Even though seahorses look like a horse with no legs, they are actually a unique group of fish.
You want to add this unique fish to your tank but you are unsure of what a seahorse needs in a tank.
Rumor has it they are hard to take care of but really it is all about keeping their water clean since they are more susceptible to bacteria or disgusting stuff in their water.
Here is a list for you to reference of everything seahorses need in a tank or for maintenance:
- Tank or aquarium of an appropriate size and height
- Hood Cover Strip Light
- Water Pump
- Proper Substrate
- Decor and Hitching Posts
- Algae Cleaner
- High Volume Filter
- Thermometer
- Heater
- Chiller
- Water Conditioner
- Hydrometer/Refractometer
- Aquarium Salt
- Saltwater Test Kit
- Aquarium Net
- Aquarium Vacuum
- Protein Skimmer
- Nutritious Food
Now that you have your list, we will explain everything so you know what to watch out for when you take your list shopping.
What Size Tank Do Seahorses Need?
Since seahorses swim in a vertical position, it is a general consensus that 29 inches is the minimum tank height or 3 times the length of the seahorse if its tail is also measured.
These measurements do not include the depth of the substrate or empty space at the top of the tank. The 29 inches is literally the depth of the water they can move in.
The minimum water volume for smaller seahorses is 20 gallons while larger seahorses require at least 30 gallons. You need to add 10 more gallons for each additional seahorse.
Again, as with the depth, you also need to account for how much space your aquarium decorations are going to take.
Hood Cover With Light Strip
Seahorses don’t really have specific light requirements as long as it is low-moderate and not high.
Seahorses do need a day and night so you should get a hood cover that has a timer. You can also get a light that has adjustable brightness.
Water Pump
Your filter should come with a water pump but you will need at least two to make sure there are no dead spots in your tank where water isn’t moving.
Seahorses don’t have stomachs so they don’t digest bacteria as well as other critters. Good water movement will help keep bacteria out of the water.
Proper Substrate
With seahorses, it is better to go with a bare-bottom tank to better control bacteria buildup but it is not aesthetically pleasing and that’s what you really have seahorses for right?
So if you refuse to go with the bare-bottom tank we recommend sand in the ~0.5-1.5 mm range.
The smaller sand keeps detritus from falling in between the grains so it is easier to clean up with your aquarium siphon/vacuum.
Decor and Hitching Posts
You can have a wide array of decorations as long as you have something for the seahorse to wrap its tail around.
This would be something along the lines of a branch or even arms from a sea pirate decoration or something like that.
Just keep in mind that seahorses spend most of their day with their tails wrapped around something and it is called hitching.
Algae Cleaner
You can have algae magnets that help you scrape the inside of your tank without putting your hands in it.
You can get the normal algae scraper but you will have to get your hands wet.
You can put a cleanup crew in your tank like Trochus, Nerite, Cerith, Astrea, and Nassarius snails. Crabs are a no-go as they will pinch the seahorse. Peppermint shrimp are safe but other shrimp might bother the seahorses which can stress them out.
High Volume Filter
It is better to get a water filter that can handle more than the volume of your seahorse tank since they are susceptible to bacteria and need their water constantly moving.
Thermometer
Seahorses need their water to stay between 72-74 Fahrenheit so you will need a thermometer to make sure it stays that way and to ensure your heater is working.
Chiller
If you live somewhere that is very hot, you may need the opposite of a heater which keeps the water from getting too hot.
Water Conditioner
When you mix your aquarium saltwater, you will need a water conditioner to take chlorine or other chemicals out of your tap water.
Hydrometer/Refractometer
You will need a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the salinity in your saltwater which basically means how much salt is in your saltwater. Salinity for seahorses should be 30ppt-35ppt but you should try to keep it between 32-33.
Aquarium Salt
There are many aquarium salts on the market so just choose a reputable one.
Since seahorses come from the salty ocean you will need aquarium salt to get the proper salinity in your aquarium water.
