How to Care for Your Tiny Little Seahorse

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Here is a basic guide that will help beginners find success with their first herd. Read on and learn everything you need to know about the caring needs of a seahorse.

Many people love to keep seahorses as pets. But you should remember that these marine animals need utmost care and attention at all times. Let's get to know some important points to keep in mind you before you bring them home.

Aquarium Tank Setup

A normal aquarium is not ideal for seahorses. The fish tank height should be 3 times the height of the adult seahorse in your tank. The flow should be set at moderate. The temperature of the tank should be lower than a reef aquarium.

The species from tropical waters need about 71º F to 78º F water temperature. Subtropical species require 68º F to 74º F water temperature and species from the temperate region need about 64º F to 71º F. A beginner should start out with tropical species as it is easier to stabilize the temperature of a tropical tank.

Install a good filtration system. Make sure the intakes of the filters are well protected as these can be pulled in by the filter powerheads. You should also make sure there are plenty of 'hitching posts' or artificial hold fasts placed in the tank. This is because they need something to cling on when resting.

You can place rocks, plants, real and fake corals, etc., as their hitching posts. The substrate you choose should not have sharp edges. These sharp edges can cause cuts and wounds on their body. Corals or sand substrates work fine for this creature.

Feeding Requirements

Seahorses like all pets have specific feeding requirements. When you bring them home, you need to feed them frozen mysis. There are frozen foods available in the market and need to be fed twice a day daily. You can even substitute live food once a week.

Other options include small krill, brine shrimp, live ghost shrimp. Make sure you do not feed brine shrimp more than once a week. Brine shrimp may come cheap, but it will cause your pet to starve. You need to feed them more than just brine shrimp, if you want them to survive.

Tank Mate Compatibility

They are not strong swimmers and cannot compete for food. They also have little to offer as defense against aggressive fish. Therefore, you can house a seahorse with other seahorses to be on the safe side.

If you are interested in having a few other species in your tank, you can get home a few clean-up mates. These include Astrea snail, Feather Dusters, Turbo snail, Nerite snail, Nassarius snail, Trochus snail, Cerith snail, etc. You can even add blue legged hermit crab, peppermint shrimp or grass shrimp as a tank mate.