H. Reidis are sick, H. Erectus are fine

Dear Pete,

I forgot to mention in my previous message that I have also given the sick H. Reidis and the sick H. Ingens two 45 minute baths, 48 hours apart, in a solution of tank water and Formalin 3 (two teaspoons per gallon – 45 minutes with aeration). Thought this info might help….thanks again!

Tom

Dear Tom:

As we have been discussing, ozone must be used properly in order to avoid possibly harming the aquarium inhabitants (or the aquarist himself). In a nutshell, high levels of ammonia exposure can kill the aquarium fish and invertebrates, as well as destroying the beneficial nitrifying bacteria that carry out biological filtration. Death from ozone exposure is typically the result of asphyxiation, since the oxidative ability of the ozone damages red blood cells in several ways. Ozone exposure induces hemolysis of red blood cells, formation of methemoglobin (rendering the erythrocytes unable to transport oxygen), and red blood cell membrane lipid peroxidation.

Respiratory distress is therefore the early symptom of ozone exposure at low levels. Labored breathing, huffing, rapid respirations, and pallor are some early indications of ozone exposure. At higher levels, the gill tissue itself can be oxidized or "burned" by exposure to ozone, and critical damage to the gills hastens death. So I am thinking that if you’re having any problems with residual ozone, Tom, it is at quite low levels and should be quite treatable, if necessary.

This is what I usually advise home hobbyists with regard to ozone, Tom:

<open quote>
Ozone (O3) is the highly unstable triatomic form of oxygen. The instability of the ozone molecule makes it highly reactive, and it oxidizes or "burns up" organic compounds and microbes on contact. As a result, ozone is widely used for water purification and sterilization, particularly in Europe (Fenner, 2003a). When used in conjunction with a protein skimmer and properly administered, it provides many benefits to the aquarium and is a very useful option seahorse keepers should strongly consider employing.

Ozone chemically degrades large organic molecules, thereby helping to raise pH, increase dissolved oxygen levels and Redox potential, and improve water quality in general while greatly increasing the efficiency of your protein skimmer (Fenner, 2003a). Its ability to destroy microbes on contact also makes it a very useful disease control measure. Virtually all the large public aquaria employ ozone in their systems for these reasons.

For best results, an ozonizer or ozone generator is used to introduce ozone into the bubble column of a protein skimmer or a special reaction chamber. The outflow from the skimmer should then be discharged into a filter or sump for degassing and chemical filtration (e.g., passing it through a dense bed of activated carbon) before being returned to the main aquarium (Fenner, 2003a). In the best systems, ozone is used in conjunction with an ORP controller in order to optimize and stabilize Redox (reduction-oxidation potential).

Ozone is not necessary for keeping seahorses successfully. Protein skimmers can certainly be operated effectively without it and captive-bred seahorses will thrive in a well-maintained system without the use of ozone. But in my opinion, the benefits ozone provides far outweigh the costs and it can be a very useful addition to a SHOWLR tank. Ozone is by no means a necessity, but it can be a very worthwhile investment in the long-term health of your seahorses, if you follow all of the necessary precautions.
<Close quote>

If residual ozone is a problem in your case, Tom, it would seem to be at very low levels since only the Hippocampus reidi and juvenile Hippocampus ingens have been adversely affected. If that’s the situation, then the residual ozone is most likely causing the respiratory distress by converting the normal hemoglobin in the seahorse’s blood into methhemoglobin, which renders the red blood cells unable to transport oxygen, and it’s possible that treating the affected fish with methylene blue could reverse this problem and provide the affected seahorses with some relief, as explained below:

Aside from residual ozone, exposure to moderate levels of ammonia and nitrite (or excessively high levels of nitrates) can change the normal hemoglobin in the seahorse’s blood stream to a form (i.e., methhemoglobin) that is no longer able to transport oxygen. If this becomes severe enough, it will leave the affected seahorse starved for oxygen, which makes it very weak and fatigued. As a result, the affected seahorses may detach themselves from their hitching posts periodically and rest on the bottom, unable to exert themselves in their weakened condition. As you can imagine, being deprived of oxygen really wipes them out in terms of loss of energy and stamina. At lower levels, it also results in respiratory distress, and rapid, labored breathing as they try to oxygenate themselves and compensate for the lack of normal hemoglobin.