Saltwater Test Kit
Again, there are plenty of reputable saltwater test kits available. You will need this to measure the salinity in your saltwater which again should be at 30ppt- 35ppt.
Aquarium Net
You will need an aquarium net big enough to wrap around your seahorse with small enough openings that its tail doesn’t get stuck in the net.
Aquarium Gravel Vacuum
There are several reputable brands that make aquarium suction hoses used to suction detritus from the bottom of the tank.
A python vacuum works by connecting to a sink faucet to create suction so you can close the valve and instantly refill your aquarium. However, your aquarium stand either needs wheels or your aquarium has to be close enough to the sink.
Protein Skimmer
It is usually recommended to have a protein skimmer in your seahorse tank because it is almost like an extra filter.
Instead of a screen mesh to foam to filter, a protein skimmer works by grabbing uneaten food and other detritus that stick to air bubbles.
The air bubbles then float to the top of the tank where they are deposited in a container and can be disposed of.
Nutritious Food
The best diet for a seahorse is shrimp such as mysis, brine, red, or ghost shrimp.
Seahorses also like krill, spirulina, or dried flake food although flake food should only be used when the other foods aren’t available.
How To Setup Your Seahorse Tank
The initial setup of your seahorse tank is very important as it will make it easier for you to get started correctly and with proper maintenance, you won’t have to worry about anything going wrong with your seahorses.
Aquarium Stand
You will need an aquarium stand sturdy enough to support the water weight of your aquarium, usually wood or metal.
Find a place not in direct sunlight so even if your seahorse can stand the sun, it doesn’t cause algae to grow.
Mixing Your Saltwater
If you really don’t want to mix your own saltwater, you may be able to buy premixed saltwater at your local pet store or order it online but it is more expensive.
Otherwise here is what you will need to make your own saltwater:
- A five-gallon bucket
- Synthetic aquarium marine salt (don’t use any other kind of salt)
- Hydrometer/Refractometer
- Seachem prime water conditioner
- Measuring Cups (never used for anything but your aquarium).
- Submersible powerhead/pump to use as a mixer and a set of measuring cups (never used for anything but your aquarium and rinsed in tap water after buying)
- After filling your five-gallon bucket with water, follow the instructions that came with the water conditioner.
- Add the specified amount of water conditioner and stir it in with your aquarium net or something that hasn’t been used for anything but your aquarium.
- You need to condition your water first to get chlorine and other things out of your tap water that are bad for your tap water.
- Next, you’re going to want close to 1.022 gravity or between 1.020 and 1.025 gravity of saltwater for your clownfish. Shoot for 1.022-23 when you measure the salt so you can always add a tiny bit of salt if the gravity is low when you measure (better than having too much).
- Just follow the directions that come with your synthetic marine salt. Just use your measuring cups to measure the amount of salt in your bucket of conditioned water to achieve this specific gravity.
- Sprinkle the salt in slowly so that it dissolves and mixes in better. Stir it with your aquarium net or your designated stirring utensil.
- I’ve seen online where some people use a little submersible electric powerhead/pump to sit in the bottom of their bucket and mix the saltwater.
- You need to stir your saltwater well for a few minutes.
After stirring rinse your hydrometer off in tap water whether it is new or has been used before. You don’t want anything leftover throwing off the reading. Follow the directions that come with the hydrometer. Otherwise, here is how we do it:
- Dip the hydrometer straight down into the saltwater until it fills with water. When it is full pull it to the top and tap it on the side of the bucket to make sure there are no air bubbles trapped.
- Place your hydrometer on a level surface and check the reading. If it is done right the gravity should be reading between 1.020 and 1.025.
- If the gravity is too high you will have to mix more salt and water in another bucket to add to your bucket. If the gravity is too low then simply add more salt.
- Try to remember your exact measurements so you can always add salt water with the same gravity every time you replace water in your clownfish tank.
