Hitchhiker Pipefish

[sugartooth]

Hello, I just discovered a small pipefish in a shipment of shrimp. I'm not really sure where to put it (what is safe?) and what it eats?

It's small, the length of the bottom of a 16 oz. plastic cup. It's so skinny and small I'm not sure what it can go with...

As far as I can tell it's light brown with a little "fan" at the end of the tail.

 

[izzy_real]

Thats precious!

Thats precious!

Pipefish are like sea horses, from what I understand. They're not really happy in high currents, or with aggressive darting fast fish.

If you have a smaller uninhabited aquarium, consider placing him there with no more than twice turnover to keep him happy. As far as eating, I'm assuming he's wild caught from your description of acquisition, so he's going to be a live food eater. You can try some mysis, chopped very fine, but other than that, I'm a little lost. You can post something on Seahorse.org, they may be able to provide you with more info.

Good luck, I hope he makes it...

izzy

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks izzy, I hope he makes it too!
I have a seahorse nursery he can go in, but hesitate because I don't want to bring in anything and wipe out my babies.

Should I maybe set up another nursery just for him? He is so skinny and small...at first I thought he was a sprig of algae (gracillus?) same color and shape, until I saw the snout.

I think he is much too small for my fuge, plus he would probably just go right through the overflow. Same with my other tanks....I hope someone can tell me more soon.

 

[izzy_real]

Pipefish

Pipefish

Sugar,

I'm so sorry that my knowledge of pipefish is lacking. However, if you do have a seperate nursery I would place him there.

You have seahorse babies!!?? That's so awesome! I wish I were you!! I've always wanted sea horses, I'm just too nervous to try. Those are live babies, and I would hate to loose one, that just kill me.

Do you have pics of them?

izzy

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks for your support izzy!
Yes, I have babies. My survival rate is not the best, but I have a couple that are 4 months and less than 10 that are 3 months.
The growth is slow also, this would be my first time trying to raise them. Although they are super cute, I swear Seahorses are KILLING me!
They take up 1 1/2 hours every day for maintenance and feeding.
Then one of them got gas bubble, which I still am treating.
Then I finally set up the dedicated 130 for them, and am going to put them in this weekend if parameters are looking good.

As soon as I find the camera and take pics, I will post them for you! Thanks again!

 

[izzy_real]

Well keep up the good work, it sounds as if you are really making head-way in raising them..don't give up! I would love to see them, so put me on your buddy list.

izzy

 

[vipjd39]

pipefish are sometimes known to eat seahorse fry so be careful putting him in the nursery tank. Goodluck with all.

 

[monicaswizzle]

Sugartooth--Funny, same thing happened to me (hitchhiker) within an hour or so of your discovery, except with a shipment of marine plants. Maybe all of the pipefish are migrating to the midwest?
Good luck. I am putting mine in my fuge later today, after I remove all of the plants that I will be planting in the display tank. The fuge has lots of pods, cheto, and no fish, so I am hoping my little guy will get big enough that I can id him/her. If we got the same species maybe you can send yours up north for some good old fashioned pipefish romance.
Cheers

 

[sugartooth]

For now, I will set him up in his own nursery. He is very small and won't be able to eat the fry, I tried some cyclopeeze and can't tell if he eats it.
Monicaswizzle, what a coincidence! The shipment was some ghost shrimp, pods, and marine plants as well. Who knows, maybe there were more and I didn't pay attention. The marine plants went into the tank big bunches at a time since they were all tangled.

Someone in the Chicagoland forum offered me a little 3 gallon tank so maybe I will try and set this guy up in his own little home until he gets bigger.

Thanks so much!

 

[danfrith]

Is there anyway you could get a pic of him. From the fantail description he sounds like a doryrhamphus species. Anyway, good luck with him.
Heres a link to some good pipefish information:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/hcs3/index.php

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks for the link danfrith, it was very good. I think mine is too small to figure out the color and markings.
I have to find the camera (misplaced again!) or a magnifying glass to see what markings it has on him.
Also, he looks like the slinking bottom hugging kind, but I'm not confident yet to say for sure.

As of now, he is in a nursery bowl. I'm not sure what people usually do....a dedicated tank?