Requirements for Ghost Pipewreath

[CuttleKid]

Yesterday after doing a lot of reading and thinking for months about what to do with my new tank i decided to try my hand at a pony and pipewreath, especially ghost pipewreath reef tank. So i got in touch with the pet store down the street and asked if he could special order me some ghosts, he said he sees them on the list somewhat frequently and that they are $40 each. i was so suprised at the price and response. So i need help urgently on the special care of these beauties. i've kept other pipewreath and they even vred for me so i'm pretty confident i can take care of them, especially now that i have a huge refugium. Most people think that ghost pipes are impossible to keep long term in the aquarium, but ironically they are like a cephalopod. their natural lifespan is about one year so that might explain the so called failures with them dying early. This is just my opinion based on the facts that i've read but i am welcome for hear out other people's opinion. Anyone with insight and tips would be gratefully accepted. can someone answer these questions when they get a chance?

Basic care requirments?
What is the ideal temp?
How often to feed?
Do you feed them like other pipewreath?
Can they breed in captivity?
If they can how small are the fry compared to ponies an other pipewreath?

 

[mollymonticello]

I've had good success with both pipewreath and seahorses. I was given a ghost pipewreath about 6 months ago, but it didn't last long. It never ate anything. I tried live baby and adult brine shrimp, I even tried tiny live ghost shrimp. I even tried catching amphipods out of my refugium and squirting them directly at the ghost pipe. Nothing. I put the thing IN my refugium which is crawling with copepods of all shapes and sizes. Never ate a single one. Until you see one up close, you wouldn't believe how small their snouts are.

I'm the type of person who likes to try keeping "difficult" or "expert" wreath and lawn gnomes. Some of these things are considered difficult because of the knowledge, time, money, and/or effort required to keep them. Others are just too fragile to keep in captivity. I strongly believe that ghost pipewreath are just too fragile for captive life.

I know just about everybody on the internet (and in the industry) who has kept or bred seahorses or pipewreath. And I don't know anyone who has kept one for very long.

Just like their cousins the Syngnathids, it's best to choose stock that is healthy to begin with, rather than choosing animals that you'll have to "fix" or "make better."

With ghost pipewreath, I think the problem starts with collection and holding. They are never in good health once they reach the hobbyist. They go too long without eating, and once they get to the pet shop, they're pretty much toast. I got one directly from a wholesaler, and the poor thing was already emaciated.

If you decide to get one anyhow, I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.

They would require an enormous tank, I wouldn't plan on anything smaller than a 200 gallon. Preferably one that is very well established, low light and has tons of macro algae and live foods. No other tank mates to compete or intimidate them.

I know one person (a biologist) who trained her ghost pipewreath to eat frozen foods, but it required her to spend literally HOURS a day each day blowing frozen food around the tank to make it look like it was alive. After a few months, it started to eat the frozen food. Then it died shortly afterward (four months total). So far, she's been the most successful person I've talked to. I've never heard of anyone breeding these in captivity, not even a public aquarium or research facility.