Dear protectsme:
No, the pouch flush kit does not include Diamox, which is a prescription medication. The pouch flush solution that comes with the pouch kit is an antibiotic solution, whereas the Diamox is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor rather than an antibiotic.
So, you’ll need to get the pouch flush kit so you have the necessary apparatus in order to perform the pouch flush, and then you’ll need to obtain some Diamox (hopefully from Seagazer) in order to make up your own pouch flush solution.
You can use the pouch flush instructions to express some of the trapped gas from your male’s pouch before you inject the Diamox solution:
*Have one person hold the seahorse upside down with the head in the water and his tail and abdomen out of the water. He may wrap his tail firmly around your finger. Insert the tip of the pipette into the opening in the pouch being careful not to insert it too far. (You may cut the end of the tip to fit your needs.)
*Gently massage out any air bubbles into the pipette.
*Remove the pipette and express the air bubbles from the pipette.
*Rinse the tip of the pipette with alcohol and let dry."
*Then withdraw approximately 2 ml’s of the Diamox solution you have prepared in advance into the pipette. The quantity will actually vary according to the size of the males pouch. The extra large males can easily use 2 mls of pouch wash and the smaller males less than one.
*Reinsert the tip into the pouch and gently force the liquid into the pouch."
With the Diamox solution, you simply inject it into the pouch as described above and then leave it in there. Once you have released as much gas as you can with the pipette as described above and filled the male’s pouch with the Diamox solution, you can release him back into the aquarium.
Use Keith Gentry’s instructions for preparing the Diamox solution and gently inject 1-2 mL of it into your seahorses pouch and then return him to the tank with his pouch full of the medicated solution. In stubborn cases, you may have to repeat the procedure again after 24 hours have elapsed.
Best of luck with the pouch flush, protectsme!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