One of the properties of methylene blue is that it can reverse this process and convert the methhemoglobin in the red blood cells back into normal hemoglobin, which can then pick up and transport oxygen again as usual. That’s why it is so helpful in relieving shipping stress and treating ammonia exposure and nitrite poisoning. For this reason, you may want to pick up some methylene blue at your local fish store and keep it on hand in case it is ever needed (the Kordon brand of methylene blue is best, in my opinion).

The usual criteria for determining whether or not methylene blue is needed to help seahorses recover from exposure to high levels of ammonia is their respiration. If the seahorse has labored breathing — huffing or rapid respiration — then methylene blue is called for. Likewise, if the seahorse is experiencing convulsions or it’s behavior otherwise indicates it is suffering from more than temporary disorientation and loss of equilibrium, such as lying prostrate on the bottom, unable to right itself again at all after two or three hours have passed, it may benefit from methylene blue to assist its recovery.

When that’s the case, hobbyists may want to consider a quick dip in methylene blue. Commonly known as "meth blue" or simply "blue," this is a wonderful medication for reversing the toxic effects of ammonia and nitrite poisoning. Methylene blue transports oxygen and aids breathing. It facilitates oxygen transport, helping fish breathe more easily by converting methemoglobin to hemoglobin — the normal oxygen carrying component of fish blood, thus allowing more oxygen to be carried through the bloodstream. This makes it very useful for treating gill infections, low oxygen levels, or anytime your seahorses are breathing rapidly and experiencing respiratory distress. It is the drug of choice for treating hypoxic emergencies of any kind with your fish. However, methylene blue will destroy nitrifying bacteria so it should be used in a hospital tank or as a brief bath or dip only (if used in an established aquarium, it will impair the biological filtration and the tank may need to be cycled all over again).

Here is some more information that may be helpful if you ever need to treat with methylene blue, for any reason:

If you can obtain the Kordon brand of Methylene Blue (available at most well-stocked local fish stores), there are instructions for administering it as a very brief, concentrated dip are as follows:

For use as a dip for treatment of fungus or external parasitic protozoans and cyanide poisoning:
(a) Prepare a nonmetallic container of sufficient size to contain the fish to be treated by adding water similar to the original aquarium.
(b) Add 5 teaspoons (24.65 ml) per 3 gallons of water. This produces a concentration of 50 ppm. It is not recommended that the concentration be increased beyond 50 ppm.
(c) Place fishes to be treated in this solution for no longer than 10 seconds.
(d) Return fish to original aquarium.

When you administer such a dip, hold the seahorse in your hand throughout the procedure and time it closely so that the dip does not exceed 10 seconds.

And here are Kordon’s instructions for administering the methylene blue in a hospital tank if longer-term treatment seems appropriate to reverse more severe cases of nitrite poisoning and ammonia toxicity:

As an aid in reversal of nitrite (NO2-) or cyanide (CN-) poisoning of marine and freshwater aquarium fishes:
(a) Remove carbon filter and continue to operate with mechanical filter media throughout the treatment period.
(b) Add 1 teaspoon of 2.303% Methylene Blue per 10 gallons of water. This produces a concentration of 3 ppm. Continue the treatment for 3 to 5 days.
(c) Make a water change as noted and replace the filter carbon at the conclusion of the treatment.

See the following link for more information on treating with Kordon’s Methylene Blue:

Click here: KPD-28 Methylene Blue
http://www.novalek.com/archive/kpd28.htm

If you obtained a brand of methylene blue other than Kordon, just follow the instructions the medication comes with.

One other tip, hold your horses: if you ever need to handle seahorses to administer first aid measures or treat them in a hospital tank, it’s best not to net them when you are manipulating the seahorse:

Handling Seahorses

I do not like to use an aquarium net to transfer or manipulate seahorses, since their delicate fins and snouts can become entangled in the netting all too easily. I much prefer to transfer the seahorses by hand. Simply wet your hand and fingers (to avoid removing any of the seahorse’s protective slime coat) and scoop the seahorses in your hand. Allow them to curl their tail around your fingers and carefully cup their bodies in your hand to support them while you lift them out of the water. When you gently immerse your hand in the destination tank, the seahorse will release its grip and swim away as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

Composed of solid muscle and endowed with extraordinary skeletal support, the prehensile tail is amazingly strong. Indeed, large specimens have a grip like an anaconda, and when a 12-inch ingens or abdominalis wraps its tail around your hand and tightens its hold, its vise-like grip is powerful enough to leave you counting your fingers afterwards!

