Expert-Only Pipefish?

[mort]

I've kept about a dozen species of pipefish and Bluestripe pipes are very easy for a pipefish, janns are similar. Both these species do ok in a full blown reef which is very against the norm for the family.
I never had any problem importing blue lines but janns occasionally came in dead.

Your proposed plan sounds good but I've never kep a Bluestripe that didn't convert to frozen food and you'd be surprised how big a food item they can eat, pe mysis are just sucked down.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I've kept about a dozen species of pipefish and Bluestripe pipes are very easy for a pipefish, janns are similar. Both these species do ok in a full blown reef which is very against the norm for the family.
I never had any problem importing blue lines but janns occasionally came in dead.

Your proposed plan sounds good but I've never kep a Bluestripe that didn't convert to frozen food and you'd be surprised how big a food item they can eat, pe mysis are just sucked down.

Thanks! Currently I feed the tank PE mysis and LRS nano reef frenzy. I’m assuming that these will be okay for them? Will the clowns be okay tankmates or should I remove them? I believe LA covers DOA, it’s just exempt from the 14 day guarantee so I’m not too worried about that. Mostly just worried about keeping up with their feedings and making sure the tank is large enough and free from potentially harmful tankmates.

 

[Jib]

I'm sure they are fine from LA, but here is another option if you'd prefer captive bred that are already eating frozen.

Captive Bred Blue Stripe Pipefish

This is for a single captive bred Blue Stripe Pipefish, Doryrhamphus excisus Size: 1.5-2 inches We are super excited to offer captive bred Blue Stripe pipefish!!! Please read care information below: We are currently feeding them frozen Mysis shrimp and live enriched Artemia and Artemia nauplii...

seahorsesavvy.com

 

[PicassoClown04]

I'm sure they are fine from LA, but here is another option if you'd prefer captive bred that are already eating frozen.

Captive Bred Blue Stripe Pipefish

This is for a single captive bred Blue Stripe Pipefish, Doryrhamphus excisus Size: 1.5-2 inches We are super excited to offer captive bred Blue Stripe pipefish!!! Please read care information below: We are currently feeding them frozen Mysis shrimp and live enriched Artemia and Artemia nauplii...

seahorsesavvy.com

Wow, thanks! I had no idea there was a captive bred option! I’ll look into them. Since they come so small do you think I can put them into the DT immediately or would they need a grow out period to handle the flow

 

[Jib]

Wow, thanks! I had no idea there was a captive bred option! I’ll look into them. Since they come so small do you think I can put them into the DT immediately or would they need a grow out period to handle the flow

I have no clue. I only know a little about them from watching the inappropriate reefer videos on YouTube. I believe he modified his tanks flow that their were periods low flow, but if I recall correctly he noted the fish seemed fine when the tank had higher flow. Check out some of his recent videos, he normally talks about that tank in each one of them and the pipefish was probably introduiced 2-3 months ago. It's his small mangrove tank.

 

[fishguy242]

Thank you! Yours are gorgeous! Did you ever have any babies show up randomly like banggai cardinals?

unfortunally in reef ,never seen babies,but they bred for years,were wild

 

[NJDragonet]

All pipefish feed on pods it may just be that these certain pipefish do not ship well compared to others with that said the person I have gained all my knowledge about pipefish is @Paul B he would have better knowledge on these certain type of pipefish.

 

[PicassoClown04]

unfortunally in reef ,never seen babies,but they bred for years,were wild

what other fish did you keep with your pipes? Anything to avoid? Looking for "swimming around" fish, hesitant on a wrasse because those will pick on pods

 

[fishguy242]

what other fish did you keep with your pipes? Anything to avoid? Looking for "swimming around" fish, hesitant on a wrasse because those will pick on pods

and pipes too..

 

[mort]

Thanks! Currently I feed the tank PE mysis and LRS nano reef frenzy. I’m assuming that these will be okay for them? Will the clowns be okay tankmates or should I remove them? I believe LA covers DOA, it’s just exempt from the 14 day guarantee so I’m not too worried about that. Mostly just worried about keeping up with their feedings and making sure the tank is large enough and free from potentially harmful tankmates.

I kept mine with seahorses but there are plenty of people who keep them in full blown reefs. The blue stripe and janns can handle very strong water movement but due to their shape I would want powerheads that were covered. Captive bred pipes are definitely an inviting prospect to consider simply because I like captive bred fish and try to support the good folks doing it but I'd want to train the fish to higher water velocities as most captive bred fish need some conditioning to stronger flow.

I wouldn't be overly worried about what you add as tankmates, these pipes hang around the rockwork and are similar to mandarins in that they aren't really fussed by much. It's definitely worth consider fish that may pick at pods but only if you know your pipe is eating well and thriving. You would be surprised at just how big a meal one can eat, they simple suck it down their snout and squish it in an impressively short time. The one thing to,consider is that if they are relying more on substitute foods is that like other syngnathids, they are slow methodical feeders and often most of the food is eaten before they get their fill. They do take to,target feeding well and it's worth at least trying to train them for a simpler life.

