Pipefish help needed ASAP!!

[tasha6]

I received my order today of mostly CUC and feeder shrimp. I floated for 30 min and opened the bags to begin acclimation. Upon opening the bag with the feeder shrimp, I notice a really foul smell and decided to add them directly to their tank so there was no additional loss. As I started to net them and put them in the tank I notice 2 pipefish, each about 2 inches long. I took them out and put them in a small glass and have been doing a slow acclimation on them.

What is the correct way to acclimate these guys? They are both vertical with snouts at the surface and look like they are breathing quite heavy although I am not sure which is normal being I have never had these before and didn't purchase them.

Please help so I can save these guys and find the the right home.

Sorry it is so long. Thanks is advance!!

 

[reefstew]

At that size you will probably need to hatch brine shrimp or buy med. sized brine & enrich it before feeding it to them. If you keep them at seahorse temp. you should be ok.

 

[tasha6]

What is seahorse temp? Right now after acclimating for about 1 1/2 hours I put them in with the feeder shrimp that they came with. Temp on that system sits around 79 to 80 degrees. I'm I going to be ok with that?

 

[reefstew]

Pipefish can take higher * than seahorses but I suggest below 76*.

 

[Psionicdragon]

It is stressed out. Just acclimate as if you were acclimating senstive fish.

 

[small alien]

Mellow out just a tad. If they're going to make it at all, they'll make it another day. I'd get them into stable water conditions with standard reef temp and salinity. Then get some live brine and live copepods if possible. Try to get a feeding response with live food. Then follow with nutramar ova fozen prawn roe and frozen cyclopeeze mixed with the live and see if you can get them eating frozen asap. Try to take a picture without stressing them unduly so they may be identified.

 

[April F]

My question is...where did you purchase a box of feeder shrimp from that sent you unordered pipefish?

I have never opened a box of feeder shrimp that didn't smell awful. Usually tried to do it outside, to keep the stink out of the house!

My thoughts are that if the pipefish are living with the feeder shrimp, they will find plenty to eat, if they are going to eat at all. A little late getting in here. I hope they acclimated well, settled down, and are doing OK. Any updates?

 

[tasha6]

Here is an update as of this morning. They are both alive but I'm not sure if they are eating it is so hard to tell. Did go to the LFS yesterday and picked up a container of copepods just to add an additional concentration to the tank that they are in and then also purchased some brine shrimp eggs so I'm hoping that by tonight or tomorrow I will have some live baby brine to feed. The company was out of Florida where they came from.

Attached is a picture of 1 that I could get this morning if anyone is able to ID that would be great. Sorry its not the best.

 

[small alien]

Wow. Interesting. Maybe someone from the area will know the species. Do they stick to the substrate?

 

[Elysia]

Hard to know w/ that photo and the angle, but it could be what is generally called a Pug-nosed pipe. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico and around FL, and they don't get very large. They won't be accustomed to reef situations (such as stinging corals or sustained high temps) as they are more of a grass bed type of animal (sort of like a dwarf seahorse.) Even if they end up being what are known as Gulf Pipes (which grow to be larger), our East Coast native pipes aren't technically reef animals. The one thing cool about Pug-nosed pipes (Genus: Bryx IIRC) is that they are the only species that I am aware of a hobbyist raising from fry to adulthood. If you can't get them to eat, you could try some frozen cyclops, even if it means using the freshwater kind. I have had success in the past using freshwater cyclops to train my pipes onto frozen food.

And just a heads up -- the fact that you received these pipes sort of points to your source of shrimp being wild caught.

 

[tiababygirl2]

i believe there {a Micrognathus crinitus } gulf pipefish.very hardy pipefish .i had a few of them..i like them a lot .
Ruth

 

[craigshup]

Does anyone know if they started eating or died?

 

[tasha6]

As of today they are still alive. I believe they are eating because they keep picking at the rocks. I have put in copepods and baby brine along with our homemade fish food that we feed all of our fish.

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[nanshaw2001]

What a fun thread. I am thinking about pipes and ponies sometime soon! Please keep us updated!

 

[tasha6]

Wanted to give an update. Some good and bad news. I have 1 that I haven't been able to find for the last 4-5 days so I assume it didn't make it.

The good news! I have 1 that is doing well and comes out to eat everyday and it is definately grabbing food as it is floating in the tank. Keeping my fingers cross that it continues to go well.

 

[barryfish]

sorry to hear about this I would put them in your sump if you have chaeto they will love it and won't have predators to compete over food plus if you have any pods in there they will survive on them imo just a thought

 

[tasha6]

I actually put them in a 40g breeder where I keep the feeder shrimp so I don't think anything got at them. I don't have any macro in that tank but do have a few pieces of branching rock where they could take some cover.

I just wasn't prepared to receive 2 small pipefish when I got the order and this was the best place I could find for them where they wouldn't become dinner for something else.

 

[namxas]

Whether they're gulfs or dwarf pugnose, both are what many refer to as "seagrass" pipes. If you want to keep it longterm, it would appreciate some live macro (Caulerpa prolifera makes a super seagrass substitute). The macro will aid in your water quality, provide cover for the pipe, and eventually, will harbor pods for it to hunt.

Just a thought...

 

[barryfish]

good emergency plan for sure!!! I should set up a 40 breeder just incase

 

[tasha6]

I should say that the 40g breeder is 1 of a string of 4 hooked to a 180g DT along with a 75g sump. The water quality is good. Would they be ok with cheato rather than caulerpa? I have plenty in the refugiums and could very easily transfer some over. I also have some type of seagrass that I just got a couple of weeks ago but am trying to grow it out a little before I put any in with them because the lighting on this tank is just fluorescent.