Keeping Seahorses in Aquaria #1 - Introduction and Setting Up Your Seahorse Tank

bobman · Apr 18, 2017

Great write up

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

Thanks Meredith, I hope it is helpful to your customers.

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

bobman said:
Great write up

Thanks!

Sir Chris · Apr 19, 2017

Do sea dragons fall in same bacterial and gill problems. I have red bugs and want 1 both for them and I want 1. I have a mixed reef. But also a nano I was goin 2 put a T5 over vs the hood as I have an old 24 inch 2bulb

LbulletM · Apr 19, 2017

This is an awesome article. My wife is generally apathetic with the tank, but always makes comments about the seahorse tank when we're at the store!

azbigjohn · Apr 19, 2017

Awesome article, @vlangel !

I tired seahorses once, but was unable to keep the temp low enough in Phoenix, AZ, and ended up not being successful. I have since had a lot of luck using fans to keep temps cool enough, and may try again.

I had one question about the airstone pump for emergencies.. Is using a bubbler beneficial to seahorses in general? or should you only use one for circulation if the electricity fails?

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

Lord Chris said:
Do sea dragons fall in same bacterial and gill problems. I have red bugs and want 1 both for them and I want 1. I have a mixed reef. But also a nano I was goin 2 put a T5 over vs the hood as I have an old 24 inch 2bulb

I have never researched sea dragons so I really am not qualified to answer that. They are a syngnathid however which is the same family as seahorses and pipefish.

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

LbulletM said:
This is an awesome article. My wife is generally apathetic with the tank, but always makes comments about the seahorse tank when we're at the store!

Thank you for reading my article.

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

azbigjohn said:
Awesome article, @vlangel !

I tired seahorses once, but was unable to keep the temp low enough in Phoenix, AZ, and ended up not being successful. I have since had a lot of luck using fans to keep temps cool enough, and may try again.

I had one question about the airstone pump for emergencies.. Is using a bubbler beneficial to seahorses in general? or should you only use one for circulation if the electricity fails?

Thank you azbigjohn. Yes, I visited Phoenix once and you folks get some HOT weather!

An open airline bubbling can be a good way to agitate the surface of the tank and I use one in my tank.

Tautog · Apr 19, 2017

Wow! That's a very interesting read. I agree with some of your findings, and in NO way wish to tarnish your story, or cause any harm to anyone who has taken time to help others, but I do disagree with a bunch. I'm keeping a Seahorse for over 1 1/2 yrs. It's not in my reef tank, but a local-collected tank of various critters. I collected it in December 2015, in 37 degree water. It's a black Seahorse, who's color has never changed. This local tank is setup with no special lights, no heater, no skimmer, 2 simple fresh water filters, 1 air stone for bubbles, and a deep bed that is sand on one half and gravel on the other. It's tank mates include 2 grouper, a spot, Killiefish, fickle-fish, ,spearing, a blue claw crab, 2 crown conchs, grass shrimp, clams, and scallops. It's a eat or be eaten type of tank.
This tank, 60 gal., gets a WC of 18 gallons every 2-3 weeks, and yes, I jerri-can the water from the bay. I don't filter the water prior to the WC, in fact, it sits in 5 gal containers until I have time. And unfortunately, I have lots of algae growing on the back glass, and a Seahorse that loves to hang in the bubbles.
The most amazing occurrence is that my groupers eat every small - medium fish, clam, scallop, crab, and especially the shrimp; everything eats shrimp! But, no one bothers the Seahorse.
My water temperature changes throughout the year, from 55 to 90. My livestock changes due to additions, and subtractions , the groupers eat everything, but the Seahorse.
A marine biologist from Stonybrook University, wasn't amazed at all. I wanted to add the Seahorse to my 180 Reef system, but he suggested not to based on flow and competition for food.
I will agree that Seahorses will capture your heart, but once they eat frozen foods, mostly shrimp, once a day, or every other day, they become an easy, cooperative tankmate that everyone could enjoy!

These are my findings, and hope, as I'm sure you do, that others will try a Seahorse or two. The pleasure, their unique habits, so different from any fish I've raised.

vlangel · Apr 19, 2017

Tautog said:
Wow! That's a very interesting read. I agree with some of your findings, and in NO way wish to tarnish your story, or cause any harm to anyone who has taken time to help others, but I do disagree with a bunch. I'm keeping a Seahorse for over 1 1/2 yrs. It's not in my reef tank, but a local-collected tank of various critters. I collected it in December 2015, in 37 degree water. It's a black Seahorse, who's color has never changed. This local tank is setup with no special lights, no heater, no skimmer, 2 simple fresh water filters, 1 air stone for bubbles, and a deep bed that is sand on one half and gravel on the other. It's tank mates include 2 grouper, a spot, Killiefish, fickle-fish, ,spearing, a blue claw crab, 2 crown conchs, grass shrimp, clams, and scallops. It's a eat or be eaten type of tank.
This tank, 60 gal., gets a WC of 18 gallons every 2-3 weeks, and yes, I jerri-can the water from the bay. I don't filter the water prior to the WC, in fact, it sits in 5 gal containers until I have time. And unfortunately, I have lots of algae growing on the back glass, and a Seahorse that loves to hang in the bubbles.
The most amazing occurrence is that my groupers eat every small - medium fish, clam, scallop, crab, and especially the shrimp; everything eats shrimp! But, no one bothers the Seahorse.
My water temperature changes throughout the year, from 55 to 90. My livestock changes due to additions, and subtractions , the groupers eat everything, but the Seahorse.
A marine biologist from Stonybrook University, wasn't amazed at all. I wanted to add the Seahorse to my 180 Reef system, but he suggested not to based on flow and competition for food.
I will agree that Seahorses will capture your heart, but once they eat frozen foods, mostly shrimp, once a day, or every other day, they become an easy, cooperative tankmate that everyone could enjoy!

These are my findings, and hope, as I'm sure you do, that others will try a Seahorse or two. The pleasure, their unique habits, so different from any fish I've raised.

I am happy for you that what you are doing is working. We may not agree on how we keep our ponies but I think we are in complete agreement about what a cool creature seahorses are. They are truly unique!

120reefkeeper · Apr 19, 2017

Thanks for the awesome article!! I look forward to many more on the subject. This is one area that I want to know a lot more about!

Awesome job!!

vlangel · Apr 20, 2017

120reefkeeper said:
Thanks for the awesome article!! I look forward to many more on the subject. This is one area that I want to know a lot more about!

Awesome job!!

You are welcome and I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.

Jahdiel · Apr 20, 2017

Thank you for all the info

Scopulum Zombie · Apr 20, 2017

@tikkivicky this is a great article.

Thank you @vlangel for posting this series!

aquaman33431 · Apr 20, 2017

great posting and very timely. I am just thinking about setting up a new seahorse tank!

gary henkel · Apr 20, 2017

As someone who has and breeds seahorses, i have to commend you on the quality of this initial article. seahorse setups should indeed be species specific. you covered most of the bases. my only addition on the equipment end would be heavy filtration and an efficient protein skimmer. as you mentioned, seahorses are messy, picky eaters, a lot of stuff hits the bottom uneaten(i maintain a lot of cleanup crew critters also). you may be covering all of that later. i look forward to your f0llowup articles.