I think that may just be too small for long term. Keep also in mind the bigger the tank and rockwork/plants, the more places he can graze on pods during the day. An 8g tank overall is not going to hold a lot of pods for long.
Yeah, I finally talked to the person I trust at my LFS and realized its not the right call.....but a beautiful creature and I may end up getting
one for my refugium on my 92
Anyway u could hook up ur 8g to the main tank. 8g under most circumstances is too small but can be done especially if the pipefish is already eating frozen.