Pipefish in the Reef

[Amoore311]

Just a quick question regarding Pipefish in the Reef Tank.


I've got a 6 FT 180 Gallon tank, and would love to add a pair, or even single pipe fish.

I know that the Dragonface Pipe would work, as well as the Bluestripe.

I have seen some accounts of people doing Janss' as well, and others that don't mention Janss' when a poster asks about Reef Safe Pipefish.

Can anyone let me know if a pair of Janss' will work in a Reef Tank? If not I'll probably go with a Dragonface instead. I just like the fact that the Janss' have been know to set up cleaning stations for fish, I like to see the interaction between my tangs and cleaners.

 

[Elysia]

Janss are flagfin pipes, and flagfins are likely the best bet when trying a pipe in a full mixed reef (i.e. with stinging corals and the like.) They just aren't as well known (probably because they aren't as often imported) as the other flagfins (esp. bandeds and bluestripes) and the dragonfaces, which is probably why they aren't mentioned by name as often. I usually don't mention them specifically because I have yet to have the honor of even seeing one, but I trust the experience of the members out there with experience with these pretty pipes.

Is that how you spell the species name? It never looks right to me, no matter how I write it.

 

[TamiW]

Can anyone let me know if a pair of Janss' will work in a Reef Tank? If not I'll probably go with a Dragonface instead. I just like the fact that the Janss' have been know to set up cleaning stations for fish, I like to see the interaction between my tangs and cleaners.

Yes, janss would do fine in a reef. I've kept janss and bluestripes in a reef tank before (but not together!). You may have trouble with fighting if you don't get a male/female pair, and janss aren't the easiest to sex.

Be warned, anything like an anemone could be deadly. They're good swimmers but can still be overwhelmed by stinging animals, especially anemones. I also wouldn't keep with fish that are too aggressive.

Keep in mind that cleaner pipefish are not as indiscriminate as other cleaner animals. I believe they only clean damsels and cardinals. The one I had a few years ago never attempted to clean anyone, though he did give the bangai cardinals a good inspecting every once in a while (and they generally got creeped out and swam away).

 

[Amoore311]

Thanks for the feedback.

The propensity to clean other fish is more of an "added bonus" so to speak haha. So if they don't end up cleaning anything, I really wouldn't mind.

I told my supplier if he can get them in as a pair, or sexed, I'll take 2. If they come in with no designation, I'll just take one.

 

[namxas]

i kept a pair of Janss' in a softy/LPS mixed reef for quite a few years. they did wonderfully. they spend the days hunting in the LR and would also eat frozen mysis at feeding time. they did indeed clean their tankmates, mostly the foxface. they're pretty mellow as cleanerfish, and set up a "salon" at one end of the tank. when they felt like grooming, they would adopt an odd vertical see-saw swimming motion to advertise, and would groom any fish that presented itself.

males have a pinnate snout and a more hollow belly.

 

[NaClH2Opgh]

Is there such thing as too much flow for the Janss' in a mixed reef or if you have enough rock would that be OK?

 

[namxas]

my mixed reef wasn't crazy with flow, but flagfin pipes should generally have no problem handling reef tank flows.