It's encouraging they are captive bred. These really have a reputation of being difficult which I don't think is deserved but they also aren't a fish for every reef so I kinda don't mind that reputation. They are a very easy species to sex and I've kept pairs many times and seen the male carrying eggs, unfortunately not when I've been in the condition to raise them. I have raised a few of the sister flame pipefish and this just goes to show how well they can do in our tanks.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I kept mine with seahorses but there are plenty of people who keep them in full blown reefs. The blue stripe and janns can handle very strong water movement but due to their shape I would want powerheads that were covered. Captive bred pipes are definitely an inviting prospect to consider simply because I like captive bred fish and try to support the good folks doing it but I'd want to train the fish to higher water velocities as most captive bred fish need some conditioning to stronger flow.

I wouldn't be overly worried about what you add as tankmates, these pipes hang around the rockwork and are similar to mandarins in that they aren't really fussed by much. It's definitely worth consider fish that may pick at pods but only if you know your pipe is eating well and thriving. You would be surprised at just how big a meal one can eat, they simple suck it down their snout and squish it in an impressively short time. The one thing to,consider is that if they are relying more on substitute foods is that like other syngnathids, they are slow methodical feeders and often most of the food is eaten before they get their fill. They do take to,target feeding well and it's worth at least trying to train them for a simpler life.

It's encouraging they are captive bred. These really have a reputation of being difficult which I don't think is deserved but they also aren't a fish for every reef so I kinda don't mind that reputation. They are a very easy species to sex and I've kept pairs many times and seen the male carrying eggs, unfortunately not when I've been in the condition to raise them. I have raised a few of the sister flame pipefish and this just goes to show how well they can do in our tanks.

Thank you! This was a really great reply and exactly what I was looking for!

I'm going to assume things like BTA, elegance, and tube anemones are a no-go with these right? I love BTA but if it will harm my pipes then its a no-go.

I've wanted to keep the madagascar coral crouchers in this tank for a long time, and they seem to be a seasonal fish coming around in the winter/fall. I'm hoping to maybe keep both pipes and crouchers in here with maybe a flameback or something like that. I'm thinking that if I get the flameback and pipes this year, they'll have some time to outgrow the coral crouchers which only get to about 2" anyway. They are technically a scorpionfish, but being so small I'm hoping that I can get a Janss or Blueline (maybe not a blue line since they're only 1" bigger than the crouchers while the Janss gets 2x their size) and they can live peacefully. I think it would be a very cool stocking list for the tank since they're all very unusual stock choices and I love their weird and wacky.

How difficult were the flame pipes to raise? I was interested in breeding my clowns one day since they seem to be the ones with the most information on them but I think pipefish would be way cooler and some of the hobbyists around me would appreciate being able to access captive-bred pipes locally.

I'm ready and able to target feed whatever they need- cyclops, mysis, LRS, baby brine 2x per day at least and with the angel being the only other fish in there, I think that the pipes will have plenty of chance to get food on their own but I'll watch to make sure they're getting enough nutrition. I'm a seahorse/pipefish/sea dragon enthusiast so I'm hoping that keeping these pipes happy and healthy will give me the confidence to take the leap into seahorses in a few years!

 

[mort]

You'd be unlucky to have a problem with a bta from what I've seen with people that kept the pipes in reef tanks. I definitely avoid the cat and tube anemone though as they are much more predatory.

I've not seen a coral croucher that I thought could eat a pipefish but I've kept mostly fully grown pipes. You are probably right wary with a small pipe and average crouched as it could get such a thin profile fish at least partly in its mouth.
I think the angel would be ok and ignore it if you add it last.

The pipes were pretty easy to raise as I just chucked them in with the giant reidi seahorses I was raising at the time and they had a much higher success rate than the ponies. It's like anything though if your lucky and have a little experience, but mostly the right food, it can be done. The first time I tried raising clowns it didn't go well and it's only when you've made a few mistakes that you get the knack for it and it gets easier.

I think the blue stripes are a good stepping stone to seahorses, which can be pretty easy if you get captive bred stock.

 

[PicassoClown04]

You'd be unlucky to have a problem with a bta from what I've seen with people that kept the pipes in reef tanks. I definitely avoid the cat and tube anemone though as they are much more predatory.

I've not seen a coral croucher that I thought could eat a pipefish but I've kept mostly fully grown pipes. You are probably right wary with a small pipe and average crouched as it could get such a thin profile fish at least partly in its mouth.
I think the angel would be ok and ignore it if you add it last.

The pipes were pretty easy to raise as I just chucked them in with the giant reidi seahorses I was raising at the time and they had a much higher success rate than the ponies. It's like anything though if your lucky and have a little experience, but mostly the right food, it can be done. The first time I tried raising clowns it didn't go well and it's only when you've made a few mistakes that you get the knack for it and it gets easier.

