Mixing Seahorses and Pipefish

[SeaHorsie*03]

How many people here have had experience keeping seahorses and pipefish together?
If you have, how did it work out?
I have heard some people say that one species or the other usually dies because one species is immune to diseases that the other species is not, but I haven't heard many people's experience with mixing them.

 

[MarkKlier]

There is concern that the SH are tank bred (you should always go with tank bred SH IMHO) , while most the pipefish are WC, and prone to bring in disease. Other then that, they do get along very nicely. I have had them together for years....
MK

 

[SeaHorsie*03]

Thanks for the reply.
Did you quarantine your pipefish before putting them in with the seahorses? What kinds do you keep together?
I was also wondering if someone keeps them together for a few months or longer and everything is fine, is there still a risk of the pipefish and seahorses giving each other diseases?
If anyone else has had experience mixing them, let me know how it went.

Thanks

 

[MarkKlier]

I actually kept them quarantined for a long while, greater then six weeks. One key thing is to get the pipefish on mysis (frozen) otherwise they may starve. You can keep several "types" of pipes together, but when they are the same type (African blue strips) they are prone to fighting, especially the males of course...MK

 

[SeaHorsie*03]

Anyone else have any experience??????

 

[burblerboy]

I have a small blue stripe with my dwarfs. He's only been in there for about a month though, and yes I also quarantined for about six weeks before adding to the tank.

 

[X_flamingo_X]

There's always a few good stories, but many more bad ones in the background.
I really don't understand why people take the risk, when they fully well know what could happen. That much time, effort, money, and an animal's life could all be lost within a few hours to a few days.
There are a few cases of some being together for years with no troubles- the same with mixing of seahorse species. But it's not that practical.

 

[nynex]

I have a mated pair of Dragon Faced Pipes that Im putting in a 30 gallon Cube. Im
also going to have a 21 gallon cube refugium. That will be loaded with pods. Right
now they are in a 300 gallon reef and as far as I know all they eat are pods. But
it would be nice if I could get them to eat mysis..

I was thinking of maybe adding a mandarin and maybe a few bangi cardnals as well.

 

[NanoGurl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10520169#post10520169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by X_flamingo_X
There's always a few good stories, but many more bad ones in the background.
I really don't understand why people take the risk, when they fully well know what could happen. That much time, effort, money, and an animal's life could all be lost within a few hours to a few days.
There are a few cases of some being together for years with no troubles- the same with mixing of seahorse species. But it's not that practical.

Why do you say that putting pipes and horses together is so bad? What diseases are you talking about?

Thank you.

 

[MarkKlier]

The line of thinking is that many of the SH's are now tank breed (and you really should get only tank breed SH for many reasons)
Most pipes are WC, so they can bring in different diseases to the SH's.
I think if you practice good guaranteen techniques, (which you should do for all fish and live stock) you can have them together.
MK

 

[Rays]

I collected northern erectus and northern pipefish a couple of weeks ago off L.I., all are eating frozen brine and mysis, yes they are in a 60 hex together.