In fact, it can be quite difficult to remove an attached seahorse from its holdfast without injuring it in the process. Never attempt to forcibly detach a seahorse from its hitching post! When it feels threatened, it’s instinct is to clamp down and hold on all the tighter. When you must dislodge a seahorse from its resting place for any reason, it’s best to use the tickle technique instead. Gently tickling the underside of the tail where it’s wrapped around the object will usually induce the seahorse to release its grip (Abbott, 2003). They don’t seem to like that at all, and will quickly let go to move away to another spot. Once they are swimming, they are easy to handle.

Okay, that’s the quick rundown on using methylene blue to reverse the formation of methemoglobin in the red blood cells and to relieve the resulting respiratory distress, Tom.

Best wishes with all your fishes, sir.

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna, Ocean Rider Tech Support

Dear Tom:

Yeah, I know from our previous correspondence that you are using the ozone in your tank according to recommendations, and observing all of the usual precautions, Tom. But when I’m analyzing a problem and I am quite unsure what is going on in this particular case what the proper diagnosis should be, I will bring up anything I can think of that could possibly account for the symptoms that were reported, and throw it out there in the hope that it may make some sense to the home hobbyist. As the first-hand observer, the home aquarist always knows his particular tank and the specimens he or she keeps best, and if I can mention something that may not have occurred to them but that resonates with them in retrospect, it is sometimes helpful.

Also, as I have learned the hard way from my own personal experience, even when you are using the ozone properly and observing all of the precautions, it still possible for problems to crop up because a casket or seal failed upon exposure to the ozone, allowing residual ozone to leak into the tank, or because the bed of activated carbon had become saturated and lost its potency…

I don’t know if it will help, Tom, but shifting to UV sterilization rather than ozonation certainly can’t hurt and may be helpful, so it is certainly appropriate under the circumstances. The daily doses of Sanolife MIC-F probiotics may also prove to be very helpful in the long run.

Also, as I mentioned in my previous post, if you want to try the modified hyposalinity that is suitable for a tank with live corals, it cannot do any harm as long as you are careful when you are ready to return the tank to normal salinity again, which must be done very gradually, over a period of a week or two, in order to eliminate any possibility of dehydration in the aquarium inhabitants.

I also am baffled as to why the Hippocampus reidi and ingens seahorses are the only ones that are sensitive to this particular problem. Those two species are very close relatives, whereas the Hippocampus erectus and Tigertails (H. comes) do not share the same ancestry, so there could be a genetic component to this particular issue, which may be why only the reidi and ingens seem to be affected…

Best of luck resolving this mysterious malady and returning your tank to normal again, sir!

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna, Ocean Rider Tech Support

Dear WW:

The short answer to your question is, “Yes.” Providing the seahorses have the same temperature requirements and aquarium requirements, were born and raised at the same aquaculture facility, and the aquarium is large enough to safely support both types of seahorses, keeping more than one species of seahorse together in the same aquarium can certainly be done.

As for whether the different species of seahorses will interbreed when maintained together in the same aquarium, that is relatively uncommon and unlikely to occur, but it does sometimes happen.

Interspecific hybridization has been known to occur between a number of species in the aquarium, on rare occasions, WW. For example, Hippocampus erectus and Hippocampus reidi seahorses will occasionally interbreed in the wild, and I know of one or two instances in which Hippocampus barbouri and Hippocampus comes seahorses have crossbred in the aquarium.

So it’s most definitely not unheard of for certain species to crossbreed and produce viable offspring in captivity, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing on the hobbyist level, since the hybrids that result can sometimes be very attractive seahorses and may even benefit from the phenomenon of hybrid vigor. However, that doesn’t apply to a commercial aquaculture facility, WW.

