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Thinking of adding a pair of pipefish...suggestions/advice/experience
- Thread starter SteveDola
- Start date
fyi
I had a pair about 2 years ago. bought them as a pair and they seemd to do well for about a month or so. Shortly after 1 died i would think from never really eating (I use to see them pick at food but never really see them eat hardy) After the 1stdied within a week the second died. rob
I had a pair about 2 years ago. bought them as a pair and they seemd to do well for about a month or so. Shortly after 1 died i would think from never really eating (I use to see them pick at food but never really see them eat hardy) After the 1stdied within a week the second died. rob
Dave McReeferson
laurifer crustulum
Gina and I had a pair for quite some time, perhaps a year or so. They did eventually die, I suspect it was a matter of stiff competition for available food. In my experience, they don't take mysis (to big I think), but feed well on cyclops and other small foods. They also graze the rockwork constantly and can be observed picking small stuff from the cracks and crevices. I cut down feeding the small stuff too much as a means of nutrient control, but I fear this may have contributed to their demise. In a tank as large as ours, with such high flow, a good deal of food must be introduced for it to be taken up, in a smaller system, this could likely be more easily controlled, and the pipefish more easily target fed.
If you have many pod hunters in your tank, I would recommend regular supplemental feeding with smaller foods like cyclops and such. Both of ours readily ate this type of stuff immediately upon introduction.
They don't seem to mind high flow, and are quite capable of navigating about a high flow reef tank. They also seemed to be pretty indifferent to the presence of other fish within the tank and movement outside of it. They are however somewhat reclusive, and seem to prefer spending most of their time in shaded areas such as overhangs and caves. When they move about the tank, they tend to stay low in the water column, and close to the rockwork for the most part, but again, when they do come out "for a stroll" they seem to utterly ignore their tankmates and don't seem to be easily spooked. I suspect their tendency to hang out amongst the rocks and corals is more a function of where there food is at than them being afraid, though I am sure that protection from predation must play into it to some extent...
That's about all I can think about at the moment, hope it is helpful.
If you have many pod hunters in your tank, I would recommend regular supplemental feeding with smaller foods like cyclops and such. Both of ours readily ate this type of stuff immediately upon introduction.
They don't seem to mind high flow, and are quite capable of navigating about a high flow reef tank. They also seemed to be pretty indifferent to the presence of other fish within the tank and movement outside of it. They are however somewhat reclusive, and seem to prefer spending most of their time in shaded areas such as overhangs and caves. When they move about the tank, they tend to stay low in the water column, and close to the rockwork for the most part, but again, when they do come out "for a stroll" they seem to utterly ignore their tankmates and don't seem to be easily spooked. I suspect their tendency to hang out amongst the rocks and corals is more a function of where there food is at than them being afraid, though I am sure that protection from predation must play into it to some extent...
That's about all I can think about at the moment, hope it is helpful.
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Dave McReeferson
laurifer crustulum
That was not my experience, it was just that appropriately sized foods need to be selected. Big Mysids are just to big for them to take I think. My experience is limited to banded pipes as well, so may not apply to dragons...
Edit: Oh, and yes, they do certainly eat pods from the rockwork, so if they do not have a large amount of competion for such foods, that will certainly help I would think.
OP
OP
no pod hunters in my tank just 3 pj cards and YT. its a 2ft cube tank and thought that the pipes would have complete run of the tank because the PJs are timid and YT has never shown any aggression towards other fish. I already feed Cyclopeeze and Articpods so in addition to the copopods already in the tank they wouldnt have much competition for food but large variety.
Sean Irwin
Non-member
The banded pipefish from Skiptons came home with me (Christmas present for the lady). Pipefish and seahorses have rudimentary digestive systems which forces them to eat frequent small amounts of food. Lot's of liverock and especially a large productive refugium would go a long way toward keeping them fed. Luckily, the pair I got from Skiptons eat frozen food. From what I observed of their feeding behavior:
They seem to be attracted to "red foods" especially cyclops-eze and arti-pods. This is inline with what is known for sea horses. The red color comes from a pigment found in many crustaceans. You can either use these foods or coat potential foods in commercially available pigment additives.
These guys eat mini mysis shrimp and will rip them apart until they're small enough to digest. They're very particular, finicky, meticulous feeders, and will inspect each morsel. Finally, food that they may devour one day they'll totally ignore the next.
They seem to be attracted to "red foods" especially cyclops-eze and arti-pods. This is inline with what is known for sea horses. The red color comes from a pigment found in many crustaceans. You can either use these foods or coat potential foods in commercially available pigment additives.
These guys eat mini mysis shrimp and will rip them apart until they're small enough to digest. They're very particular, finicky, meticulous feeders, and will inspect each morsel. Finally, food that they may devour one day they'll totally ignore the next.
Sean Irwin
Non-member
RayD
The Chicago Experience!
I had the same experience as Rob. I bought a pair during the RB scare and it seemed that a high flow system just wasn't for them. One died and about a week later the second went MIA.
I think they're better suited in a species tank, Sea Horses etc ...
YMMV.
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