Got a new pipefish

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Pipefish vary in difficulty and hardiness. Dragonfaces are notoriously difficult to get weaned to frozen. They will put a significant dent in your pod population and I wouln't be comfortable putting them in a tank with other pod-eaters unless it was a larger well-established system with a fuge.

Paul has a setup for more or less constant flow of newly hatched brine shrimp, but I would never have the patience to maintain a system like that.

There are easier pipes though - Janssi and bluestripes are good candidates. They're easier to wean to frozen mysis and prawn roe and other small frozen foods. The bluestripes are best for smaller setups in my opinion because even if they don't take frozen they can sustain themselves on pods in even a smaller setup (as long as it's well established and has a refugium).

 

[Paul B]

Yes, what he said. :dance:

Basically if you don't want to hatch brine shrimp every day, most pipefishes will not make it. My tank is very old and natural so they can find enough by hunting but I have a lot of pod eaters including a pair of bluestripes, and a pair of mandarins

 

[rlpardue]

Paul,

How do you go about acquiring a harem of blue-striped pipefish? I understand the males may have some "bristles" on their snout. Do you shop at a LFS and visually search for the correct genders? Or do you throw some into a QT and remove any inferior males?

 

[Paul B]

They are rare in LFSs and when I see them, I buy them. Usually I ask the store to order some. I then pick the sex I want. The stores don't usually get more than one, if that.
The males have 3 or 4 tiny hooks on their snout, but you need to look very close.
Two males will kill each other but the females ignore each other.
I can usually get them for about $17.00, that is when I can get them.

 

[the808state]

nice! I''ve grown a liking to pipes. We have a bright red and yellow stripe one in Hawaii endemic that is really nice. We dont see them to often though.

 

[Paul B]

I have been trying to get a Janss pipefish for 2 years. I will get one eventually

 

[namxas]

Janss' are really nice fishes, Paul...we really loved the pair we kept in our reef. They were't "out and about" all the time, but you'd be watching the tank, and they'd show up. They also would groom their tankmates...they do an odd, vertical "see-saw" motion to advertise the fact that they want to do some grooming.

 

[Paul B]

I want one

 

[namxas]

Sure used to see them around more a few years ago. I've heard on and off about them being CB, but I don't travel in Syngnathid circles the way I used to, since we took a break from them.