Pipefish killed by powerhead

[Tavero]

Yesterday I found my new blue stripe pipefish stuck to the side of the powerhead. He was still alive after I shut off the pump but died a few hours later. I think his spine got damaged.
I'm extremely bummed. I only had him for a week and was looking for a long time until I found that fish.

Do you need a special setup for pipefish? He was the only fish in the tank except a goby that never leaves his cave except for feeding. There are a lot of copepods inside low flow corners and caves of my tank. The powerheads also don't feel like they are particularly powerful. The inlet is so weak, I don't even feel any flow with my fingers and my shrimps are grazing on the outside without problems. The outlet is still weak enough, snails are able to move in front of the outlet to eat algae there. I have no idea how this happened so I want to hear about the setup of successful pipefish keepers.

The pump in question. He was stuck to one of the grills.

 

[twentyleagues]

Pipe fish and sea horses are not the strongest swimmers low flow and no power heads recommended.

 

[Jekyl]

I would think something else was the root cause. A healthy fish has no issue with current.

 

[Baby Damsel 219]

Highly recommend getting an anemone guard for future fish. Not only does it protect your coral it may also keep small fish out of the blades.

 

[Tavero]

Pipe fish and sea horses are not the strongest swimmers low flow and no power heads recommended.

I heard about sea horses, but when I was researching I couldn't find anything special about pipefish (except non aggressive fish mates, many copepods etc), even the setup of inappropriate reefer seemed to had higher flow than mine. My fish also was sucked in during the day instead of the night where he would have been maybe asleep.

I would think something else was the root cause. A healthy fish has no issue with current.

I really don't know. He literally had to touch the grill of the powerhead parallel to his body to get stuck on it. The powerheads only draws 3 watt. It's really not that strong.

Highly recommend getting an anemone guard for future fish. Not only does it protect your coral it may also keep small fish out of the blades.

Thanks. I know about these but I didn't know I need any. Like I wrote my shrimps are sitting on the pump regulary and even putting their claws inside of the grill to pull out algae. I will have to design my own guard if I want something like that.

 

[Jekyl]

@Paul B is good with pipefish. Maybe he has some insight.

 

[twentyleagues]

I heard about sea horses, but when I was researching I couldn't find anything special about pipefish (except non aggressive fish mates, many copepods etc), even the setup of inappropriate reefer seemed to had higher flow than mine. My fish also was sucked in during the day instead of the night where he was maybe asleep.


I really don't know. He literally had to touch the grill of the powerhead parallel to his body to get stuck on it. The powerheads only draws 3 watt. It's really not that strong.


Thanks. I know about these but I didn't know I need any. Like I wrote my shrimps are sitting on the pump regulary and even putting their claws inside of the grill to pull out algae. I will have to design my own guard if I want something like that.

I agree he could have been sick or weak from not enough food or not eating properly. Power heads are blamed for killing fish more than they do, usually the fish was weak before they got stuck. I had two dragon face pipefish years ago they were not great swimmers I think if they got close enough to a power head they may have not been able to get away which is why I stated that. I had mine for over 2 years and their swimming never changed. They lived in my display fuge with the overflow from about 600 gph running through it the water flow would blow them away from it. So, they basically stayed away from that area.

 

[dennis romano]

I have several pipefish, a pair of blue stripes and a Janss. Just three weeks ago I lost a multiband to a powerhead. He had been in the tank for over six months and was a terrific eater. The problem was that the powerhead was in his territory. So, in my opinion, it is quite possible that it got trapped.

 

[DaJMasta]

I think maybe because of shipping stress it can be difficult to get them eating early on, and if they don't have much energy they can have trouble with the flow.

It also can be related to being startled/uncomfortable, since while they can bend, it's really only about the tail half that bends easily, so sharp turns or corners can be tough for them to comfortably navigate.

Sorry for your loss, they are fun little guys.

 

[Tavero]

I'm thinking about getting a Hectors goby next. While not the exact same fish, they seem to fill a similar niche and are more durable.
Seems like my tank isn't a livable habitat for pipefish.

 

[Katrina71]

My pipefish always stayed on the far side of my tank away from flow. They loved the caves and swim through too. Maybe offer them some shelter?

 

[GlassMunky]

I'm thinking about getting a Hectors goby next. While not the exact same fish, they seem to fill a similar niche and are more durable.
Seems like my tank isn't a livable habitat for pipefish.

How big is the tank?
I used to have a mating pair of dragon faced pipefish. They lived happily in a 40Breeder display fuge. I had a Tunze 6055 power head in there (~1500gph) plus the return flow and they never had issues with high flow or anything.


I’m gonna second that I think the fish was already weak from something else.

 

[Tavero]

My pipefish always stayed on the far side of my tank away from flow. They loved the caves and swim through too. Maybe offer them some shelter?

That's my tank. As you can see there are quite a lot of caves available to choose from.

This was the cave where the pipefish went for sleeping. It is also a cave with a lot of copepods. I don't know how the pipefish is supposed to hunt for them in darkness but there are many inside.

 

[Katrina71]

That's my tank. As you can see there are quite a lot of caves available to choose from.

This was the cave where the pipefish went for sleeping. It is also a cave with a lot of copepods. I don't know how the pipefish is supposed to hunt for them in darkness but there are many inside.

Your tank is beautiful, and it does look like lots of shelter. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Tavero]

How big is the tank?
I used to have a mating pair of dragon faced pipefish. They lived happily in a 40Breeder display fuge. I had a Tunze 6055 power head in there (~1500gph) plus the return flow and they never had issues with high flow or anything.


I’m gonna second that I think the fish was already weak from something else.

Size is 23g. Two no name 500gph powerheads which draw 3w each so I don't believe in the 500gph claim. It looks more like 200gph. And one eheim surface skimmer which is clogged most of the time.

Maybe it was weak. I have never seen him eating even though I've fed frozen copepods and living artemia daily. Also there are a lot of copepods living in caves.

 

[GlassMunky]

Size is 23g. Two no name 500gph powerheads which draw 3w each so I don't believe in the 500gph claim. It looks more like 200gph. And one eheim surface skimmer which is clogged most of the time.

Maybe it was weak. I have never seen him eating even though I've fed frozen copepods and living artemia daily. Also there are a lot of copepods living in caves.

yea if you never saw them eat thats a bad sign that they weren't healthy. pretty much all pipes will be eating almost constantly all day long on little creatures, and should hopefully eat prepared foods as well. its actually really neat how they suck in their food through their little mouths. i used to watch it just enamored

 

[Paul B]

I have been keeping those bluestripe pipefish for decades and I have found a very few dead at the powerheads over the years. I am not sure if the powerhead killed them or they were weak and just got stuck. I have 2 of those bluestripes in my tank now for a few years and my powerheads are very powerful and turned up full force. I haven't found any dead in years so I can't be sure if they can be killed so easily.

But, Who knows whats in that little head of theirs?