Dragonface Pipefish in Mixed Reef

[brandyrb]

I posted this question in a couple of other threads and figured I'd start my own post about it in hopes of more responses.

I have a 40 breeder that has been setup for a couple of years. It is a simple setup with two maxijet 1200's, a medium cpr hob refugium, a cpr hob skimmer and a heater. Lighting is a 6 bulb Tek T5 fixture.

Inhabitants include:
baby randalls shrimp goby (usually stays by his burrow)
baby tailspot blenny (perches in holes in the rock most of the time)
Zoas
Favias
Favites
Acans
Blastos
Acropora
Chalices (Echinopora and Echinophyllia)
Scroll Coral
Crocea Clam
A couple snails
and a few unwanted aptasia (will use joes juice to get rid of these soon)

So would a 2-4 Dragonface Pipefish be compatible with the inhabitants I have. I've been researching whether or not I can keep them with mixed results and absolutely no info on chalice compatibility. I would also want to add a pair of bangaii cardinals a few months after the pipefish introduction.

Here's a pic of the tank. It's packed with frags, but not all of them are going to stay in there:

 

[brandyrb]

So far, one person has said I can't mix dragonface pipefish with acans.

If I have to, I can move corals that will pose a risk to the other 40 breeder I setup. I hesitate to do this though because it will be home to a couple of RBTA and clown pair. Acans might be ok as they will be in the sand.

I'd really like to hear some experience stories about mixing acans with dragon face pipefish. Or explanations as to why they aren't compatible.

 

[Elysia]

The reason you don't see chalices, acans, and duncans listed that often on lists of tankmates for synths is because their popularity is relatively new.

My personal opinion about your current set-up is that most of it would be okay. I don't like the majority of blennies -- I think that they are nasty little buggers, and I wouldn't house one w/ a horse or pipe unless I knew that blenny very well. On the other hand, I think most small, non-sand-sifting gobies make good fish tankmates. The cardinals are likely to be alright as well.

I'm not sure about the Favias and Favites. I do know that I wouldn't keep the clam in the tank. The Blastos, scroll, and zoas should definitely not pose a problem.

 

[brandyrb]

Thanks for the reply. The tailspot blenny isn't territorial at all and I think is in the same family as the bi-colored blenny which I have in another tank. The bi-colored blenny is friendly to all his tank mates and has only bit me, go figure.

The chalices have long sweeper tenticles at night, so I'm really curious to hear of peoples experience with those.

What is a dragonface pipefish's activity like when the lights go out?

Oh, I also have a candy cane coral.

Edit: I looked up sea horse compatibility at this link and saw that Favias, Blastos and CandyCanes have a compatibility of 2 while acans have a compatibility of 1! (compatibility ratings shown below or just look at the link)

http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/tankmates.shtml

1 - still pretty safe. There could be some, albeit minor competition for food. The fish will be found in the water column but are not fast swimmers, and therefore, less likely to cause seahorse stress. There are really no issues with aggression to speak of. Corals are still no danger to the seahorses although the corals may contain feeding tentacles (no sweepers).

2 - these are a bit riskier, and you should proceed with caution. Many of the fish will be more present in the water column and may have faster or more erratic swimming patterns. There may be some competition for food as well as a possible chance for aggression towards the seahorses from the fish and inverts.

 

[namxas]

the only trouble i really see is the crocea. if the pipes crawl over it, the clam may snap shut and that would pretty much be it for the pipe, and maybe the clam.

that being said, if the clam is "tolerant", or the pipes don't crawl over them, then no problem.

 

[brandyrb]

Thanks, I went home yesterday and touched the crocea all over to see how it would react. It retracted a little bit, then opened back up as I was still touching it. I can remove it if the clam is a problem though. I'd rather remove the clam than my acans, favias or chalices.

One thing that gets me is I've seen clowns host in a lot of clams and the clams are tolerant of them. I did see one post here on RC though where an emperor angel got its face stuck in a clam, but the angel was nipping at the clam.

