10 Things You Should Know Before Keeping Seahorses As Pets.
Keeping Seahorses as Pets! Photo courtesy of shellac
1. Yes! Seahorses can be kept as pets.
As long as you have the proper aquarium set up, and take take proper care of them. They are protected by international law, but that means their trade is regulated, not prohibited. Most countries allow the free trade and keeping of captive bred seahorses. Captive bred seahorses are easy to obtain in many countries and are generally allowed under the regulations.
2. They are marine fish.
They require a saltwater aquarium, and all the equipment that goes with it. Which leads us to:
3. They are expensive.
Seahorses themselves start around $60 each from reputable online vendors. The equipment and materials to run a saltwater aquarium tend to be very expensive. $500-$1000 for a set up is not uncommon.
4. Seahorses can’t be kept like most other marine fish.
Seahorses have special requirements that preclude them from being kept like most other saltwater fish or invertebrates. They require lower temperatures, are suseptable to coral and anemone stings, and need a different environment to thrive. See our article on keeping seahorses.
5. Seahorses have a specialized diet.
Seahorses are picky eaters, and the need to eat a lot. They mainly eat shrimp, but readily available brine shrimp is not an adequate diet. Most captive bred seahorses eat frozen mysis and those unfortunate enough to own wild caught seahorses have to feed live foods. See our seahorse feeding guide.
6. You can’t go on vacation when you have seahorses.
Okay, that’s not true. But you do have to find someone reliable with at least saltwater aquarium experience if you do. Seahorses can’t be left without food for more than a day, and vacation feeders don’t work.
7. You should always purchase Captive Bred seahorses.
Even if you can get wild caught seahorses, you should always opt for captive bred. They are easier to care for, less disease prone, easier to feed, live longer, and are generally adapted well to life in captivity. Plus, you’re not taking them from the wild where they are already threatened by overfishing and habitat loss.
8. Tank-Raised or Net-Pen Raised isn’t the same as Captive Bed.
Many distributors and fish stores sell seahorses that were either raise in giant pens in the ocean, or collect the pregnant fathers and hatch the babies in captivity. The problem with this is that they’re still prone to many of the diseases that wild caught seahorses are vulnerable to. You’re best bet is to buy seahorses from a recognized breeder to ensure that you’re really getting captive bred seahorses.
9. Most pet stores give wrong information about seahorses.
Pet stores and fish stores tend to be the worst place for getting advice on seahorses. It’s not intentional most of the time, there is just a lot of bad information that has been past around for years. The internet, reef clubs and online sites are much better sources of information about seahorse care. See the article on 20 misconceptions about seahorses.
10. Keeping seahorses is addictive.
Despite the difficulties and special requirements, keeping seahorses as pets is a rewarding and exciting experience. It’s hard to stop at just one or two! Before you know it, your house will be filled with aquariums and your wallet be lighter. But hey, there are worse addictions out there!
If you are interested in keeping seahorses, I highly recommend getting them from seahorsesource.com. I am not affiliated with them in anyway, I am just a happy customer and only hear glowing reviews of their service.
If the primary food for seahorses is NOT brine shrimp nor algae, what is the best food for dwarf seahorses? Thank you!
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:07 pmDwarf seahorses are the one exception. Newly Hatched and enriched Baby Brine shrimp is generally used as a staple. This is because they are more nutritious, still having the egg yoke or being enriched. Larger seahorses will not eat baby brine shrimp, its too small.
Even then, they should probably be offered copepods and very small shrimp on occasion to supplement their diets.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:19 am“Tank-Raised or Net Pen raised isn’t the same as Captive Bed.” BRAVO!
August 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pmgreat info…i’ve always been interested in keeping a seahorse tank, but haven’t had much time. my reef tanks keep me busy enough!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:29 pmwow, i never thought that seahorses could be very difficult to take care and quite expensive too. i’ve always wanted to keep seahorses as pets but i really don’t think i could do such required responsibilities. i think i need to be more educated on this.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:34 ami have not much idea about seahorses but i’d loved to keep them as pets. can anyone suggest me of which kind of seahorse i should get? i prefer the one that has a long life span. thanks!
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:46 amIm glad that I read this. Im a massive fan of all things to do with both fresh and saltwater aquariums and this post was useful to me. Thank you once again. I will keep reading your blog with interest.
May 12th, 2010 at 7:43 pmI plan to gift a seahorse to a friend. It would be nice if you could give me me detailed information about the cost involved and also any other things I should keep in mind/may overlook. Thanks…loved the article!
May 18th, 2010 at 7:28 am