Crossbreeding is generally frowned upon and considered undesirable in aquaculture for a number of reasons, which are outlined in the following position statement from Project seahorse:

Interspecific hybridization of seahorses and pipefishes

A position statement from Project Seahorse

Project Seahorse cautions against mating across different species (hybridization) of seahorses and
pipefishes (syngnathids). Trade in hybrid offspring of such matings may compromise captive
breeding programs and release of hybrids poses high risks to wild populations. In order to reduce
the potential for hybridization we recommend that anyone currently holding or intending to hold
syngnathids
:
• maintains single-species tanks wherever possible;
• considers giving the name of any doubtful syngnathids to the genus level only, e.g., naming
seahorses simply as Hippocampus spp;
• avoids distributing any syngnathids that remain unidentified at the species level without full
disclosure of their status;
• refrains from acquiring syngnathids for any collective breeding program without reliable
information on their origins and taxonomy (this may require genetic or morphological
investigation);
• uses syngnathids with questionable origins or taxonomy only for display or educational work
and control their populations carefully.

Aquarists will need to be careful about avoiding hybrids, especially as such general confusion about
sources and identities (taxonomy) of syngnathids still prevails. As with all other species, syngnathid
species are generally reproductively isolated from each other in the wild. Biological or physical
barriers usually preclude hybridization in the wild, even where species’ ranges overlap. The
aquarium environment can actually promote hybridization by removing these barriers, and by
holding geographically separate species together at high densities.

Aquarists should also note that hybrids – which may appear desirable because of their unusual
features – might display reduced survivability and reproductive potential when compared with the
parent species.

Project Seahorse is concerned that syngnathid hybridization in the aquarium community will hamperthe development of collective programs of captive breeding (see Project Seahorse Aquarium position statement). A key goal of such work is to ensure that the most genetically diverse and healthy populations of syngnathids, of known origin and founder number are retained. Achieving this goal means that all information about the animals involved must be very accurate, and fully shared.

It is important to realize that release of hybrids, accidentally or by intention, may severely damage
wild syngnathid populations (see Project Seahorse Releases position statement). Public zoos and
aquaria have guidelines on disposal of animals but these do not control the fate of animals in the
private domain. Hybrids that survive release may successfully mate with wild syngnathids and
potentially introduce new and harmful genetic material to the native population, thereby reducing
survival, growth and reproductive output. Different populations and species of syngnathids that
have evolved in different geographic regions and under different conditions display local
adaptations, regulated in part by their genetic material.

Successive breeding with released hybrid syngnathids could gradually destroy local population
adaptations that have taken millions of years to evolve, reducing the population’s chances of
survival.

For those reasons, WW, as a High-Health aquaculture facility, I can assure you that there is NO unauthorized breeding at Ocean Rider. Each strain of seahorses is necessarily kept in a biosecure area that strictly segregate it from all of the other types of seahorses. In short, the many different species of seahorses raised at Ocean Rider are never mixed together; each line has its own biosecure area, its own rearing tanks, and its own grow out tanks.. Needless to say, this effectively presents crossbreeding and interspecific hybridization.

In home hobby tanks, however, where different species of seahorses are often mixed freely, crossbreeding or interspecific hybridization does occasionally occur, but it is quite uncommon, especially when seahorses have potential partners of their own species available to them. The prolonged, elaborate courtship ritual that seahorses go through before mating occurs generally prevents seahorses from different species from breeding successfully. Suffice it to say that seahorses are much, much better at species recognition than we are, and that given a choice, they almost always prefer to mate with their own kind. Almost always.

But there are also other considerations besides water temperature that you must keep in mind before you attempt to keep different seahorse species together in the same tank, WW, and we need to discuss those factors as well.

As an experienced seahorse keeper, WW, you may have heard about the concerns many hobbyists have expressed in the past about mixing various seahorses from different breeders or different parts of the world. There is a school of thought that maintains that mixing different species of captive-bred seahorses raised by breeders in different parts of the world can be a recipe for disaster. In theory, to do so could risk introducing pathogens from one part of the world to seahorses from another region which have little or no resistance to them (Leslie Leddo, et al., pers. com.). I like to call this theory the “smallpox syndrome,” and the rationale behind it goes as follows:

The “Smallpox Syndrome”

When it comes to colorful, captive-bred seahorses, hobbyists in the USA are blessed with an abundance of riches. There are now 21 distinct varieties of cultured seahorses available in the US, with different color morphs and new farm-raised species hitting the market all the time. We are fortunate indeed to be living in a time when mariculture is undergoing a renaissance and seahorse keeping is emerging from the Dark Ages of the hobby when wild-caught seahorses were the only option and entering into a more enlightened era where conservation and preservation are the watchwords of the day. This is truly the dawn of a Golden Age for seahorse keepers when fabulous farm-raised specimens abound and we no longer need to exploit wild populations for aquarium specimens.

