Pipefish

[DrewReefBuilder]

Looking for RedBanded Pipefish or some yellow multibannded pipes or any warm water pipefish species. Whats the best place to get them for relativly a inexpensive price for a high school aquarium facility. I have a new 50 gallon tank. I have many California costal Bay Pipefish but I would like to show a warm water species to the public and keep in the exhibit.

 

[TamiW]

Online is probably the least expensive way to go, but they can be sensitive shippers, so it has its downsides. I personally would try to buy local so you can view them beforehand. Otherwise, if you do buy online, I am a big fan of live aquaria.com, they seem to take better care of their fish than most.

 

[wdt2000]

bluezooaquatics is close to you and they are very helpful and seem to be able to get just about anything.

 

[namxas]

IME, bandeds (Doryhamphus dactyliophorus) and Janss' (D. janssi) will be your best bets in terms of hardiness. Yellow bandeds (D. pessuliferus) and multibandeds (D. multifasciatus) tend to come in pretty thin and are more difficult to get "over the hump" when it comes to survival.

I'd love to see some pix of your "local pipes". I know there are some species native to coastal CA, but I've never seen any captive specimens that I recall.

 

[small alien]

+1 on Greg's species suggestions. I have had the same experiences.

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

Okay, Ill look into it, I would like a few, Here are some pics. of the pipes I have, sorry if there a bit big, also they all tend to be hiding fairly well and they always do so I did my best to find them...

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

Okay, foget the a bit big part but I did my best to find them in the eel grass enjoy

 

[small alien]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. What do you feed? Have they spawned?

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

No mating, but I feed them frozen mysis, frozen pacifica krill and live brine.

 

[namxas]

How long have you had the pipes mixed with the pots?

How did you acquire the pipes?

What temp are you running the tank at?

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

Ive had the pipefish with the potbellies for just over 4 months now and I had great success. The pips I had collected off locally from our coast with a collection permit via. an aquarium diver. I keep the tank anywhere from about 58-61 degrees. In that tank we have about 20 potbellies and a few pipefish, they hide so well that I cam never count them all at one given time.