Description
Hippocampus erectus (or Lined Seahorses) are a wonderful choice for a seahorse aquarium. These seahorses are relatively hardy and great beginner seahorses. Our erectus are captive-bred, meaning that we breed and raise the seahorses at our facility -- This ensures that your seahorse is healthy, parasite-free, adapted to aquarium life, and ready to eat prepared frozen foods. Our seahorses are yellow, but may change color as a result of mood, diet, or as a means to camouflage with their surroundings (sometimes turning orange, beige, or brown depending on their environment). Some of our seahorses have saddle markings, and some do not. Each one is unique!
Temperament & Care
Seahorses are delicate peaceful creatures with specific needs. They should be kept in an aquarium with a minimum height of 18", as each seahorse may reach a max height of 7"+ and needs adequate vertical space for swimming. Being social creatures, seahorses do best paired or in a group. We recommend a minimum of 28 gallons for a single pair of seahorses, and an added ~15 gallons for every additional pair.
Temperature is also an important factor when deciding if seahorses are right for you. Seahorses prefer colder temperatures (70-74F is recommended).
Finally, other seahorse tankmates must be selected with caution. Avoid aggressive fish (and fish that will outcompete the seahorses for food), anemones, clams, and corals with strong nematocysts (stinging-cells). We recommend adding macroalgae (or seaweed) to the aquarium to add a splash of color as well as to provide a natural means of nitrate/phosphate export. Furthermore, make sure to include "hitching posts" in the aquarium so that your seahorse has something for their tail to grab a hold of. Gorgonians, also known as sea fans, (alive or artificial) are our favorite type of hitching post.
Temperature is also an important factor when deciding if seahorses are right for you. Seahorses prefer colder temperatures (70-74F is recommended).
Finally, other seahorse tankmates must be selected with caution. Avoid aggressive fish (and fish that will outcompete the seahorses for food), anemones, clams, and corals with strong nematocysts (stinging-cells). We recommend adding macroalgae (or seaweed) to the aquarium to add a splash of color as well as to provide a natural means of nitrate/phosphate export. Furthermore, make sure to include "hitching posts" in the aquarium so that your seahorse has something for their tail to grab a hold of. Gorgonians, also known as sea fans, (alive or artificial) are our favorite type of hitching post.
Feeding
Our seahorses are trained to eat Frozen Hikari Mysis Shrimp and Piscine Energetics (PE) Mysis Shrimp. They love feeding time so much that they will even eat the frozen shrimp right out of your hand!
Because seahorses do not have stomachs, they need to be fed at least twice per day to ensure that they receive proper nutrition.
Because seahorses do not have stomachs, they need to be fed at least twice per day to ensure that they receive proper nutrition.