tell me about pipefish

[sharuq1]

So I want to research pipefish and this is a good place to start. I would like to be able to keep a pair of pipefish, preferably colorful but don't have to be. Tank is up in the air...several choices for this. I have an 8.9g, a 14g, a 48g and soon a 120g (will be reef). The smaller tanks are empty at the moment except for some rock, the 48g is reef and will be all transferred to the 120 when it is "born"

What type of pipefish do you recommend keeping? It would be preferable to get a pair that are more likely to eat non-live foods.

Probably the answer to this is no, but can they be kept with a mandarin without someone starving to death?

 

[sharuq1]

Links to info on care and type of pipefish greatly appreciated!!

 

[sharuq1]

Oh and I realise the nanos are most likely totally unsuitable, just mentioned them as being an option in case someone could tell me otherwise....

 

[ann83]

I don't know of any good articles. There are a few good books that cover both seahorses and pipefish, including Rudie Kuiter's book, and there is a forum dedicated to pipefish on seahorse.org

 

[Pea-brain]

Definitely check out seahorse.org

Here is what i gathered so far as far as pipefish go:
You can keep bluestripe/banded pipefish in nanos as small as 10 gallons as long as A) they are trained to eat frozen food and you can feed them at least twice a day and B) you can keep water quality up.

Many pipefish are fine in coral tanks and such. Janss pipes, bluestripes, dragonfaces etc.

Bluestripe males will fight to the death in some cases, but a male with a small harem of females is fine.

Dan