- After your saltwater has the proper measurement of gravity, you will either have to stir it for a few minutes with your net/stirring utensil or just set your submersible power head/pump in the bottom of the bucket and let it go for about 20 minutes.
Adding Your Saltwater to Your Aquarium
Time for one of the most exciting parts, adding the saltwater! Whether you mixed it yourself or you bought premixed saltwater, you can simply just pour it in slowly so that you don’t splash your sand or decorations everywhere. There is not much to it really, just leave a tiny space at the top, maybe a half-inch or so.
After your tank is full make sure your heater and filter components (such as inflow and outflow tubes) are suctioned well to the inside of your aquarium.
Prime Your Filter/Filters
Always read the instructions that come with your equipment. Luckily for us, if you followed my advice, we just have our big canister filter sitting underneath our aquarium. It probably has a giant red primer button that you can press a few times.
Priming fills the pump with water before you turn it on, so no air is trapped. So, after you press the red priming button a few times, turn your pump on and you should see some bubbles coming floating to the top of your aquarium.
This is going to lower the water level in your aquarium a tiny bit, but you should have some leftover water to top it off after your pump is flowing. Your pump is built into your filter canister.
It simply draws water out of your aquarium and pumps it through your filters and back into your aquarium so wastewater is constantly circulating and being replaced by filtered water.
Add Some Aquarium Additives
Now that your aquarium is full, your water is probably murky, no matter what kind of sand you added. We recommend”Seachem Clarity“as a water clarifier. This will just cause all of the murky muck to stick together so your filter can grab it all as the water circulates.
Next, you should add some”SeaChem Stability”to your clownfish tank. This will add some beneficial bacteria to your water for your biological filter to grab. This gives you some beneficial bacteria right away, so you don’t have to wait for them to grow inside your biological filter.
After putting in your additives, let your tank circulate for 24 hours before you do anything else.
Cycling Your Tank
At this point, your tank is all setup and running with water circulating through your filters. The problem now is that there aren’t enough beneficial bacteria.
However, if you have live rock and live sand, and added your SeaChem Stability, it should only take three weeks of your tank cycling to let beneficial bacteria grow in your biological filter inside your canister filter.
You will also have more beneficial bacteria in your live sand and live rock. You should be ready to add your seahorses, but you need to do one thing first….
Test Your Water
You will need some”saltwater test strips“from your local pet store or online. It is faster to get everything from your local pet store. There are several different brands available, but you should be safe if you get them from your local pet store or just check the reviews on Amazon if you are buying them online.
If you don’t have any test strips you can still go shopping for clownfish, just take some of your aquarium water with you and have them test it at your pet store or wherever you are getting your seahorse, just call ahead to make sure. If the water tests are bad, just take some test strips home, let your tank keep cycling, and check it again every few days.
The test strips come with instructions and a little color-matching chart. Just dip the test strip into your aquarium and swirl it a little bit. Pull it out and hold it next to the color chart. If the colors match up then Voila! You are ready for the most exciting part of setting up your seahorse tank. Shopping for seahorses!
Buying and Adding Your Seahorse
You can find seahorses at a reputable pet store or online.
You will most likely bring your seahorse home in a bag.
Set the bag in your tank and let it float, so that the temperature of the bag will slowly change to match that of the tank.
Let it sit for about 45 minutes before you open the bag and tip it into the tank.
Water Parameters for Seahorses
pH:“8.0 to 8.3”
Specific gravity:“1.020 to 1.024
Ammonia:“0”
Nitrite:“0”
Nitrate:“<20 ppm
Phosphates:“0
Ca:“420ppm
Alk:“8-9ppm
Mg:”120
Conclusion
I hope we have answered your questions as to what seahorses need in a tank and how to completely set it up. While there is a lot that goes into setting up your tank this unique group of fish will be a beautiful addition to your aquarium.
If you enjoyed this article on seahorses, please check out our other seahorse information!
