieves me that they got sick! I am perplexed as I don't know why. I do almost a 50% WC every week and I am good at wiping the sides down. My temperature stays 69-72 so I am unsure where the problem is. I will do a thorough cleaning while they are in QT, which will be thru Friday. I will most likely move them back into the display tank Saturday morning. I know you understand as you have been where I am.

[natalia_la_loca]

Yes, its grieves me that they got sick! I am perplexed as I don't know why. I do almost a 50% WC every week and I am good at wiping the sides down. My temperature stays 69-72 so I am unsure where the problem is. I will do a thorough cleaning while they are in QT, which will be thru Friday. I will most likely move them back into the display tank Saturday morning. I know you understand as you have been where I am.

 

I have indeed. When my seahorses got their final illness, my parameters were flawless, temp was 72, rigorous maintenance schedule, and no nuisance algae or other indicators of excess dissolved organics. It was that uncertainty about what caused it (plus the desire to simplify, I'll admit) that made me not want to get seahorses again.

[ReefWeeds]

Yes, its grieves me that they got sick! I am perplexed as I don't know why. I do almost a 50% WC every week and I am good at wiping the sides down. My temperature stays 69-72 so I am unsure where the problem is. I will do a thorough cleaning while they are in QT, which will be thru Friday. I will most likely move them back into the display tank Saturday morning. I know you understand as you have been where I am.

 

I honestly cannot imagine your husbandry is lacking. Seriously - you do an amazing job.

[metrokat]

[vlangel]

I have indeed. When my seahorses got their final illness, my parameters were flawless, temp was 72, rigorous maintenance schedule, and no nuisance algae or other indicators of excess dissolved organics. It was that uncertainty about what caused it (plus the desire to simplify, I'll admit) that made me not want to get seahorses again.

Thank you for sharing Natalia, its comforting to know that someone else understands. If my ponies' do not recover I too will re- evaluate whether I want to continue keeping seahorses. It is all very unfortunate that I just this month encouraged other folks through the featured tank profile to keep seahorses! Hopefully if any seriously pursue setting up a seahorse tank they will see in my thread that there are ups and downs!

[vlangel]

I honestly cannot imagine your husbandry is lacking. Seriously - you do an amazing job.

I don't know stella, something is not right for both of them to have spots! I do have 1 theory about my new sump...I set up the fuge to have a deep sand bed but then I never added one. The water enters it through a slot about 5" high (so I could have a 4" sandbed) and exits about 6" high. Since I did not add the sand bed that lower region of the fuge may be more of a dead space where bacteria is encouraged to grow. I have some sand from setting up Baby's aBode so I am going to drain the fuge and add that sandbed like my original plan was and see if that has an effect. But of course I don't even know for sure the ponies will recover. One day at a time!

Thanks so much Kat! I am gonna do my best, thats for sure.

[ReefWeeds]

Thank you for sharing Natalia, its comforting to know that someone else understands. If my ponies' do not recover I too will re- evaluate whether I want to continue keeping seahorses. It is all very unfortunate that I just this month encouraged other folks through the featured tank profile to keep seahorses! Hopefully if any seriously pursue setting up a seahorse tank they will see in my thread that there are ups and downs!

 

I wouldn't put that on yourself, Dawn about encouraging others. I think you have always been up front and honest in regards to the work associated with keeping your healthy ponies. That is an interesting thought on the sump with the DSB! You're always thinking - I love seeing how you work through things and handle things. Although I know this part is not fun.

[Newstead]

Hoping Adam and Eve recover soon - cannot imagine a more conscientious caretaker!

[ReefWeeds]

Hoping Adam and Eve recover soon - cannot imagine a more conscientious caretaker!

 

Exactly!

[vlangel]

I wouldn't put that on yourself, Dawn about encouraging others. I think you have always been up front and honest in regards to the work associated with keeping your healthy ponies. That is an interesting thought on the sump with the DSB! You're always thinking - I love seeing how you work through things and handle things. Although I know this part is not fun.

 

Thanks stella, you always put things so kind and gentle...right now I especially appreciate that. No I won't blame myself if any new folks set up seahorse tanks. I have tried hard to reinforce that they are high maintenance fish.

