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seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:25 pm
by zeni9x
hi all, got a bit of a concern about my seahorse - she seems to be really enjoying her tank, swimming around and all that, which is great, but what's got me worried is that she keeps laying on the sand and scratching like a dog, is this something i should be looking into
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:42 pm
by kingrise
I'm far from a saltwater expert, but I've heard that when fish rub against things, it's often a sign of ich. I'm only familiar with treating ich in freshwater aquariums, though. Not sure how it works for marine ones. Hopefully @Cobyx can offer some advice.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:06 pm
by Cobyx
Fish, like other animals, will itch and scratch from time to time. It's nothing to worry about if it's an occasional occurrence - just like when we scratch an itch. However, frequent scratching could be a sign of a problem, often related to external parasites. Seahorses, in particular, can be susceptible to certain protozoa, commonly referred to as "ciliates." A possible solution for some saltwater creatures is a freshwater dip, where you temporarily remove the creature from your tank and submerge it in fresh water. The duration of the dip varies depending on the creature. Additionally, there are anti-parasite treatments available. It's essential to note that if the entire tank is infected, a dip will only provide temporary relief, and the seahorse may become reinfected once returned to the tank.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:14 pm
by zeni9x
Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'm also on reef2reef, and I've been told the same thing about my seahorse's behavior.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2025 12:09 am
by Cobyx
zeni9x wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:25 pm
hi all, got a bit of a concern about my seahorse - she seems to be really enjoying her tank, swimming around and all that, which is great, but what's got me worried is that she keeps laying on the sand and scratching like a dog, is this something i should be looking into
Consistency is reassuring. Receiving the same advice from multiple sources helps put my mind at ease regarding my seahorse's behavior.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2025 1:49 am
by zeni9x
Cobyx wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:06 pm
Fish, like other animals, will itch and scratch from time to time. It's nothing to worry about if it's an occasional occurrence - just like when we scratch an itch. However, frequent scratching could be a sign of a problem, often related to external parasites. Seahorses, in particular, can be susceptible to certain protozoa, commonly referred to as "ciliates." A possible solution for some saltwater creatures is a freshwater dip, where you temporarily remove the creature from your tank and submerge it in fresh water. The duration of the dip varies depending on the creature. Additionally, there are anti-parasite treatments available. It's essential to note that if the entire tank is infected, a dip will only provide temporary relief, and the seahorse may become reinfected once returned to the tank.
I completely agree. My husband had a terrible algae issue in his 180g tank and we were advised to do a 100% water change, try this and that. But the simplest solution - Algiefix - ended up being the solution. We were at our wit's end, but it fixed the problem in under an hour.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2025 2:21 am
by Cobyx
zeni9x wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:25 pm
hi all, got a bit of a concern about my seahorse - she seems to be really enjoying her tank, swimming around and all that, which is great, but what's got me worried is that she keeps laying on the sand and scratching like a dog, is this something i should be looking into
That's quite an extreme measure.
Re: seeking advice on seahorses
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2025 3:37 am
by zeni9x
Cobyx wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:06 pm
Fish, like other animals, will itch and scratch from time to time. It's nothing to worry about if it's an occasional occurrence - just like when we scratch an itch. However, frequent scratching could be a sign of a problem, often related to external parasites. Seahorses, in particular, can be susceptible to certain protozoa, commonly referred to as "ciliates." A possible solution for some saltwater creatures is a freshwater dip, where you temporarily remove the creature from your tank and submerge it in fresh water. The duration of the dip varies depending on the creature. Additionally, there are anti-parasite treatments available. It's essential to note that if the entire tank is infected, a dip will only provide temporary relief, and the seahorse may become reinfected once returned to the tank.
Yeah and the next day it was back. But Algiefix really worked for us. We had all the water and conditioner ready to go, so it was a breeze. We had already prepared the trash cans, but those are actually for our freshwater tank.