 

[namxas]

i've kept clams that i could gently lift without them closing or even retracting. those same clams would allow the margins of their shells to be cleaned without reacting.

it's really a call you need to make, but as long as it's an informed decision, it's the best you can do. one of my SH tanx actually contains a crocea that is housed there due to lighting (it was given to me as a "rescue"). is it "recommended"? nope, but it's a risk i took.

personally, i wouldn't worry about the corals. i'd house a DF w/them if it were my decision.

 

[Elysia]

Yeah, I would rate the Blastos and the Candy Canes a "1," personally.
I have seen more than one photo now of a clam shut on a fish, so I have to agree w/ Greg -- know thy clam (just like the blenny.) And just continue to watch anything questionable while the animals are tanked together and be prepared to move one of them just in case something changes, because it can.

It is really the elegance & hammer/frogspawn corals, the anemones, the tongues, giant elephant ear 'shrooms, and the big open brains/meat corals that I would avoid w/ most any horse or pipe (and I am more conservative then some.)

Can't wait to see photos of your set up.

 

[brandyrb]

Well my husband just picked out a trachyphyllia (open brain) yesterday so it's been added to the tank too. It is also a threat level of 2 like the favias.

I'll probably just move the clam to my other 40 breeder clown/RBTA tank or sell it.

Has anyone kept chalices with dragonface pipefish?

 

[theresearcher]

Anyone? I am interested to hear peoples answers.

 

[rssjsb]

I think there shouldn't be a problem with any of the corals you've identified, including chalices. I suppose I am slightly more concerned about the trachyphillia because the tentacles and the surface area of the "mouth" is so much bigger I think it's a much bigger risk if the DF actually came into contact with it.

I also do not think the tailspot will be a problem.

Not to be a downer, but your biggest problem with this fish is going to be getting it to eat. Do you have a refugium? I have tried to keep a couple in a 40-gallon and never could get them to take frozen anything. That was before Nutramar ova, but still, I've hesitated to try this again. I've had much better luck with bluestripes and jann's.

That said, if you do get the DFs, you might want to try to find a large-ish colony of nephthea. Mine loved to crawl around and perch in it. Probably any sinularia type would do, but nephthea is so much prettier.

 

[rawrpk]

Brandy u ever get those pipefish for ur 40 breeder?

 

[Reef Raf]

I have Pipes in a very mixed 100g reef. All went well for about a month. Then I randomly lost one today and I don't know to what. I found a Bristle Worm dragging it under the sand, already. Not sure what happened but I'm pretty sad. It all seemed to be doing so well. I really like the Pipes a lot. None of my fish bothered them, even a relatively aggressive Orange Shouldered Tang and Koran Angel did not care at all.

 

[tcossey]

Always wanted a pipe fish but don't think they would get along with my crustations. Coral Banded, emerald crab, cleaner shrimp.

 

[theresearcher]

My cleaner shrimp killed my dragonface, so no large shrimp with any of my future pipefish.

 

[novahobbies]

I have a 110g and I'd love to try a dragonface pipe, but I'm pretty sure I have too many pod eaters already. I have 2 Mandarins and 2 leopard wrasses in the tank. Even though the Mandarins and the wrasses all eat frozen and pellet food, all 4 of them constantly graze on the rock for pods since it's their natural habit. Shame, really...I do love the look of these animals!

 

[rlpardue]

Check out PaulB's baby brine shrimp feeder - it's pretty practical for supplementing the diets of pod-eaters

 

[D-Nak]

I have a 110g and I'd love to try a dragonface pipe, but I'm pretty sure I have too many pod eaters already. I have 2 Mandarins and 2 leopard wrasses in the tank. Even though the Mandarins and the wrasses all eat frozen and pellet food, all 4 of them constantly graze on the rock for pods since it's their natural habit. Shame, really...I do love the look of these animals!

+1. I have one pipefish in my 120 gallon mixed (SPS, acans, zoas/palys, etc.) reef and it's doing great. I thought about getting another one, but I worry that my pod population won't be able to keep up. Unfortunately, I've never seen my pipefish eat anything I've added (BBS, tigger pods, etc.) to the tank, but it's still alive and it's been a few months since introduction, so I know it's eating something.