Most of these domesticated seahorses are raised in Hawaii and Australia, with more and more captive breds beginning to trickle in from Florida and the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Asia and Indonesia, with one species (H. ingens) being raised in Mazatlan, Mexico. In looking over this list, it immediately becomes apparent that our captive-bred jewels are raised in vastly different parts in the world. The big seahorse farms, aquaculture operations, and major breeders are all separated by thousands of miles, literally oceans apart from each other.

As wonderful as it is to be able to enjoy cultured seahorses from all around the world, this also presents a potential problem. When we keep seahorses from different parts of the world together in the same aquarium, in theory we may risk exposing our prized pets to exotic pathogens and parasites to which they may have little or no resistance.

I should hasten to add that the reason this may present a potential danger is not because domesticated seahorses have naïve, undeveloped immune systems. On the contrary, captive-bred seahorses have been rigorously selected for disease resistance for many generations and have emerged from this relentless weeding out process as remarkably hardy specimens with an aggressive immune response. It has been demonstrated time and time again that captive-bred seahorses have superior immune systems and greater disease resistance than wild-caught seahorses.

Rather, the potential concern is that captive-bred seahorses reared in Hawaii, for example, may have developed their resistance to somewhat different strains of disease organisms than the ones seahorses raised in Florida or Australia or the UK have built up an immunity to, and vice versa. Different strains of Pseudomonas and Vibrio bacteria, as well as different species of parasites such as Glugea and Uronema, are prevalent in different parts of the world. When we bring seahorses from different breeders in different parts of the world together, or bring different species together, there is a possibility they could be exposed to strains of such pathogens they have never encountered before and are thus ill-equipped to deal with.

The potential danger is akin to the situation when the early explorers from the Old World first encountered American Indians in the New World. These initial encounters were generally peaceful and friendly, but they proved utterly disastrous for the Indians who died in droves from diseases such as smallpox they had never been exposed to before. Even relatively harmless afflictions such as measles decimated the tribes. Many times the Europeans explorers fared little better, as exotic New World diseases such as yellow fever and malaria cut a swathe through their ranks. I like to refer to that scenario as the smallpox syndrome.

The problem was not that the Indians or the explorers had inferior immune systems. On the contrary, the tribes were tough as nails, supremely well adapted to their natural environment, just as the Europeans were perfectly adapted for the climate and conditions in the Old World. The problem was that when the two groups were suddenly thrown together, they were introduced to new afflictions for the first time with which they were unable to cope. They had not gradually built up resistance to these new diseases over many generations as susceptible individuals were weeded out of the population and the hardier individuals developed immunity.

We see the same thing on a lesser scale today every year as influenza pandemics sweep around the world during the flu season. Typically an Asian strain of influenza arises in the East and spreads to Europe and North America via international travelers, where it proceeds to wreak havoc because Westerners have no resistance to the new strain. Hence the annual ritual of flu vaccinations in an attempt to curtail such outbreaks.

This has led to concerns among seahorse keepers that we risk the same sort of problems when we keep compatible seahorses raised in different parts of the world together in the same aquarium. It’s an interesting theory that has some merit and it is certainly based on a plausible scenario. At present, however, there is no data to support the notion that maintaining a mixed community of seahorses from different breeders around the world results in more disease problems than species-only tanks or systems holding only seahorses from the same breeder (hence the same part of the world). All we have to go on at this point are anecdotal reports from hobbyists, which can be notoriously unreliable.

