Experience with Janss Pipes?

[rssjsb]

I'm considering the Janssi pipefish for my reef and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this fish that they can share.

Specifically, I'm wondering how they compare to bluestripes and other flagtail pipefish in terms of hardiness, shyness, getting along with tankmates, fighting among males, etc. I'd like to add a trio if possible.

I've had good experience with bluestripes, but it's a pain to get a reliable trio, and I'm afraid they'll be lost in the tank I'm thinking of adding them to.

TIA.

 

[ravi197699]

i had 5 pipe fishes with flag tail, they were wild caught at oak beach longisland when i went there with my friends. three survived in my tank and one made its way into my sump and two in dt tank and 2 didn't make it, they are very hardy but they don't like strong flow. but i did not see them fighting and i have them in 120 gal tank. but very cool looking fishes. i like when they wrap their tail on somethig to grap and chill

 

[rssjsb]

Thanks for the response.

Are you sure they're Janss? I've never seen flagtail pipes use their tails that way.

 

[fishguy194]

Janss pipefish are native to the indo-pacific. Not the north Atlantic. -.-

That aside, they're the easiest and best of the pipefish clan, IMO. They readily accept frozen mysis and cyclops. You can ONLY keep them singly or pairs. They are highly aggressive to the same sex. Thankfully they are also the easiest to sex! Males have a spiked snout just like blue stripes. Additionally, they have red stripes on their snouts, so sexing is a piece of cake.

They're also much less shy than blue stripes. Which makes feeding easier and tank mates can be selected slightly more liberally. Good luck! This is easily my favorite pipefish!

 

[rssjsb]

Thanks! Just what I wanted to know.

 

[rssjsb]

Well, LA had some, so I asked them if I could buy a m/f pair. They told me they can't sex them because they're too small. I went ahead and ordered two - I guess I'll see. They're coming this morning.

Fishguy - any suggestions on separating them in QT? The methods I would ordinarily use (egg crate divider or acclimation box) won't do for obvious reasons.

 

[fishguy194]

Once you get them, you'll see if you have to separate them at all. If you need to I'd recommend a breeder net. They're really easy to sex even at small sizes. Post pics!!!!

 

[rssjsb]

They're absolutely gorgeous!

I'll see if I can get some pictures this weekend. They're swimming around together, sometimes intertwining, so I'm guessing I got lucky.

Thanks for your input.

 

[chewdoggie]

Have a nice pair of bluestripes now and wondering if I can add either a pair of banded pipes or a pair of Janss without any violence occuring between them. They'd be in a 40gl.

 

[rlpardue]

40g is probably too small for both types of pipefish. If LiveAquaria says 50g minimum, I'd go with a 75g minimum.

 

[tjdouglas]

I have a pair of blue stripes and a pair of banded pipes in a 110 g and they completely ignore each other.