Captive bred pipefish?

gflat65 · Feb 28, 2011

Anyone out there captive breeding any pipefish? If so, what species and can you share some experiences?

BrooksReef · Feb 28, 2011

I've not seen many that have successfully bred them. Nor do I see many vendors out there selling them. I assume rearing them would be very similar to raising Seahorses, however, I'm not quite sure what their average survival rates are.

Billgax · Feb 28, 2011

Captive reared banded pipefish... they do exist. Ocean Rider is pretty rad... worth a cruise around their site. No I am not affiliated... but am going to acquire a few of their seahorses in the hopefully not too distant future.

Marine Fish : Ocean Rider, Inc., Giant Truly Tropical Farm Raised Sea Horses - Home of the Famous Ocean Rider Mustang and Ocean Rider Sunburst Sea Horses

gflat65 · Mar 1, 2011

In a search, I found what looked like pipefish breeding in Australia. I've got a local reefer friend that purchased a pair of Dragon face pipes and the male is pregnant. Being the glutton for punishment I am, I told her I'd love to try to raise them if she can catch the babies. I'd try the same I'm trying with the seahorses, I guess. I'd probably go with the kreisel for them. Using a 10 gallon for the current brood of erectus.

JasonC · May 3, 2011

Do You build Your own Kreisel or how does that work ?
Thanks for any info,

chad vossen · Jun 14, 2011

blue stripe pipefish have been raised. article on them in recent coral magazine.

also, weedy sea dragons have been successfully reared now too.

JimWelsh · Nov 5, 2011

I have recently been successful breeding Doryrhamphus excisus (Bluestripe pipefish). The Coral magazine article inspired me to try them! My oldest are just barely more than 2 months old now. My pair hatches a new batch every four days. I get an average of around 10-15 fry surviving out of each batch.

gflat65 · Nov 8, 2011

Awesome. Keep us posted on them. If you have long term success, I'd be in the market for a pair

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JimWelsh · Nov 9, 2011

Thanks! I actually just saw them taking frozen BBS tonight for the first time! I'm excited at the prospect of finally getting them weaned onto frozen foods. I'll keep you all posted.

EDIT: By the way, I'm using Chad Vossen's Larval Snagger to catch the fry at each hatch. The parents are in my 210 display, and the snagger works like a charm to collect the fry. Chad's snagger rocks!