Welcome to the Wonderful World of Seahorses

Here I will discuss myths and misinformation, tank setup, new arrival acclamation, feeding and caring, tank maintenance, and determining sex.

Myths and misinformation; Seahorses are hard to keep and raise - False - Seahorses are just as easy to keep as any other saltwater aquatic fish providing you setup a nice home for them. Just like mixed reef tanks and its occupant's like certain conditions so do seahorses, therefore it's recommended that if you're getting seahorses that you do have a dedicated tank setup for them.

Tank Setup; When setting up a tank for seahorses it is recommended that a tank / sump system be used. This way all mechanical components can be put in the sump. Tank size should be around 20 gal. per seahorse although more can be added but tank maintenance will be higher. Seahorses are not overly strong swimmers so strong currents in the tank should be avoided, use a water diffuser on water inlet to tank. Do not have any wave makers, pumps, skimmers or such in the tank as sure as anything the seahorses will either get sucked into it or stick their tails into it. Keep all these things in the sump. If you are getting small seahorses make sure that the overflow slots in the tank are not large enough that the seahorses could get though or stuck in. If so glue some mesh of appropriate size over the slots.

Sump Setup; The sump should contain a suitable pump size to provide good circulation in tank, filter socks are a good idea as well as a skimmer. Keep a airstone supplying air and heater in sump as well. The best way I found to keep the nutrient levels lower (nitrate/phosphate) is to use an algae scrubber. This greatly helps dealing with algae in the tank.

Tank Parameters; Water temp should be maintained at around 74F to 76F, salinity 35 ppt, PH - 8.2, alk. and cal. don't really change much unless you have corals in your tank but should be maintained in the range of 9-10 for alk. and 375-450 for cal.. Use a good quality salt and mix for 24 hrs. before adding to system. Check nitrate and phosphate regularly as these will be the hardest things to keep under control, keep both levels as low as possible even though seahorses can tolerate higher levels your tank will develop an algae problem. Try and have a good biological system in the tank and sump by buying bio bacteria starter kit and following the directions.

Tank Decor and Partners; Seahorses like to anchor themselves to plants, rocks and pretty much anything they can wrap their tails around and blend in to camouflage themselves. In nature this is their only means of defence. Therefore its a good idea to have some plants either good quality plastic/silicon natural colors or real plants, live rock or ornamental decor in the tank. The live rock will also provide a good home for copepods and amphipods to live, breed and restock the tank as well as be a great food source for the seahorses to enjoy hunting. Cool water corals that aren't poisonous or sting can be added like sea fans, gorgonian, grube. Fish that go well are goby, mandarin or other non aggressive fish that won't compete for food.

New Arrival Acclamation; Upon arrival of your seahorses, unpack and check the condition of your seahorses. They should arrival healthy and safe. Remove outer bag and float inner bag in the tank or sump for 1/2 hour to equalize water temp., after that open bag and remove about a cup of water and then add the same amount of tank water and let them adjust for a 1/2 hour, repeat 2-3 more times and then add them to tank. The seahorses should adjust to their new surroundings after a few days and become more active.

Feeding and Caring; Seahorses basically have no stomach and just a large digestive track. their mouth is fused so they suck their food in though their long snout. Therefore they should be fed at least once a day, preferably twice. All seahorses shipped from me are eating thawed, rinsed frozen mysis shrimp, small size for the smaller seahorses and large size for the larger seahorses. Adding live copepods to the system is a great way to supplement their diet and give them great enjoyment in something to hunt.

Tank Maintenance; Tank cleaning should be done on a regular manner. Do regular weekly water changes if not setup for auto water change, addition of a auto water top off system is recommended as it keeps salinity levels constant. If at all possible it is recommended to vacuum the bottom of the take once in a while. Change filter socks, clean skimmer and algae scrubber if applicable regularly.

Determining Sex; Seahorses can be hard to sex until they reach the age of about 3 months. At that age the males have started to develop their poach and their body shape starts to transforms from a P shape like a female to a D shape where their chest/body area transforms to their tail. See pics below.

Female Seahorse

Male Seahorse

Seahorses Canada