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sea horse tank.
- Thread starter Nickt
- Start date
RiverRat
Non-member
First off......congrats on thinking about jumping into the world of seahorses. It is an exciting and interesting tank to keep and watch grow.
I agree with cstmpprl.....
A 10 gallon tank will be suitable for dwarf seahorses, but not larger seahorses (and as mentioned above, dwarf seahorses require live food). A good guideline to follow is 10 gallons per pair of seahorses with a 30 gallon minimum, so a well established 30 gallon tank can successfully house 1-6 seahorses (seahorses in this case being something like H. erectus). Though I should note, a well established and excellently maintained 20 gallon tank could probably keep 1-2 seahorses successfully (but do you really want the added stress in what could be a relaxing hobby?).
On to your filtration......
This will all depend on the size of your tank; keeping in mind seahorses do not love a ton of flow. It is recommended to have filtration with a turnover rate of 5-8 times per hour. This can be calculated by dividing your filter rating by the gallons in your tank, so for you it could be 350gph diveded by 10 gallons, which is 35 (too high).
Again, I should note, I have added some additional flow to my tank in the form of small Aquatop pumps (for macro algae health and dead zones) and have not seen any negative effects on my seahorses. These are guidelines, but you are going to know your tank best.
Other things to think about.....
You are going to want places for your seahorses to comfortably hitch. I have many types of macro algae and some nice tall fake sponges.
If you decide to add more water movement; do not use a powerhead with a visible propeller (imagine a seahorse hitching their tail in there).
Seahorses are more vertical animals than horizontal; they will appreciate a taller tank (think 18 inches).
Seahorses like their tank to be cooler than what your reef tank may be (mine is set to 74 degrees).
Are you considering a species only tank or perhaps some tank mates? You will want to choose from the more docile and peaceful fish (gobies, etc.). I have kept mine with a pair of clown fish and a watchman goby.
Seahorses are messy eaters. A good clean up crew is necessary; I have opted for just snails (I don't trust the crabs) with nassarius snails being the heavy lifters.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Hope this helps.
I agree with cstmpprl.....
A 10 gallon tank will be suitable for dwarf seahorses, but not larger seahorses (and as mentioned above, dwarf seahorses require live food). A good guideline to follow is 10 gallons per pair of seahorses with a 30 gallon minimum, so a well established 30 gallon tank can successfully house 1-6 seahorses (seahorses in this case being something like H. erectus). Though I should note, a well established and excellently maintained 20 gallon tank could probably keep 1-2 seahorses successfully (but do you really want the added stress in what could be a relaxing hobby?).
On to your filtration......
This will all depend on the size of your tank; keeping in mind seahorses do not love a ton of flow. It is recommended to have filtration with a turnover rate of 5-8 times per hour. This can be calculated by dividing your filter rating by the gallons in your tank, so for you it could be 350gph diveded by 10 gallons, which is 35 (too high).
Again, I should note, I have added some additional flow to my tank in the form of small Aquatop pumps (for macro algae health and dead zones) and have not seen any negative effects on my seahorses. These are guidelines, but you are going to know your tank best.
Other things to think about.....
You are going to want places for your seahorses to comfortably hitch. I have many types of macro algae and some nice tall fake sponges.
If you decide to add more water movement; do not use a powerhead with a visible propeller (imagine a seahorse hitching their tail in there).
Seahorses are more vertical animals than horizontal; they will appreciate a taller tank (think 18 inches).
Seahorses like their tank to be cooler than what your reef tank may be (mine is set to 74 degrees).
Are you considering a species only tank or perhaps some tank mates? You will want to choose from the more docile and peaceful fish (gobies, etc.). I have kept mine with a pair of clown fish and a watchman goby.
Seahorses are messy eaters. A good clean up crew is necessary; I have opted for just snails (I don't trust the crabs) with nassarius snails being the heavy lifters.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Nickt
Non-member
Thanks guys for the great info. I don't want to have a ton of horses 2 will be fine for me. I do have an established 90 gallon right now. But way too much flow for sea horses. And I believe what I want is dwarf sea horses. Thanks for the help im going to have to re think my plans.
