TankBud

Seahorses and pipefish

Seahorses and pipefish are slow, deliberate feeders that struggle in a normal community, so they do best in a species tank built around them. The seahorses here are all marine, but most of the pipefish are freshwater or brackish species, so check the water type before you plan the tank. They want gentle flow, frequent small meals and calm tankmates that will not outcompete them, and captive-bred seahorses are far hardier than wild-caught. Each profile lists tank size, feeding and setup notes.

At a glance

Tank size
5–53 gal
5 gal (20 L) to 53 gal (200 L); half the list needs 30 gal (114 L) or more
Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C, most of the list
pH
8.0–8.4
Most of the list
Difficulty
1 medium
22 difficult
Temperament
12 peaceful
11 mostly peaceful

23 species

Start here

The seahorses

The lined seahorse is the one most keepers start with, 7.1 inches (18 cm) for 29 gallons (110 liters) at 68–79°F (20–26°C), cooler than a reef and marked difficult like every fish on this page. The Brazilian seahorse is the tropical one at 6.7 inches (17 cm) for 72–81°F (22–27°C). The yellow seahorse reaches 7.9 inches (20 cm) and lists 40 gallons (150 liters). White's seahorse is 6.3 inches (16 cm) for 30 gallons (114 liters) at 68–75°F (20–24°C). The dwarf seahorse is 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) for 5 gallons (20 liters) and eats only live baby brine shrimp. All of them are marked peaceful and social, and all of them lose every race for food.

The rule

What the family needs

Seahorses and pipefish swim slowly, hunt by sight and eat small prey many times a day, which is why every profile here is marked difficult. They get a tank of their own, or share only with fish as slow as they are. Frozen mysis goes in two or three times a day, and a fish that has not learned frozen food gets live brine shrimp until it does. Flow stays gentle, and the tank has something to hold: gorgonians, macroalgae or artificial branches. The temperate species, the lined seahorse, White's seahorse and the Gulf pipefish, want water at 68–75°F (20–24°C), which a reef heater will not give them.

  1. 01

    A tank of their own

    Nothing faster shares it

  2. 02

    Fed two or three times a day

    Frozen mysis, live brine until they learn

  3. 03

    Gentle flow and a hold

    Branches or macroalgae to wrap a tail around

  4. 04

    Some want it cool

    Lined, White's and the Gulf pipefish list 68–75°F

Marine pipefish

The reef pipefish

The banded pipefish is 7.5 inches (19 cm) for 53 gallons (200 liters), a dragonface pipefish that hunts pods over the rock. The bluestripe pipefish is 2.8 inches (7 cm) for 26 gallons (100 liters), marked peaceful, and the one that will pair up in a mature reef. Janss' pipefish and the yellowbanded pipefish are the same group at 5.5 and 6.3 inches (14 and 16 cm) for 50 to 53 gallons (190 to 200 liters). The narrowstripe pipefish is 3.1 inches (8 cm) for 30 gallons (114 liters). The Gulf pipefish is the temperate one, 7.1 inches (18 cm) for 20 gallons (76 liters) at 68–75°F (20–24°C). All carry a reef caution: they are harmless to corals but starve in a tank with fast feeders.

Freshwater

The freshwater pipefish

The freshwater pipefish is 5.9 inches (15 cm) for 32 gallons (120 liters), a slow hunter of live food in a calm, planted tank. The African freshwater pipefish is the one marked medium, 5.5 inches (14 cm) for the same tank. Dora's pipefish and the Indian brindled pipefish are 7.1 and 6.7 inches (18 and 17 cm) for 30 gallons (112 liters), marked peaceful. The red belly pipefish is an estuary fish that takes brackish water, 5.9 inches (15 cm) for 21 gallons (80 liters). The longmouth pipefish is the biggest a hobbyist is likely to meet at 13.4 inches (34 cm) for 53 gallons (200 liters). They eat live brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms, and a tank of them needs a culture running alongside it.

By the numbers

Smallest

  1. 01
    Dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae)

    Dwarf seahorse

    Hippocampus zosterae

    1.4 in (3.5 cm)
  2. 02
    Bluestripe pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus)

    Bluestripe pipefish

    Doryrhamphus excisus

    2.8 in (7 cm)
  3. 03
    Narrowstripe pipefish (Doryrhamphus bicarinatus)

    Narrowstripe pipefish

    Doryrhamphus bicarinatus

    3.1 in (8 cm)
  4. 04
    African freshwater pipefish (Enneacampus ansorgii)

    African freshwater pipefish

    Enneacampus ansorgii

    5.5 in (14 cm)

Largest

  1. 01
    Long-snouted pipefish (Doryichthys boaja)

    Long-snouted pipefish

    Doryichthys boaja

    16.1 in (41 cm)
  2. 02
    Longmouth pipefish (Doryichthys heterosoma)

    Longmouth pipefish

    Doryichthys heterosoma

    13.4 in (34 cm)
  3. 03
    Opossum pipefish (Microphis brachyurus)

    Opossum pipefish

    Microphis brachyurus

    8.7 in (22 cm)
  4. 04
    African red-striped pipefish (Microphis aculeatus)

    African red-striped pipefish

    Microphis aculeatus

    7.9 in (20 cm)

Most peaceful

Fits a 30 gallon tank

FAQ

Common questions

Are seahorses hard to keep?

Every seahorse and pipefish in the catalog is marked difficult. They need a tank of their own, frozen mysis two or three times a day, gentle flow and, for the temperate species, water at 68–75°F (20–24°C).

What size tank does a seahorse need?

The lined and Brazilian seahorses list 29 gallons (110 liters), the yellow seahorse 40 gallons (150 liters), the dwarf seahorse 5 gallons (20 liters). A pair wants a tall tank, because seahorses court and feed vertically.

What do seahorses eat?

Frozen mysis shrimp, fed two or three times a day. A wild-caught seahorse may take only live food at first; the dwarf seahorse eats live baby brine shrimp for life.

Can seahorses live in a reef tank?

With slow tank mates and no stinging corals, yes, but a normal reef is too fast for them. They lose food to every wrasse and clownfish, and a bubble tip anemone catches them.

Can a pipefish live in freshwater?

Several do. The freshwater, Dora's and Indian brindled pipefish are freshwater species, and the red belly and opossum pipefish take brackish water. All of them eat live food.

Do seahorses need a heater?

The Brazilian and yellow seahorses want 72–81°F (22–27°C). The lined seahorse, White's seahorse and the Gulf pipefish list 68–75°F (20–24°C) and often need a chiller in summer instead.

Index

Freshwater seahorses & pipefish

Saltwater seahorses & pipefish

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