Spawning blue striped pipefish

[Paul B]

I have had a pair of these bluestripe pipefish for about six months and although I have had many types of pipefish these are a pleasure. They are a no maintenance, fairly colorful, always moving addition to an old reef. Most pipefish, which are just like elongated seahorses, are fairly difficult to keep due to their dietary habits but the bluestripes can manage on their own exactly like a mandarin but they also take food from the water column making them even easier than mandarin.
I would not put these in a new reef because they have very tiny mouths and only eat copepods and newborn brine shrimp although they try unsucessfully to eat larger food they must have food all day. My pair are always searching for copepods and every minute or so they find one. I kept them for the first four months with no care at all and they did fine, for the last two or three months I have been feeding them new born brine which they go crazy for, as do all of my gobies. Since I started the brine the two have been spawning like newlyweds
Before the main lights come on in the morning with just the actinics they intertwine themselves and stay "stuck together" for five to ten seconds. Although I have raised a lot of seahorses these bluestripes are kind of small and hard to photograph. I am sure the babies which must be all over my tank, I would not be able to see. I have not yet tried to raise them but when I find a way to collect the fry I will attempt to raise some.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[liveforphysics]

Wow! Thats awsome Paul!

If you know (or become) and aquacultured source for those I would love to get a couple pairs for my tanks.

Best of luck to you in the persuit of raiseing the fry!

 

[jetaero]

Very nice! They spawned already? I'm interested in seeing how this goes.

-Josh-

 

[kevinpo]

I also have them and they eat Hikari brand Mysis shrimp. I keep them in with the seahorses not in my reef.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Jiddy]

WoW great thread

 

[Paul B]

Kevin, thats good to know about the mysis. Mine seem too small for mysis but I will give it a try.

Liveforphyscs, I will try to invent a screen to try to capture some of them. First I have to see if any hatched. I have enough trouble seeing the adults much less the fry. You would never find anything in my reef it is kind of full and the skimmer with the ozonizer would give them a nice tan.
:badgrin:

Paul

 

[Jiddy]

Hey Paul where did you buy those guys at?

 

[Krish]

Nice looking fish Paul. I wish you luck with them

 

[Paul B]

Jiddy, from your house make a left at the corner and drive about a thousand miles to Long Island. :badgrin:
I very rarely see them in stores and was lucky enough to get a pair.
Paul

 

[Paul B]

My male is definately carrying eggs. When they hatch I will not be able to see them. The eggs are about the size of brine shrimp eggs or a little smaller. The reef that they are in is 6' long and you could surf in it. There is no way I could catch him.
I will try to put a fine screen in my skimmer overflow and see if I can catch any when they hatch. I am not very optomistic because of their size. I had to use a powerful magnifying glass and wait a long time just to get the male to the front to see the eggs which are black. Bluestripe pipefish do not have a pouch and the eggs are carried in folds in his skin on his abdomin just before the tail. I think I would need the Hubble telescope to see the fry.
I will let you know if I catch anything but forget pictures, I can hardly get good pictures of the parents.
Paul

 

[bc_slc]

wow, great post. Nice catch with the camera. Very cool looking fish.

Mat

 

[Jiddy]

Hey Paul can you take a full tank shot!

 

[Paul B]

Jiddy there should be a bunch of full tank shots here somewhere. The tank was also featured in Marine Fish Monthly about ten or twelve years ago.

 

[Jiddy]

Great shots Paul, do you have a tank thread? And ill have to pick up that issue to read up!

 

[Paul B]

Jiddy, there is a thread called "Reef 35 years old this month" from January. There is information and pictures of the tank there.
Paul

 

[marinelife]

That is great, I have one in my tank and only see him for 30minutes after all the lights go off. They are cool little fish

 

[Paul B]

Marinelife, mine don't really hide. They kind of stay near the front. I have a lot of broken bottles in the tank that they also like to explore.
I think the eggs hatched on mine, I don't see them anymore.
Paul

 

[marinelife]

Wish mine stayed out, I think it has alot to do with the large fish in the tank or something

 

[Paul B]

Bluestripe pipefish seem to be ready to spawn again. The female is a little fatter (and thats the only female I would call a little fatter)
Oc course the eggs (which I don't think are laid yet) are almost too tiny to see. And even if I wanted to see them I have to entice the male to the front of the tank and convince him to turn over.
Paul