rykna
Active Member
This information is provided by a well know seahorse web site. If you would like the link, please feel free to email me.
Seahorses should be introduced into a mature, cycled aquarium. Numerous filtration methods and tank set-ups can result in a healthy, stable seahorse aquarium. A seahorse tank must have gentle to moderate currents. Be sure there is adequate biological filtration and do regular, partial water changes of 5-20 percent per week as you would with any fish-only aquarium, to keep water parameters as listed below. Water parameters should be stable before animals are added:
pH - 8.0 to 8.3
Specific gravity - 1.021 to 1.024
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - <20 ppm
Optimum temperature is dependent on whether the seahorse species being kept are tropical, subtropical or temperate. Generally, most beginners should start with tropical species unless the tank is equipped with a chiller unit. Heating tanks is much less expensive than cooling them. Use a high quality submersible heater. Many Seahorse.org members use Ebo Jaeger heaters as they have more reliable than average performance and do not feel hot to the touch, minimizing the chance of burning a seahorse that hitches to the heater. Allow about 4-watts per gallon when selecting an aquarium heater.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but most seahorse aquarists use taller tanks. Seahorses need height (2.5 to 3 times the UNCURLED length of the animals) in their tanks to court and mate. At a minimum, the depth of the tank, excluding the substrate, should be at least 2x the uncurled length of the animal. Further, leave a path along the substrate as some seahorses courting rituals require them to scoot along the bottom of the tank in tandem. Several pairs of pygmy seahorses can be maintained in a 5-10 gallon tank (a 10G is recommended because of the difficulties of keeping water parameters stable in a small capacity aquarium. Two to three pairs of medium sized seahorses can be maintained in a 24-gallon tank although a larger tank is preferable to keep water parameters more stable.
Temperature Requirements and Stocking Density of Commonly Available Seahorse Species
Note: This is to be used as a guideline. Keeping temperature constant is extremely important and although it is typically better to keep them at the lower ranges below, stability is key. One degree more or less is not a problem as long as temperature swings do not exceed 2 degrees maximum in a 24-hour range. Surface turbulence using power heads (water pumps), air pumps, and fans can help to lower and stabilize temperatures if necessary.
Photographer: Eliezer Zuñiga Villarreal
Here is a list of commonly avaliable seahorse species grouped by their temperature range. You can not mix species from differing temperature ranges. Also listed is the recommended minimum tank size for two pairs of adult seahorses of each species, as well as the 'additional' space required by each additional pair. These are guidelines. Several people keep seahorses successfully in much smaller tanks, but we do not recommend this.
1) Tropical species - kept at 74-78 degrees F (24-26 degrees C)
zosterae, 1 pair/1.5 gallons (6 liters) - recommended 5 gallons (20 liters)
kuda, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
barbouri, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
erectus, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
reidi 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
fuscus 1 pair per 5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
comes 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
procerus 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters) - minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
2) Subtropical species - kept at 70-74 degrees F (22-25 degrees C)
whitei, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
ingens1 pair/13 gallons (50 liters)- minimum size 45 gallons (180 liters)
tuberculatus, 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
3) Temperate species - kept at 66-72 degrees F (19-22 degrees C)
abdominalis, 1pair/13 gallons (50 liters)- minimum size 60 gallons (240 liters)
capensis 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
breviceps, 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
Seahorses should be introduced into a mature, cycled aquarium. Numerous filtration methods and tank set-ups can result in a healthy, stable seahorse aquarium. A seahorse tank must have gentle to moderate currents. Be sure there is adequate biological filtration and do regular, partial water changes of 5-20 percent per week as you would with any fish-only aquarium, to keep water parameters as listed below. Water parameters should be stable before animals are added:
pH - 8.0 to 8.3
Specific gravity - 1.021 to 1.024
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - <20 ppm
Optimum temperature is dependent on whether the seahorse species being kept are tropical, subtropical or temperate. Generally, most beginners should start with tropical species unless the tank is equipped with a chiller unit. Heating tanks is much less expensive than cooling them. Use a high quality submersible heater. Many Seahorse.org members use Ebo Jaeger heaters as they have more reliable than average performance and do not feel hot to the touch, minimizing the chance of burning a seahorse that hitches to the heater. Allow about 4-watts per gallon when selecting an aquarium heater.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but most seahorse aquarists use taller tanks. Seahorses need height (2.5 to 3 times the UNCURLED length of the animals) in their tanks to court and mate. At a minimum, the depth of the tank, excluding the substrate, should be at least 2x the uncurled length of the animal. Further, leave a path along the substrate as some seahorses courting rituals require them to scoot along the bottom of the tank in tandem. Several pairs of pygmy seahorses can be maintained in a 5-10 gallon tank (a 10G is recommended because of the difficulties of keeping water parameters stable in a small capacity aquarium. Two to three pairs of medium sized seahorses can be maintained in a 24-gallon tank although a larger tank is preferable to keep water parameters more stable.
Temperature Requirements and Stocking Density of Commonly Available Seahorse Species
Note: This is to be used as a guideline. Keeping temperature constant is extremely important and although it is typically better to keep them at the lower ranges below, stability is key. One degree more or less is not a problem as long as temperature swings do not exceed 2 degrees maximum in a 24-hour range. Surface turbulence using power heads (water pumps), air pumps, and fans can help to lower and stabilize temperatures if necessary.
Photographer: Eliezer Zuñiga Villarreal
Here is a list of commonly avaliable seahorse species grouped by their temperature range. You can not mix species from differing temperature ranges. Also listed is the recommended minimum tank size for two pairs of adult seahorses of each species, as well as the 'additional' space required by each additional pair. These are guidelines. Several people keep seahorses successfully in much smaller tanks, but we do not recommend this.
1) Tropical species - kept at 74-78 degrees F (24-26 degrees C)
zosterae, 1 pair/1.5 gallons (6 liters) - recommended 5 gallons (20 liters)
kuda, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
barbouri, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
erectus, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
reidi 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
fuscus 1 pair per 5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
comes 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
procerus 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters) - minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
2) Subtropical species - kept at 70-74 degrees F (22-25 degrees C)
whitei, 1 pair/8 gallons (30 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
ingens1 pair/13 gallons (50 liters)- minimum size 45 gallons (180 liters)
tuberculatus, 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 15 gallons (60 liters)
3) Temperate species - kept at 66-72 degrees F (19-22 degrees C)
abdominalis, 1pair/13 gallons (50 liters)- minimum size 60 gallons (240 liters)
capensis 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
breviceps, 1 pair/5 gallons (20 liters)- minimum size 10 gallons (40 liters)
