Dear Seagazer:
Unfortunately, Merbromin is no longer being manufactured. I don’t know any place that still has that item in stock. I wouldn’t advise using Merbromin, Betadine or any other similar disinfectants in your case, Seagazer, since the growth covers much of the head and it is very important to avoid getting any of those substances in the seahorse’s mouth, eyes, or gills.
Since you need to get the medications in a hurry, I would make the rounds of your local fish stores and pick up some triple sulfa as well as a medication that includes either neomycin or kanamycin as its active ingredient. Combining an aminoglycoside antibiotic (e.g., neomycin sulfate or kanamycin sulfate) with sulfa compounds such as Triple Sulfa, sulfathiozole sodium or TMP-sulfa are the antibiotics I would suggest for this condition.
If you cannot obtain them locally, you might try the following source for seahorse-related medications and appliances:
http://www.seahorsesource.com/cgi-bin/shop/search.cgi?&category=Medications
Best of luck resolving this problem, Seagazer!
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.