 

However, I did feel flattered when so many folks were nominating my tank and you have heard the scripture verse- 'pride goeth before a fall!'

Hoping Adam and Eve recover soon - cannot imagine a more conscientious caretaker!

Thanks so much! I am hoping the same thing. I will keep everyone updated.

[ReefWeeds]

Thanks stella, you always put things so kind and gentle...right now I especially appreciate that. No I won't blame myself if any new folks set up seahorse tanks. I have tried hard to reinforce that they are high maintenance fish.

 

However, I did feel flattered when so many folks were nominating my tank and you have heard the scripture verse- 'pride goeth before a fall!'

 

Thanks so much! I am hoping the same thing. I will keep everyone updated.

 

Well, that pride is warranted, Dawn. Regardless of this bacterial infection. I honestly think in this hobby, anything can happen. Could be something as small as a dead snail that is impossible to find - and not anything that you could've prevented. your tank and your ponies are gorgeous and beautifully and painstakingly maintained.

[vlangel]

Well, that pride is warranted, Dawn. Regardless of this bacterial infection. I honestly think in this hobby, anything can happen. Could be something as small as a dead snail that is impossible to find - and not anything that you could've prevented. your tank and your ponies are gorgeous and beautifully and painstakingly maintained.

Well at any rate, I am gonna do my best to help my pair recover. And then try to have their home ready for them when they do! Thanks stella, what an encourager you are!

[ReefWeeds]

Well at any rate, I am gonna do my best to help my pair recover. And then try to have their home ready for them when they do! Thanks stella, what an encourager you are!

 

:0) Well, you deserve it, Dawn. I know you are super hard on yourself and you do an amazing job.

 

How are Adam and Eve doing today?

[Felicia]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Dawn! I hope the seahorses will respond well to the Furan treatment and go right back to their healthy selves. Definitely don't blame yourself or your husbandry! I think bacterial infections are inevitable no matter how perfect your system. Of course you can do lots of things to prevent bacterial infections, but in our enclosed systems, even with perfect maintenance and husbandry, you're going to have some bacteria. Seahorses unfortunately are just not very robust, but anyone who can keep them alive long term has some amazing husbandry skills! All the best seahorse keepers warn to keep medicine and a hospital set-up on hand because there is just no way to 100% avoid health issues with seahorses. Its definitely not an "if" situation, its "when". Don't beat yourself up! You should be proud that your seahorses are normally super healthy and that you acted right away to handle the health hiccup. It seems like you have a good plan and the right medication on hand, so hopefully they will recover quickly.

 

Oh, and I especially want to say that you more than deserve TOTM! Your feature really focuses on the reality and difficulty of keeping seahorses. You provided a ton of good information in your writeup and you are always so honest and upfront about every little difficulty in your thread. You do an amazing job of presenting the reality of keeping seahorses so that someone who reads your thread or TOTM write-up will realize that its a lot of work and will have wonderful advice for where to start. There are definitely not going to be any new hobbyists who see your thread/write-up and think that seahorse keeping is a walk in the park and that they can just throw a couple seahorses in their reef. You do a wonderful job of presenting the proper way to approach the care of seahorses and that is what is so unique and wonderful about your presence on NR

[vlangel]

:0) Well, you deserve it, Dawn. I know you are super hard on yourself and you do an amazing job.

 

How are Adam and Eve doing today?

They look ok although I can not see their infections in the QT bucket. They are not eating their frozen at all but I have live ghost shrimp. Its unfortunate that this episode happened when most of the ghost shrimp I have are bigger than Adam and Eve like to tackle. Dave ordered me more last night and I think they will be here tomorrow. As long as they keep eating I feel like the prognosis is pretty good.

[ReefWeeds]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Dawn! I hope the seahorses will respond well to the Furan treatment and go right back to their healthy selves. Definitely don't blame yourself or your husbandry! I think bacterial infections are inevitable no matter how perfect your system. Of course you can do lots of things to prevent bacterial infections, but in our enclosed systems, even with perfect maintenance and husbandry, you're going to have some bacteria. Seahorses unfortunately are just not very robust, but anyone who can keep them alive long term has some amazing husbandry skills! All the best seahorse keepers warn to keep medicine and a hospital set-up on hand because there is just no way to 100% avoid health issues with seahorses. Its definitely not an "if" situation, its "when". Don't beat yourself up! You should be proud that your seahorses are normally super healthy and that you acted right away to handle the health hiccup. It seems like you have a good plan and the right medication on hand, so hopefully they will recover quickly.

