Seahorse has white blockage maybe??

[lulu1228]

I have a juvenile seahorse and it looks like they might have a digestive blockage of some kind. It's white and looks to be seeping out. What should I do????

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Is it still eating?
Any other symptoms like rapid breathing?
How long have you had it?

Seahorses have really short digestive systems. Because they feed on prey like copepods, with thick shells, I've never heard of them getting a blockage. It could be an internal protozoan disease though.

Jay

 

[lulu1228]

Is it still eating?
Any other symptoms like rapid breathing?
How long have you had it?

Seahorses have really short digestive systems. Because they feed on prey like copepods, with thick shells, I've never heard of them getting a blockage. It could be an internal protozoan disease though.

Jay

He's still eating and acting totally normal so that's why I'm confused. What does the protozoan disease look like??

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

He's still eating and acting totally normal so that's why I'm confused. What does the protozoan disease look like??

White mucus feces can be caused by an overgrowth of gut protozoans like Hexamita. These protozoans are common in fish digestive tracks but only cause issues if their population gets out of hand.
If it is eating well, it may not need to be treated, but one option would be to treat it with metronidazole in a treatment tank.
Jay

 

[lulu1228]

White mucus feces can be caused by an overgrowth of gut protozoans like Hexamita. These protozoans are common in fish digestive tracks but only cause issues if their population gets out of hand.
If it is eating well, it may not need to be treated, but one option would be to treat it with metronidazole in a treatment tank.

What would have caused that? And how would I treat it with metronidazole?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What would have caused that? And how would I treat it with metronidazole?

The population of these protozoans can flare up due to stress or other unknown reasons. To really get a positive diagnosis, you would need to put some of the fecal matter under a microscope and look for protozoans moving about. That includes me not being able to say 100% if this is the issue or not. This potentially could also be a bacterial issue.

Here is a link to a source of metronidazole. Ignore the information about putting it in the food - that won't work with seahorses.

https://www.seachem.com/metroplex.php
Jay