Keeping pipefish, what is your take on this?
 

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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.

ask Kien, he has one around for couple years now