Pipefish with anemone?

[Calappidae]

Can I put a dragonface pipefish and BTA in a 125? I also have a 6 gallon thats 24 inches long.. if I got it to eat mysis would it be alright with harlequin shrimp and sponges?

 

[rssjsb]

I wouldn't. Flagtails like Janssi or bluestripes would be ok, but dragonfaces slither around and could get caught by the anemone.

They're also notoriously difficult to wean to frozen foods. I wouldn't count on getting them to eat mysis. Without the nem, you may be ok in a 125 that's well established, has a refugium, and has no other fish that would present a major competition for pods (i.e., some wrasses, mandarins, scooters).

I can't imagine that the sponges would present an issue. I've never kept harlequins, but I wouldn't think that would be a problem either.

 

[Calappidae]

I'm just asking about the sponges because my lfs told me that some of them, when they die, will nuke an aquarium, and is the reason why sponge eating nudibranch are toxic...I also had a mass extinction in a tank with two condy anems involved, and my lfs blamed dead sponges and cucumbers in the rock. I was more thinking about the idea of the pipefish shoving it's head into a pore and the sponge.. being non-photo, closing on it. As far as out competing for food, I have 2 scooter dragonets (recused both of them starving at petco.. I asked the employee what they ate and they had no idea..) and they are both eating frozen mysis, I guess that wouldn't matter as they still will be scooting searching for pods... now what about the harlequin shrimp and the anem will that be ok? the perpose of the 6 gallon is for a quarentine incase something gets sick or happens etc. and I want to be able to add anything in the 6 gallon into the main display if something goes wrong and can't mix (I just can't leave a tank empty... ).. I think I'll just skip the anem so maybe everybody can live peacefully.

 

[timinnl]

I would look for a new LFS.

Kind Regards,

Tim

 

[D-Nak]

I have a DFP in my 120 mixed reef with a gigantea anemone. It's surprisingly a good swimmer (I have two MP40s and it swims comfortably in the current) and gets close to the nem, but seems like it knows not to get too close. Plus, I have a pair of clowns that guard the nem, which works to also keep the DFP away.

In terms of food, I've never seen mine eat anything, other than picking at rocks, which I assume to mean it's only eating pods. I'ev had it for a few months now, so I know it's eating something. Since you have two scooter dragonets, I'm worried that there's too much competition for the same food. When you're not feeding them mysis, I agree with you that they're searching for pods.

 

[rssjsb]

I'm just asking about the sponges because my lfs told me that some of them, when they die, will nuke an aquarium, and is the reason why sponge eating nudibranch are toxic...I also had a mass extinction in a tank with two condy anems involved, and my lfs blamed dead sponges and cucumbers in the rock. I was more thinking about the idea of the pipefish shoving it's head into a pore and the sponge.. being non-photo, closing on it. As far as out competing for food, I have 2 scooter dragonets (recused both of them starving at petco.. I asked the employee what they ate and they had no idea..) and they are both eating frozen mysis, I guess that wouldn't matter as they still will be scooting searching for pods...

There are sponges that can release toxins when they die, but I doubt it's a real issue unless this is a likely issue in a tank your size. What kind of sponges do you have in the tank? Same with cucumbers (unless it's a sea apple or something).

Also, sponge syphons don't close when touched, so I wouldn't worry about interactions with the pipefish.

I do agree with D-Nak that your two scooters are definitely eating pods even if they're eating mysis too. And I would worry about them outcompeting the pipefish for food.

 

[Calappidae]

There are sponges that can release toxins when they die, but I doubt it's a real issue unless this is a likely issue in a tank your size. What kind of sponges do you have in the tank? Same with cucumbers (unless it's a sea apple or something).

Also, sponge syphons don't close when touched, so I wouldn't worry about interactions with the pipefish.

I do agree with D-Nak that your two scooters are definitely eating pods even if they're eating mysis too. And I would worry about them outcompeting the pipefish for food.

I'm going to skip on the pipefish now since I'm getting BTA in the 125 and making a mini-reef full of small shrimp like harlys, bumblebee, sexy shrimp, etc. I don't have any sponges now thats just what my lfs told me when my 55 gallon was setup and everything died over-night, they accused the live rock having sponges in it that died. :hmm5:

 

[rssjsb]

That could happen if your tank was brand new (i.e., uncycled) and contained a bunch of uncured live rock. Or if you just dropped in a lot of uncured liverock into a cycled system.

 

[homegrowncichli]

Your tank die off isn't due to the poison in sponges, I have many sponges in my tank. Most likely your live rock wasn't cured fully, and any organism dying off will release lots of nutrient's or suck up lots of oxygen. My friend had a striped pipefish in his tank with a carpet anemone, the pipefish was sucked in one day, since the carpet is very sticky. the bubble tips don't seem to be any where as sticky as a carpet and I've seen quite a few fish brush over the bubble tip and swim away. Now a predatory stringy bubble tip on the other hand will grab food out of the water.