Seahorses are beautiful, varied, and an exotic addition to a home or office aquarium. They add an intriguing and mythical element to your tank’s ecosystem. Fortunately, with a little planning, they are not much more difficult to keep than other fish and can be added to your tank.
In the past, seahorses were only caught in the wild and often didn’t survive long in a tank environment. Today most are captive-bred and withstand a wider range of environments.
Seahorses are somewhat weak swimmers, and have less efficient gills than other fishes. Therefore, their filtration needs are slightly different. They need lower flow but more oxygen. A protein skimmer helps aerate the water and increase the oxygen content. They also prefer a cooler temperature than most tropical fish, so keep this in mind when mixing seahorses and fish.
Tank mates can include fish, but slower fish are better tankmates for seahorses. Start off with the seahorse and introduce fish only after they’ve adapted to their environment. Snails and hermit crabs are also excellent additions.
Take care when selecting corals for a reef tank and seahorses. While generally not advisable, there are a few exceptions you can add. Live rock is also recommended for your tank, as long as it’s properly cured.
Seahorses need a hitching post, something to latch their tail onto during the day. Feeding stations with hitching posts are an excellent addition to your future seahorse aquarium.
For an in-depth review of seahorses, visit this page.
