Dear Susan:

Dear Susan:

The best way to learn how to select and set up a suitable tank for seahorses would be to read through the Ocean Rider Seahorse Training Program, Sue. It will explain the type of aquarium, equipment, and accessories I prefer when treating an ideal habitat for seahorses.

However, the Ocean Rider seahorse training manual is based on the larger species of seahorses, such as Mustangs and Sunbursts (Hippocampus erectus), and an 8-10 gallon aquarium is too small to support such seahorses for any length of time, Susan.

On the other hand, an 8-10 gallon aquarium would work very well for dwarf seahorses (Hippocampus zosterae), which are only about the size of your thumbnail when they are fully grown. You will need to learn about dwarf seahorses. If you need to stick with a small tank of no more than 10 gallons, Sue, and the seahorse training manual does not discuss miniature seahorse species such as Hippocampus zosterae.

If you would like to learn about the larger seahorses, Susan, I can send you the entire Ocean Rider Seahorse Training Course – all 10 lessons together in one file – in PDF format as an attachment to this e-mail. You can then download the attachment, save it on your computer, and read through the 10 lessons at your leisure, taking all of the time you need to go over the information and absorb the material. As you do so, it will be your job to contact me via e-mail whenever you have any questions or concerns about the material in the lessons, and I will then do my very best to answer all of your questions and clarify everything for you.

I will also be relying on you to keep me updated on any changes or additions you make to your aquarium system so that I can keep the information in my records regarding your particular seahorse setup current and accurate at all times. That will help me to provide you with the best possible guidance and assistance as you go over the lessons.

When you are done with all 10 of the lessons, and feel you have had a chance to thoroughly absorb the information and master the lessons, send me a brief e-mail to that effect and I will be happy to put your certification through with Ocean Rider right away.

Be sure to save the PDF file with the seahorse training lessons on your computer for future reference, Susan. It includes a detailed table of contents with page numbers, so that you can quickly locate the material or section you would like to go back and review at any time.

Just remember that the lessons are for your eyes only, Susan, with the obvious exception of any immediate family members who may be helping you with the aquarium or the care of the seahorses. Please don’t share the PDF file with the complete training program or the individual lessons with any other hobbyists or individuals without first obtaining my expressed permission to do so. Thanks for your cooperation!

If, instead, you are going to be a limited to an aquarium of no more than 10 gallons, then I would suggest that you purchase Alisa Wegner’s book on the care and keeping of dwarf seahorses, which explains everything you need to know in order to keep the paint-size Hippocampus zosterae in a home aquarium. It’s titled Complete Guide to Dwarf Seahorses in the Aquarium, and we’ll get you started off on the right foot, Sue.

So send me a brief e-mail to that me know whether you want to learn about the dwarf seahorses that would be well-suited for an 8-10 gallon tank, or whether you want to learn about the much larger Mustangs and Sunbursts (Hippocampus erectus). That would mean an aquarium of at least 30 gallons in order to thrive, and we’ll proceed accordingly. You can reach me at [email protected]

Best wishes with all your fishes, Susan!

Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna, Ocean Rider Training Program Advisor