Pipefish?

[SaltyTemple]

Hey all,

Dang that David B - now I've got Pipes on the brain!

I would like to hear your stories about the dragonface or multibanded. Your experienced with them, their hardiness...etc.

And if you think I shouldn't go forward (after some research) tell me why?

Thanks!

 

[jlehigh]

My experience with pipe-fish was short lived. They are VERY small when they arrive which actually didnt turn into getting picked on by other fish in the tank HOWEVER despite reports of succesfully being housed in SPS systems neither one of mine lived. The flow in my tank proved too much limiting thei mobility. They just couldnt swim against nor in the current... I'm pretty sure Reed had a similar experience.

I recommend people only keep these in species specific tanks, but I also think they have a much better shot in your tank Shauna because you arent pushing over 10,000 Gph and hammering every square inch of the tank like I am. I can see one chilling in that big Xenia colony you have

Keep in mind they are sensitive to anemone stings and may grab onto an anemone for anchoring leading to its demise.

Hows that for not giving advice in 7 lines of writing!?

 

[SaltyTemple]

Wow - now that is a really insightful thought. I love to hear these POV's

 

[reedman]

John hit it on the head. This is exactly why I was asking about them in an SPS tank at the meeting. Dave seems to either have gotten heathier specimens, larger ones, or just has less velocity, but still high flow.

I have a feeling part of my issue was just that they had no low flow areas to retreat to. Dave mentioned that he has his tank setup so that he has very little flow at night and ramps it back up during the day (tunzes). Also he stated that he has rockwork that has lower flow areas where the pipes could retreat to.

Interesting thing was that he mentioned that in his tank they would get right in the main flow and "surf" it. He keeps a lot of different species of pipes successfully. I'd love to have some, but can't stomach watching them fly across the tank into the intake for my pump.

 

[Blazer88]

I to have been very interested in them since I saw a Mulit-banded at SaltWater City. I would also be worried about them making their way into sumps an/or pumps.

 

[Tangee]

I have two little dragonface pipefish that live in my refugium. There are other fish in there that don't bother them at all, but it is a very low flow area with lots of live foods and greenery to swim among. Mine are thriving, but I wouldn't put them up in my main tank for the same reasons as Reed and John. My tank isn't that super high flow, but I would worry about the anemones and the overflows... Soon I'm going to set up a small tank just for them . They really are very cool little fish!

 

[btuck]

Please do research before keeping any animals in the syngnathidae family. They require special care in forms of flow and food. Please also keep in mind that many pipefishes purchased by your LFS is probably going to be wild caught. These animals are ambush hunters and generally require live food to keep healthy. Even switching these animals over to dead food is sometimes an exercise in futility.

I'm not trying to discourage you from keeping pipes. I've recently started keeping horses and they are wonderful to watch. Just please research them as much as possible.

 

[WA coral]

Well I am not sure what I am doing different but I have had mine for 5 months or so and had no problem with mine at all he makes his rounds all day just like a maderian and eats frozen cycolpeze during feeding time he also picks out some of the smaller particals of formula one and mysis I have a mixed 125 reef with lps sps and softies with cleaner shrimp a hippo tang maroon clown school of chromis a fang tail blenny a manderian, moon wrasse 2 fire fish and 2 clown golbies I am sure I am forgetting somebody but you get the picture. I got mine at indoor reef and they as well have pipe fish in there display tanks I guess if you have overly aggressive fish or super mega flow it could be a problem but mine holds his own with some notorious fish. I really like him If you want to take a look let me know. I also have started sea horses and they are on frozen food as well, the pipe fish however is much more adgile than the horses who are in there own tank.

 

[WA coral]

Oh and one other thing I always ask to see them eat frozen before I buy to be sure they will take it.

 

[marinelife]

most pipefish only live a year or so, not worth collecting and selling, I had a multi banded, that was eating and doing well until he had a fight with the Tunze Stream in the tank, I have a blue strip that never comes out other than at night. A member of our local reef club had three all ate one day dead the next