 

Oh, and I especially want to say that you more than deserve TOTM! Your feature really focuses on the reality and difficulty of keeping seahorses. You provided a ton of good information in your writeup and you are always so honest and upfront about every little difficulty in your thread. You do an amazing job of presenting the reality of keeping seahorses so that someone who reads your thread or TOTM write-up will realize that its a lot of work and will have wonderful advice for where to start. There are definitely not going to be any new hobbyists who see your thread/write-up and think that seahorse keeping is a walk in the park and that they can just throw a couple seahorses in their reef. You do a wonderful job of presenting the proper way to approach the care of seahorses and that is what is so unique and wonderful about your presence on NR

 

Beautifully said

[vlangel]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Dawn! I hope the seahorses will respond well to the Furan treatment and go right back to their healthy selves. Definitely don't blame yourself or your husbandry! I think bacterial infections are inevitable no matter how perfect your system. Of course you can do lots of things to prevent bacterial infections, but in our enclosed systems, even with perfect maintenance and husbandry, you're going to have some bacteria. Seahorses unfortunately are just not very robust, but anyone who can keep them alive long term has some amazing husbandry skills! All the best seahorse keepers warn to keep medicine and a hospital set-up on hand because there is just no way to 100% avoid health issues with seahorses. Its definitely not an "if" situation, its "when". Don't beat yourself up! You should be proud that your seahorses are normally super healthy and that you acted right away to handle the health hiccup. It seems like you have a good plan and the right medication on hand, so hopefully they will recover quickly.

 

Oh, and I especially want to say that you more than deserve TOTM! Your feature really focuses on the reality and difficulty of keeping seahorses. You provided a ton of good information in your writeup and you are always so honest and upfront about every little difficulty in your thread. You do an amazing job of presenting the reality of keeping seahorses so that someone who reads your thread or TOTM write-up will realize that its a lot of work and will have wonderful advice for where to start. There are definitely not going to be any new hobbyists who see your thread/write-up and think that seahorse keeping is a walk in the park and that they can just throw a couple seahorses in their reef. You do a wonderful job of presenting the proper way to approach the care of seahorses and that is what is so unique and wonderful about your presence on NR

Thanks Felicia, I know you know the discouragement of dealing with bacterial issues. And of course you are right, seahorses are very vulnerable and all sorts of unforeseen things can trigger an infection. Its one of the risks of choosing a creature that lacks the ability to fight off such things as readily as other fishes. I guess that is why all us seahorse keepers have our medicine on hand. Hopefully they respond well to it. I have some other antibiotics as well though. Did you ever try using neosporin on any bacterial spots? I don't have bio bandage but it sounds very much like neosporin.

[Felicia]

Thanks Felicia, I know you know the discouragement of dealing with bacterial issues. And of course you are right, seahorses are very vulnerable and all sorts of unforeseen things can trigger an infection. Its one of the risks of choosing a creature that lacks the ability to fight off such things as readily as other fishes. I guess that is why all us seahorse keepers have our medicine on hand. Hopefully they respond well to it. I have some other antibiotics as well though. Did you ever try using neosporin on any bacterial spots? I don't have bio bandage but it sounds very much like neosporin.

I definitely do! I will definitely own up to the fact that I lost 3 of my seahorses to bacterial infections. The first one I delayed getting into a hospital tank because it always makes me nervous to stress already sick fish, and then it was too late. The other two I had in a 10 gallon hospital tank with fake plants for hitches and Furan-2 treatment, but they just didn't seem able to recover. Mine were still pretty young and small though, so I think they just might have just been too young with too weak of immune systems. My 4th and final seahorse was rehomed to a friend and lived in his big seagrass refugium tank on his 1,000 gallon system for quite a long time and then suddenly it passed away. My system was definitely not as well planned out as yours, so I know now that it was just always going to be a fight with bacteria. I read a ton about seahorse care, and knew bacteria was a consideration, but you just don't realize how inevitable it is until you actually keep them. You definitely have a very well designed set-up now, but its still a finite amount of water and bacteria is always around. Definitely nothing you can do to 100% prevent it.

