thinking of pipefish

[Ron Reefman]

Hello,

I have a 5 yr old 75g reef that is doing well with a variety of corals (only a few SPS corals), a handful of fish and some other critters. Attached to the 75g reef is a 2 yr old 35g hexagon tank that is a estuary/refugium. The only things in the estuary are some live rock, macro algae. a brittle star and a mandarin. I was thinking about adding a couple of seahorses, but... I think they are probably not a good fit. To fussy, dirty, short lived, ect, ect. (you can tell me if I'm wrong in this train of thinking).

So what about pipefish? I'd like to start with a couple of less expensive and hearty types to make sure it will work. Now the estuary water goes to the filter and skimmer and then back to the reef. Water is then moved from the reef to the chiller and then split 50/50 back to the reef and estuary. Any help will be appreciated.

Ron

 

[Ron Reefman]

OK, the situation has changed a bit. Yesterday I was out collecting some feeder shrip from a local estuary (I'm in SW Florida) and I caught some pipefish (some tan and some green) and a few small seahorses. Does anybody know anything about what I need to do to take care of these? Can they survive in captivity?

They are currently in a fish trap with the door removed and a fine mesh cover to replace it. That keeps them confined and protected while in my estuary/refugium tank. Any tips on food or care and handling will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[namxas]

your pipes are probably gulf pipes (S. scovelli, IIRC), and typically do well in a seagrass-type biotope, as will the SH. neither are reef fish, nor do they do well in a reef setup.

as for the SH, i dunno if you have H. erectus, MAYBE reidi, or zots (H. zosterae, AKA dwarf SH). their care is quite different, as while erectus can be trained to frozen mysis or will eat live grass/ghost shrimp, the zots will only eat small live foods such as copepods, newly hatched and/or enriched Artemia or other shrimp nauplii.

for WC syngnathids, i do recommend treating them prophylactically for parasites while in QT.

i'd need some profile pix of the SH to ID them.

 

[Ron Reefman]

OK, this is my first attemt to upload photos to RC.

 

[ladybug5234]

Zots for sure.

 

[Elysia]

I would agree w/ ladybug, as some of those horses are showing sexual maturity (i.e. the males already have pouches.)

With dwarfs, you'll want to be hatching out brine for them every day unless you have a motherload of pods actively buzzing around their heads (dwarfs are often characterized as lazy feeders -- they like the food near their snouts and often won't expend much energy to get near a snick-able food source.) People lucky enough to have dwarfs that will take frozen food often report that they will go off the frozen in short order. You may be able to get the gulf pipes to take frozen enriched brine, though.

Are the other fish filefish?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Elysia,
Thanks for the help. They are in a tank with lots of pod and rotifers. But I think they will be heading back to their original home very soon. I don't have the time to deal with such fussy eaters.
I think you are right, the pair of fish are some kind of file fish. I've been looking around and can't find much info.
Thanks again,
Ron

 

[Ron Reefman]

Elysia,
Thanks for the help. They are in a tank with lots of pod and rotifers. But I think they will be heading back to their original home very soon. I don't have the time to deal with such fussy eaters.
I think you are right, the pair of fish are some kind of file fish. I've been looking around and can't find much info.
Thanks again,
Ron

 

[namxas]

yeppers...zots for sure. the one with all the cirri is cute.

while i don't recall the species of those filefish, i do know somebody who kept one and she reported that they get pretty large.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Greg,

Thanks for the feedback. If the file fish get too big they'll just have to go back into the Gulf of Mexico, but for nowI'll try to keep them.

Ron

 

[ladybug5234]

I wish I could catch some zots! I'm in the Gulf too until Sunday but all I get are pipefish!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Ladybug,

Where are you along the Gulf? I'm in Cape Coral and would be willing to share info...privately. We got 5 SH and about 40-50 shrimp doing maybe 30 or 40 sweeps with a dip net. It was at an estuary/ very shallow, almost mucky beach just outside the mouth of a river. We looked for patches of turtle grass and just sweep the net through it.

Now we can't wait to try the same technique in some of the remote grass beds we snorkle at down in the Keys! We have a 10' inflatable wit a 5hp outboard and can get to islands that aren't too far off shore (especially on the Florida Bay side of the Keys). Almost nobody every stops by (maybe a fisherman every once and awhile, but never anybody snorkeling). We've collected some pretty cool stuff.

Ron

 

[Paul B]

I have been keeping a pair of bluestripped pipefish in my reef for quite a few years. They live out their life which seems to be about three years. They spawn frequently and I feed them new born brine shrimp every day.

Here is a pregnant guy.

 

[ladybug5234]

Ron, pm sent

 

[Eric the half-bee]

I placed a pair of Janss' in my reef tank about 9 months ago and they are thriving. Albeit, I don't see them more than 20-30 min/day due to rockwork.

 

[pisces9397]

I kept Jansus' pipefish and a pair of dragon-faced pipefish in a JBJ nano cube. I fed them frozen cyclops and reef plankton everyday and they did very well.