Beginners Guide to Seahorse Keeping

[leliataylor]

Introduction

The family syngnathidae consist of seahorses, pipefish and sea dragons. Sea dragons are indigenous to Australia and are not readily available to the hobbyist. Several species of pipefish are readily available in the aquarium trade, however they are normally wild caught individuals. Pipes have been raised in captivity with limited success and CB individuals are not readily available. The genus hippocampus, aka seahorses, are the only group that are readily available to the hobbyists as captive bred individuals. Due to the difficulty in keeping non captive bred syngnathids alive long term their care is best left to experts. That being said, many species of seahorses have either never been raised in captivity or have been raised with limited success. The most commonly available species are those that have been bred in captivity for multiple generations and have proven to be the easiest to keep. At the top of the list would be H. erectus (lined seahorse). They can reach 8+ inches, have been know to live 10 years or more and are one of the easiest species to raise. This is why they are considered the best choice for a new seahorse keeper.

In this article I will discuss different requirements of some of the more common species of seahorses that have been breed in the US, selection and acclimation of your new seahorses, tank selection and set up, feeding your new seahorses and potential problems that may arise. Many people that venture into the world of seahorses have reported them to be delicate and hard to keep. They are actually very hardy and understanding their unique requirements will go a long way in ensuring your success with them . Starting off right, from the beginning, will enable you to successfully keep these lovely fish..


Know Your Seahorses

Before deciding to set up a tank for seahorses you need to decide which species you plan on keeping. Commonly available captive bred seahorses can grow from 1” to over 12” as adults. Your tank size will dictate what species you can potentially keep. Another factor to consider is the temperature requirements of different species. Some seahorses are tropical and prefer temperatures between 70-74’, others are subtropical and best kept at 67-70’, and a few are temperate/cold water species which need to kept below about 66’.

Requirements of some captive breed seahorse species:

Tropical Species 70-74’
H. comes - Tigertail
(reef dwellers as adults)
H. erectus –Lined
(easiest to keep)
H. kuda – Smooth
(May actually be multiple species)
H. reidi – Brazilian
(very difficult to raise)
H. zosterae – Dwarf
(Require live food)

Subtropical Species 67-70’
H. ingens – Pacific
(huge seahorse)

Temperate Species <66’
H. abdominalis – Pots
(very social and outgoing)

Minimum tank volume for most of these species is 29 gallons for a single pair and coincides with their adult length which is 8-9". There are three exceptions. Dwarf seahorses only grow to 1-1.5" and can be housed in a tank as small as 5 gallons. H. ingens and H. abdominalis can grow to 12+' and a single pair is cramped in a 65 gallon tank.

Photos of a male H. comes, H. erectus and H. ingens