I think the blue stripes are a good stepping stone to seahorses, which can be pretty easy if you get captive bred stock.

So did you feed rotifers, bbs, copepod napulii? I’m very interested in the breeding opportunity! Thanks for all your info, this is just spectacular. I will make sure the pipes are adults (or at least 3-4”) before adding coral crouchers. I’m glad that my stocking list seems to be working out! You think a BTA is okay? The pipes are smart enough to avoid the sting?

 

[mort]

So did you feed rotifers, bbs, copepod napulii? I’m very interested in the breeding opportunity! Thanks for all your info, this is just spectacular. I will make sure the pipes are adults (or at least 3-4”) before adding coral crouchers. I’m glad that my stocking list seems to be working out! You think a BTA is okay? The pipes are smart enough to avoid the sting?

I think you'd be unlucky to lose a pipefish to a bta from what I have seen with others that kept theirs in reef tanks. That isn't to say it's a risk so you'd need to weigh up the pros and cons but others seem to have got away with it.

The larva were raised in green water to begin with with rotifers before transitioning to larger foods. I only had the chance to do it once and tbh it was a bit of a fluke that any made it as I just added them with the seahorse fry. One day I'll have another go and document it but I read a good piece in an old coral magazine where it was written up about Bluestripes and I'm sure there are many more people that have done it now.

 

[Paul B]

I have always had pipefish even collecting them many years before I started my reef in the early 60s. The reason some of them are listed as "Expert Only" is not due to shipping. They ship rather well. It is how they eat. Banded pipefish of any type are hard to keep because they don't live on pods. They eat from the water column and in a "normal home" tank will never get enough food no matter what you put in there. They are not impossible, just harder.

Bluestripes are very easy because they eat from the bottom and the water column.
They and some others like dragon faced pipes are easy because in an older tank you don't have to do anything for them and they will fend for themselves and find their own food.

If you have to buy pods to feed mandarins or pipefish, save your money because those fish will die. You will never buy enough pods for them. They need a mature tank of the correct size.

My bluestripes live about 5 years and spawn constantly and I never feed them.
Janss pipefish are also easy and mine is about 5 or 6 years old now which is old for a pipefish. But those I have to feed as they are to big to eat pods. They eat mysis and little else.

 

[vlangel]

I bought captive bred banded pipes from Ocean Rider and they arrived already trained on mysis. They must ship alright too because it was a 2 day trip from Kona Hawaii to Pgh PA.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I bought captive bred banded pipes from Ocean Rider and they arrived already trained on mysis. They must ship alright too because it was a 2 day trip from Kona Hawaii to Pgh PA.

Ocean rider as in a webiste or someone on R2R? I'd love some captive breds, what are your tank specs and feeding schedules for them? How big (ish) were they when they arrived?

 

[vlangel]

Ocean rider as in a webiste or someone on R2R? I'd love some captive breds, what are your tank specs and feeding schedules for them? How big (ish) were they when they arrived?

Ocean Rider is a seahorse farm in Kona, Hawaii. You can view their website by going to seahorse.com.

I bought the pair of pipe fish when I bought my pair of seahorses which was 2014, I think. I had all of them in a 30 gallon tank, 24" x 12" x 24". I fed frozen mysis 2Xs a day. I would say that they were 3 and a half to 4" long. Pretty much adult size. At that time they were $40 ea. which I did not think was unreasonable. Since I was getting the seahorses anyhow, shipping really was not much more.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Ocean Rider is a seahorse farm in Kona, Hawaii. You can view their website by going to seahorse.com.

I bought the pair of pipe fish when I bought my pair of seahorses which was 2014, I think. I had all of them in a 30 gallon tank, 24" x 12" x 24". I fed frozen mysis 2Xs a day. I would say that they were 3 and a half to 4" long. Pretty much adult size. At that time they were $40 ea. which I did not think was unreasonable. Since I was getting the seahorses anyhow, shipping really was not much more.

Thanks! It seems like a great source and it sounds like they did really well in your tank. That feeding schedule isn’t as intense as I’m planning on mine being so I think that’s going to work! Thank you!

 

[vlangel]

Thanks! It seems like a great source and it sounds like they did really well in your tank. That feeding schedule isn’t as intense as I’m planning on mine being so I think that’s going to work! Thank you!

I checked out seahorse.com. Wow, the pipefish have gone up a lot! They are $189 for a pair with free shipping. That is quite a bit pricier than when I purchased them.

They are very healthy specimens and they did do quite well in my tank. I had them for about 2 years which is not near as long as I have most of my fish. I do not know if that is their lifespan or if something else happened. I had my matriarch seahorse that I got from Ocean Rider for 5+ years and she was probably a year old or more when I got her. She obviously died of old age because I had to feed her almost by hand at the end as she did not see well enough to get food on her own.