That’s the rundown on the “smallpox syndrome,” WW. In all honesty, I have no idea if such concerns are valid and justified or not. I can tell you that I know many hobbyists who keep seahorses of different species from different sources and breeders together with no problems whatsoever. And I know many other hobbyists who have experienced various problems when they mixed seahorses of different species. Likewise, I know of many hobbyists who keep seahorses strictly from one breeder, yet still experience various health problems, up to and including tank wipeouts from infectious diseases. Thus far, I haven’t been able to detect a pattern to these reports and incidents, other than the obvious fact that many times seahorses (or compatible tankmates for seahorses) obtained from the LFS have proven to be disease vectors that introduced pathogens or parasites into the main aquarium and that, of course, wild-caught seahorses are much more disease prone than hardy captive-red-and-raised seahorses. The one other consistent report regarding seahorses that I hear over and over again, and that I know to be a fact, is that the new Hippocampus kelloggi seahorses that have been making their way to the US from Vietnam and Asia lately are very fragile and disease prone, and have been dying off in droves, particularly when they are kept under tropical conditions. But that is happening regardless of whether they are kept in species tanks by themselves or in community tanks or any other type of setup. The H. kelloggi just appear to be very delicate aquarium specimens at this stage in their development and you should avoid them at costs.

Personally, I have not put much stock in the Smallpox Syndrome with regard to seahorses in the past. Up to now, I have tended to discount such reports largely because we aquarists do not have any such concerns when it comes to other marine fish and invertebrates. Most marine aquarists maintain a community tank of colorful reef fish and freely mix fish and invertebrates from the Philippines and Indonesia with other marine fish and inverts from the Atlantic and Australia or the Red Sea without any worries whatsoever regarding a “smallpox syndrome” effect decimating their aquariums. Likewise, reef keepers freely mix various corals and frags from different aquaculture facilities that originated in different oceans around the world without any such fears. Providing they quarantine the new arrivals to make sure they are healthy before they introduce them to the main tank, most such community tanks and reef systems do just fine, so it isn’t really clear to me why seahorses should be considered an altogether different case that must be strictly segregated by species or by breeder.

As for myself, I have never hesitated to mix different species together in the same aquarium providing they have compatible aquarium requirements in terms of their preferred aquarium parameters and feeding habits, but then again, I get all of my ponies from Ocean Rider, which is the world’s only High-Health seahorse farm, so perhaps I have been lulled into a false sense of security due to the fact that I have never experienced any difficult these mixing different Ocean Rider species together. Over the years, this includes keeping the Brazileros (Hippocampus reidi), Spikeys (Hippocampus barbouri), and Gigantes (Hippocampus ingens) together with Mustangs and Sunbursts, as well as exotic strains such as Pintos and Fire Reds.

That’s my thinking on the matter, WW. However, I should add that I think it is best for new seahorse keepers to stick to a single species of seahorse in order to simplify things while they are learning the ropes and becoming accustomed to providing ideal conditions in the best possible care for the particular ponies of their choice.

And, to be on the safe side, I always advise experienced seahorse keepers who are considering keeping different species together to stick with different strains of High-Health Ocean Rider seahorses, which I know from my own personal experience can be kept together quite successfully.

Aside from temperature considerations and any concerns about the smallpox syndrome, in many cases it’s best to set up a new tank anyway when you want to add more seahorses to your collection simply to avoid overcrowding. When your existing tanks are running along smoothly and trouble free, why risk upsetting the balance by adding new specimens to the established aquaria? In such a situation, it’s generally a much better idea to put up a separate aquarium tailor-made for the new acquisitions that have caught your fancy. In short, it makes good horse sense to segregate seahorses obtained from different breeders for a number of reasons.

In your case, WW, if you would like to combine different types of seahorses and have them breed together readily, then I would suggest that you stick with Ocean Rider Mustangs and Sunbursts, which are different color morphs of the same species (Hippocampus erectus). As such, they have identical aquarium requirements, are equally hardy, and, of course, will interbreed freely. They make ideal tankmates for one another.

Ocean Rider offers many special offers and package deals at bargain prices, and you may well be interested in one or more of these special packages, WW.

If you copy the following URL, paste it in your web browser, and press the “Enter” key, it will take you directly to the proper area of the Ocean Rider website (seahorse.com) for all of the Special Packages:

http://seahorse.com/shop/Special-Packages/

Best wishes with all your fishes, WW!

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna, Ocean Rider Tech Support