 

I wish you were nearby. I still have my stockpile of medicine that I bought for when I had the seahorses. I mostly used Furan-2, but I remember trying biobandage at one point on my seahorse that got an infected sore on its tail. I think I also tried neosporin. I believe they are basically the same thing and that neosporin is completely fish safe. You just hold the seahorse on the palm on one hand and use a q-tip or your finger to rub the neosporin onto the infected areas. I think you can do that like once or twice a day. Its just a balance of not wanting to stress the seahorses out too much either.

Granted, I hate giving seahorse advice since I definitely failed at it! I did do a lot of reading about them though, so I know what you're supposed to do in theory. I think my system was just too small and poorly designed even though I tried hard to plan it around the seahorses. I will definitely say, I will never do an AIO system ever again and definitely not for seahorses! Back chambers are a breeding ground for bacteria, detritus, and nitrates and it is just impossible to really clean them well. Also, while the nano skimmers might work for lightly stocked nano tanks, they are just cannot even be compared to a full blown in-sump skimmer and those little things are a joke on something like a seahorse tank. If I ever did seahorses again, I'd be doing something more like your set-up, Dawn.

[vlangel]

I definitely do! I will definitely own up to the fact that I lost 3 of my seahorses to bacterial infections. The first one I delayed getting into a hospital tank because it always makes me nervous to stress already sick fish, and then it was too late. The other two I had in a 10 gallon hospital tank with fake plants for hitches and Furan-2 treatment, but they just didn't seem able to recover. Mine were still pretty young and small though, so I think they just might have just been too young with too weak of immune systems. My 4th and final seahorse was rehomed to a friend and lived in his big seagrass refugium tank on his 1,000 gallon system for quite a long time and then suddenly it passed away. My system was definitely not as well planned out as yours, so I know now that it was just always going to be a fight with bacteria. I read a ton about seahorse care, and knew bacteria was a consideration, but you just don't realize how inevitable it is until you actually keep them. You definitely have a very well designed set-up now, but its still a finite amount of water and bacteria is always around. Definitely nothing you can do to 100% prevent it.

 

I wish you were nearby. I still have my stockpile of medicine that I bought for when I had the seahorses. I mostly used Furan-2, but I remember trying biobandage at one point on my seahorse that got an infected sore on its tail. I think I also tried neosporin. I believe they are basically the same thing and that neosporin is completely fish safe. You just hold the seahorse on the palm on one hand and use a q-tip or your finger to rub the neosporin onto the infected areas. I think you can do that like once or twice a day. Its just a balance of not wanting to stress the seahorses out too much either.Granted, I hate giving seahorse advice since I definitely failed at it! I did do a lot of reading about them though, so I know what you're supposed to do in theory. I think my system was just too small and poorly designed even though I tried hard to plan it around the seahorses. I will definitely say, I will never do an AIO system ever again and definitely not for seahorses! Back chambers are a breeding ground for bacteria, detritus, and nitrates and it is just impossible to really clean them well. Also, while the nano skimmers might work for lightly stocked nano tanks, they are just cannot even be compared to a full blown in-sump skimmer and those little things are a joke on something like a seahorse tank. If I ever did seahorses again, I'd be doing something more like your set-up, Dawn.

Thanks Felicia, I will try neosporin on my females spot. Its not ugly and terrible looking but it is about the size of Adam's spot this past summer. It did not look eroded yet yesterday. Like you, I am hesitant to handle Eve and cause more stress but this evening I can look at the spot more closely when I apply neosporin. Adam's condition is barely noticeable but since he had small pin head spots and I thought the ponies would be happier together I figured I would treat him too. That way I could deep clean the tank with them not in it getting stressed.

[Felicia]

Sounds like you caught it really early, so I'm optimistic that they'll be ok! Let me know how the neosporin treatment goes.