Seahorses are very popular among fish lovers who maintain salt water tanks. The reasons are obvious, it is probably one of the most unusual looking fish and what’s more it’s a beauty, with the head of a horse, the chameleon like ability to change color and the armored body that reminds one of an armadillo.

Type of Water

If you are planning to have a seahorse as a pet you would need to set up a salt water aquarium- both plastic and glass structures would serve the purpose equally well. Synthetic sea water can be easily purchased at any competent pet store. Ideally a seahorse will do fine in salt water that has a specific gravity between 1.020 and 1.025 with the salinity hovering around the middle. A hydrometer would be useful in measuring the salinity and specific gravity.

Size of Aquarium

Though a large aquarium would be better, it is not necessary, especially if you working on a limited budget. What is important is ensuring appropriate filtration, if that is right, then you can maintain up to 50 dwarf seahorses in a mere 5 gallon aquarium. This is because seahorses are peaceful and relatively inactive fishes who can adapt easily to a wide variety of conditions. You can get suitable filters in any good pet shop. However, you have to keep in mind that you mention to them that you need a filter for a seahorse aquarium. If you can maintain a lush growth of algae it would be quite good for the seahorses, as it would absorb carbon dioxide dissolved in the water and release oxygen.

Food

Regarding food, newly hatched brine shrimp can easily meet the nutritional requirements of dwarf seahorses. You can get them at pet shops or set up a personal hatchery. The larger seahorses would need more substantial food like grass shrimp, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, adult brine shrimp and even live mollies or bay guppies. Furthermore you should keep in mind that a seahorse ideally requires a constant supply of food. So it is better to deliver small quantities of food at regularly paced intervals through the day, than try to stuff them with a large quantity of food once a day.

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