Keeping pipefish, what is your take on this?

[mandyplo]

I've recently become fascinated with pipefish and seahorses... Where I know the seahorse requires expert care, I was wondering what you guys think about keeping pipefish..

I've read up on them like crazy, and where I feel like I know everything I need to know - I know I'm wrong.

What are your experiences and tips on keeping these magnificent creatures, and my main question: Can you keep different types of pipefish together? I know you cannot keep same sexes together - and its very difficult to tell the sexes apart - so what about keeping a banded and a blue stripe pipefish together?

Let me tell you a little about my tank: 1 year old, 70 gallon, currently a FOWLR but I plan on adding some coral soon (some softies - torches hammers, zoas palys, candy canes, mushrooms and possibly easier to keep sps - birdsnests, digis).
The fish I currently have: 1 yellow watchmen goby, 2 dispar anthias, 1 blue chromis and 1 yellow eyed kole tang.

Note: The pipefish do not do well with aggressive and larger fish - my kole tang is very small and he is the friendliest well mannered tang I've ever seen. The 2 anthias, blue chromis and the tang all school together. I have never seen my tang bully anyone, in fact no one in my tank is scared of him at all.

Let me know what you guys think - do you think I should try it out? I would really love to and I feel like my tank is so low stocked right now it would be a good time to bring in a fish like this first.

Edit: Let me add I have no snails, hermit crabs, no crabs at all actually, no anemones (don't plan on adding any nems either), and no star fish) - basically no one at the moment who would harm the pipefish if I were to add them.

[windcoast reefs]

They are a tough one to keep. I've never seen one in a fish only tank. I would first get some corals in the tank, let the get established and the put one in. I'm pretty sure most pipefish eat parasites off of corals as well as like to hide in them. Make sure you have a healthy pod population.

I wouldn't be to worried about the other fish, when progressive reef was open, they had 2 in there SPS tank that was filled with all kinds of tangs. Nothing bothered it, they were always out and about.

[sphelps]

I don't think pipefish are any easier than seahorses, very similar in requirements IMO. I've seen more success with seahorses probably due to captive bred species becoming available. I believe most pipefish available are still wild caught but I could be wrong. Anyway I guess what I'm saying is that if you're leaning away from seahorses then pipefish aren't the answer.

[mandyplo]

Thanks - my rock structures are large and have tons of hiding places, but I see what you mean. My only worry is that any large sps pieces for the pipefish to hide in would cost me a fortune, or if I bought frags would take me a long time to grow them out. I've had better luck with softies in the past than sps - do you think pipe fish would benefit from corals like kenya trees, hammers, torches, etc. That they could hide in? As well as zoas palys mushrooms for the pipefish graze on parasites?

[mandyplo]

I don't think pipefish are any easier than seahorses, very similar in requirements IMO. I've seen more success with seahorses probably due to captive bred species becoming available. I believe most pipefish available are still wild caught but I could be wrong. Anyway I guess what I'm saying is that if you're leaning away from seahorses then pipefish aren't the answer.

Only reason I was leaning away from seahorses was because I thought they were much more difficult to keep, and was under the impression pipefish were hardier. If I'm wrong and they're both equally as difficult to keep I'll wait for a better time when I feel I'm more capable and ready to keep them.

[sphelps]

I defiantly don't think they are hardier, more fragile if anything. I haven't really seen anyone keep them long term.

[mandyplo]

They only have a lifespan in captivity of roughly 3 years from what I've read

[sphelps]

3 years is long term, not saying that can't be done but they'll need special care just like seahorses. Many people assume otherwise and introduce them into their reef tanks, typically last a couple months.

[morecowbell]

I kept seahorses for years but then I tried pipefish. I got 2 and they did well the first few weeks, eating the tiny pieces of frozen mysis. Then they started hiding in the back and never came out again. I'm sure they are long gone and maybe they starved or were too stressed. Captive bred seahorses are easier in my opinion but have more requirements in terms of the tank and tankmates.

[Coleus]

ask Kien, he has one around for couple years now

[ferret]

To my experience pipefish is most suitable keeping in the macro algae with live rocks system for producing tons of pods and different types of live food. I had the blue strip pipefish in my planted tank before ( the male up to 3 years while the female up to nearly 4 years ). The dragon face pipefish usually survive from 1 to 2 years. I noticed the pipefish will consume the frozen mysis after 2 to 4 months once they get along with the environment of the system, of course that's not guaranteed and depend on which type of pipefish that is.

[kien]

Here's my expereience with pipefish.. keep in mind I am not an expert on them! This is just kinda what I've observed with mine over the years.

