Help me create a successful PipeFish home

[lovetoreef]

Hi all ...

I am looking to add a small cube to my main system ... the main system is a 45 gallon sps dominant cube ... things are going very well ... i run an I-tech 100 skimmer, gfo, profilux doser for 2 part, dose prodibio etc ... colors and growth are great ...

my wife and I have always loved pipe fish, and i did try one a few years ago ... based on the suggestions of the LFS, I added pods, but, the poor guy didn't make it ...

so, this time, i really want to make sure I do everything to keep them fat and healthy ... the new cube will have dimensions of 15" wide, 14" front to back, and 16" tall ... external overflow with gentle flow ... in addition, I am having a small refugium section built on the side of the tank ... this fuge will flow directly into the tank and house chaeto ... the idea being to provide pods on a consistent basis.

as for corals ... I am only planning on keeping zoas, palys, a few featherdusters, some isolated gsp and xenia ... no lps or nems ... I plan on setting the system up, adding some healthy chaeto, adding 1-2 bottles of live pods, then, letting the system run for 2-3 months with no fish in that tank to let the pod population grow.

then, i am hoping to add 2-3 blue stripe pipe fish and no other fish ... any advice would be greatly welcomed - thanks.

 

[namxas]

what species/type of pipe are you planning on keeping? that cube is going to limit the amount of space you have, as most pipes will use as much lateral space as you can give them rather than vertical space.

as for pods, when you add bottled critters, don't make the mistake of using Tigriopus (tigger pods), as these are a temperate species that doesn't reproduce well above about 68*F. you'd do better with Tisbe or Pseudocyclops.

even then, i'd endeavor to get the pipes onto frozen (mysis, roe, cyclopeeze) and allow them to supplement their diet with live pods.

how you 'scape the tank will be dependent on what type of pipe you'll be keeping. i recommend designing the tank around the pipes, and have whatever else you keep as the "afterthought".

if you have an established reef, i'd consider keeping a flagfin or two in that setup, possibly even a couple of dragon-faced, and call it a done deal (assuming there are not inhabitants that would preclude keeping pipes).

JME/JMO

 

[lovetoreef]

Greg -

thanks for the reply ... I was considering the blue stipe pipes ... I am leary of placing any pipes in the main setup due to high flow, many lps etc ... not ideal

so, this size would be too small 2 blue stripes?

 

[lucycat]

when you buy blue stripes make sure they are eating frozen ask your supplier to feed them in front of you.if they are not eating frozen you will not get them to survive long

 

[carlosR]

I've had pretty good success with my one pipefish in the main 75 gallon tank. The fish eats 3X daily. I make a mix of every kind of frozen rotifer, cyclopeez, daphnia, etc in a marine snow base. The fish has a favorite feeding spot in the water column, waiting for food to drift by and picks it out of the column. Very easy keeper, keep the fish fed and I supplement with a refuge.

 

[lovetoreef]

just a quick update ... I was able to get the new tank online ... final dimensions were 14x15x16 with a side fuge built on that flows directly into the tank ... I have been letting the tank mature with pods for the past month ... I hope to add some more pods this week, and, possibly a few shoots of turtle grass.

also, I found a dealer that will hold the blue stripes until they are eating frozen routinely - a huge deal for me! thanks.