What Do I Need to Build a Seahorse Aquarium?

Seahorses are recognized by their equine shape and docile personalities. Seahorses typically live one year under optimal conditions, with farm- or aquarium-raised seahorses having less health problems than wild seahorses. There are more than 32 types of seahorses and all require the same type of tank atmosphere. Getting off on the right foot for a healthy seahorse tank is as simple as having the right equipment to produce and maintain a cycled tank and the ability to feed quality live foods.

  1. Tank and Substrate

    • Happy seahorses are vibrant in color and darken when stressed.

      A minimum of a 10-gallon tank is optimal for a pair of dwarf seahorses because it allows room if the pair of horses produce young. A 24-gallon tank is recommended for medium to large seahorse families. Use a 1-inch layer of fine-grain live tank sand because it is beneficial in helping the tank cycle; dead rocks are preferred to live rocks to prevent infecting a healthy tank. Once the tank becomes active, dead rocks begin to grow new life from the tank̵7;s natural environment.

    Water and Filtering System

    • Seahorses require a fully cycled tank with a current where the water constantly moves, or the seahorses will be unable to live and feed. A good saltwater filtering system that produces a mild current is ideal. Filtering systems used with seahorses require a cover on the tank̵7;s intake pipe that is located inside the tank, such as a nylon pantyhose or a sponge designed to cover the intake pipe. This is necessary to prevent a standard filtering system from sucking the seahorses and their babies into the filtering system.

    Food, Environment and Tank Mates

    • Brine shrimp is availible at most fish supply stores.

      Providing the right food, environment and tank mates is necessary to keep seahorses healthy. Seahorses prefer live food to frozen, with an ideal 50/50 combination of baby brine shrimp and 2-day-old brine shrimp. Since seahorses are sedentary creatures, offer several blades of grass for them to grasp. Plastic grass small enough for a seahorse̵7;s tail to wrap around are ideal. Tank mates such as bottom-feeding shrimp are safe; however, tangs, octopi, triggerfish, eels and sea anemones are aggressive and should be avoided.

    Tank Cycling and Tank Temperature

    • An ideal tank temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

      Before adding any seahorses, allow the tank to cycle four to six weeks to prevent losing the seahorses to unstable tank conditions. Begin the cycle by adding a few live brine shrimp to a clean tank and allow them to die and decay. This raises the ammonia level and stimulates the cycle that leads to a healthy tank. Check the tank each week until it reaches a pH of 8.0 to 8.3, a specific gravity of 1.021 to 1.024, zero ammonia, and zero nitrites with nitrates at less than 20 ppm.