I have tried 2 different kinds of, the banded and the dragonface pipefish. The banded pipefish had a hard time swimming in my Mixed Reef because the flow was just too high for him in my opinion. They seem to be more open water swimmers like fish except they seem to prefer calmer spots. The one I had swam around a bit but then would retreat to the calmest part of the tank that he could find. Anyway, he didn't last beyond a month, maybe two. Never ate anything but pods.

I have a dragonface pipefish that I've had for a couple of years and two more that I added after that I've had for about a year now. The dragonface pipefish is quite different in that it doesn't really swim around at all. It mostly slinks around through the rocks and corals hunting for food. Because of this he is fine in a high flow reef tank. I never see him/her swim. Even after two years my pipefish never eats frozen, or at least I never noticed if he/she did. Strictly pods which I have an abundance of. There was a period of a few months this year where I didn't have any coral in my tank at all and all 3 of my pipefish did fine hunting pods and such. Another point to make is that they are quite social. When I added an additional 2 pipefish the 3 of them immediately found each other and like to hang out together. I have not noticed any aggression from the 3 of them at all. They always sleep together. I have never seen any of my fish bother the pipefish.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8062/8201485133_4e461755c2_o.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8202575944_ef8dcace4f_o.jpg

Hope that helps!

[kien]

Oh, and my tank was about a year old when I added my first dragonface pipefish.

[mandyplo]

Thanks Kien! This has definitely given me some insight. It looks like I'm going to hold off on the banded / blue stripe for now and look more into the dragonface... but perhaps also wait until I have some coral for some of those guys aswell. Any idea where I can get some of these guys if I live in Ontario?

[kien]

Thanks Kien! This has definitely given me some insight. It looks like I'm going to hold off on the banded / blue stripe for now and look more into the dragonface... but perhaps also wait until I have some coral for some of those guys aswell. Any idea where I can get some of these guys if I live in Ontario?

In Calgary they seem to show up at pretty much all of our local stores. In fact, Big Al's had some dragonface a couple of weeks ago and even some green Double-ended pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus). I would personally never put any other kind of pipefish other than the dragonface pipefish in a mixed reef unless you have super low flow. Those other pipefish are much closer in requirements to seahorses and should probably go into a species dedicated tank.

[tim the toolman]

I have 2 banded pipes in my 180 gal mixed reef and have had them in there for over 6 months. They eat only live food however so when I first got them I raised brine shrimp to get them started then just let them go pods only. They tend to stay in the lower flow areas while my power heads are on during the day, but during the night cycle when my power heads are off and it's just my return pump moving water they are all over the tank hunting and swimming.
I should state that I have about a 30 gallon fuge loaded with pods and my tank is about 18 months old now so about a year when I introduced them.

[mandyplo]

I have 2 banded pipes in my 180 gal mixed reef and have had them in there for over 6 months. They eat only live food however so when I first got them I raised brine shrimp to get them started then just let them go pods only. They tend to stay in the lower flow areas while my power heads are on during the day, but during the night cycle when my power heads are off and it's just my return pump moving water they are all over the tank hunting and swimming.
I should state that I have about a 30 gallon fuge loaded with pods and my tank is about 18 months old now so about a year when I introduced them.

Thanks Tim - I literally just set up my sump and got it running 2 days ago (my first attempt at a sump ever). I have a refuge compartment but I haven't put anything in there yet. I also run my power heads day and night so its looking like the banded and blue stripes are out of the question for me... I'm going to look into raising brine shrimp and care for dragonface pipefish, but first I'll get my reef a little more mature and get my refuge going aswell. How does one "raise pods?" I'm going to read up on this also.

Thanks for all the advice guys - it's given me tons of insight! Really glad I didn't hop to buying a pipefish before consulting with canreef. I love this forum site :)

[sphelps]

:surprise:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/new%20tank/DSC_3989.jpg

[kien]

Love that pic! one of my fav of all time.

[kien]

:surprise:

I wonder if your pipe ever thought about going deeper into that clam.

[sphelps]

Love that pic! one of my fav of all time.

Thanks, I actually like yours better, maybe we should trade :mrgreen:

Mine didn't do as well as yours, was in there for around 6 months before disappearing but I made the mistake of having a dragonet in the tank as well.

[sphelps]

I wonder if your pipe ever thought about going deeper into that clam.

Haha you know where this is going :lol:

[kien]

Haha you know where this is going :lol:

what's so funny? :noidea:

[mandyplo]

Lol you guys are b-a-d.

I'm amazed at some of the photography on this site!!! I have a high end camera - just wish I knew it better, I'd love to take pictures of specimens in my tank like that :)!