Equine Aquatics: The Art Of Keeping Seahorses

Of all the sea creatures that visitors to an aquarium can be fascinated by, sea horses are right up at the top of the list. One of the most elegant and beautiful of animals, they are also perhaps some of the most mysterious and unique. Nothing else looks like them, and they stand out in a number of other ways too.

The first question many will ask is: What exactly is a sea horse? Despite the name they are a type of fish, but one that differs from most others in all kinds of ways. Among these is the absence of caudal fins, as well as having a long tail, a neck and a downward-pointing snout. All this helps them to swim upright, again an almost unique trait.

Stranger still for a vertebrate, they have an exoskeleton, something normally only associated with invertebrates. But perhaps the most extraordinary thing about seahorses is their reproductive system.

The creatures still have males and females, but the process of fertilisation happens in reverse, with the female bringing the eggs to the male, which he self-fertilises. He then carries the young before giving birth to live babies, an almost unique characteristic only shared by their close relatives the pipefish and sea dragons.  

All these curious features make seahorses a fascinating thing to have in an aquarium, which is the only place they really should be kept in captivity. Most seahorses taken from the sea to be pets do not survive long, because they need the right kind of care. If you are planning to buy aquarium accessories online, make sure everything is set up for a good seahorse environment.

Considering they are already endangered in parts of the world like China - where they are used in medicine - conservation is a big issue, which is where aquariums can help them survive.

Feeding is an important consideration. Seahorses have large appetites and can eat up to 30-50 times a day, with shrimp their food of choice. They have no teeth or mouths, so they suck up food in their snouts and disintegrate it as they go.  

Overfeeding is a potential problem, but this can be spotted if there are bits of shrimp left over at the bottom of the tank after feeding. In that instance, this needs to be cleaned up. If a load of hatchlings have just emerged, they will need feeding almost constantly.

The right environment requires plenty of aquatic plants, as seahorses love hiding in the weeds and reeds, and any other creatures they share the tank with should be peaceful and non-aggressive, such as mandarins.

Other constants should be the temperature - between 76 and 78 degrees F for more tropical species, although this is of course much warmer than the coastal waters in which British varieties of seahorse live. You should also make sure your pumps and oxygenators are turned on gently and do not create water turbulence.

Given the threats posed by the persistence of traditional medicine practices, many sub-species of seahorse may remain in danger out in the wild and rely on aquariums to guarantee their survival. But with good aquatic care, these elegant and amazing fish can live contented and peaceful lives in the tank.