Are Pipefish like Mandarins?

[falconut]

I read that pipefish eat the living pods in the LR, which is the same as Mandarins. I believe that I've read that pipefish are fairly easy to convert over to frozen foods, which is probably not true with Mandarins. At least none of mine ever ate frozen.

I've had Mandarins and they have done fine in my system, but I don't want another. So, I was wondering if a pipefish would be an alternative option. I have a 90 gallon, mostly softy reef. The fish I have are: a pair of Ocellarus Clowns, pair of Lyretail Anthias, Green Chromis, an Azure Damsel (very mellow), Yellow Tang, Female Lamark Angel, Royal Gramma, Flame Angel, Copperband and a Flametail Blenny. There are also a pair of Cleaner Shrimp, a CBS, a Blue Knuckle Hermit, blue leg hermits, scartlet hermits, a few astrea snails and a tiger conch.

My LFS usually gets in the Dragonface and the Blue Stripes. I have been reading and have found that many others have kept pipefish in their reefs with similar fish to mine. I currently feed frozen mysis every day, but doubt they would be able to compete in quantity with the other fish. I have about 120lbs. of LR and a 15 gallon refuge with loads of pods. Should I be able to just get one and let it hunt for food like a Mandarin or is there something else I'd need to do with a pipe?

So far I'm between Dragonface and Bluestripe. I think I like the look of the Dragonface more, but see they get bigger and might require more food, so maybe a Bluestripe would be better. Which one would tend to be more active and visible? That would also, play into the decision. Any idea how much food either of these guys would consume daily? Like do they have a slow metabolisum or fast? Sorry for all the questions, but I've had many fish and like to over-research them before getting them to give them the best means to survive.

Thanks for your time in advance.
Craig

[namxas]

with a CBS and hermits in the tank, i'd recommend flagfins over DF's. i had a big, nasty CBS that would grab at passing fish, it even managed to tear a couple of tailfins.

that being said, DF's will likely be more visible than bluestripes. also, with bluestripes, you have to be sure that you get a M-F pair. two males will fight to the death, guaranteed.

yes, pipes eat pods, but aren't too tuff to convert, IME (the best place to do this is in QT). pipes are voracious eaters and will decimate a pod population in no time (i had a pair wipe out a teeming fuge in less than a week). pipes, like SH, basically hunt all day, so they're pretty much eating most of the time since they lack true stomachs and cannot store food for digestion.

i've kep Janss' (another flagfin) in a softy reef, and they did fine for a number of years. they even set up a cleaning station and groomed their tankmates.

HTH

[falconut]

I was only looking to get one. Would that be a problem with either of these? I was thinking of QTing it, but how long can it go without eatting, if it doesn't immediately accept frozen? Would I have to use live brine until it does eat frozen? I don't have any LR in the QT.

[namxas]

your best bet would be to get one that's eating frozen at the LFS. if you can't, then you'll have to wing it. hunger is a good incentive, but on the same token, you can't starve a syngnathid for too long. DF's will normally take newly-hatched Artemia fairly easily, and you can also buy live pods to direct feed it. DF's also can take surprisingly large food items as well, altho copepods are their mainstay.

since you have a 90 gal, i'd recommend the DF since they get larger and will be more visible. the bluestripe will spend a lot of time in the rockwork and will be out more under dimmer lighting (such as when your actinics are on).

[loverreef]

I have a pair of the Blue Stripes

My daughter named them good and bad. Good has good tail, bad has bad tail(missing part of it). I was told Bad will never grow the tail back.

mine do eat all day and if you do not have tons of pods they will go through them very quick, they they are meat eaters and will eat mysis shrimp if you get some into the rocks where the other fish cannot get to it.

Over all very easy to keep so long as you do not have maroon clowns, sleeper and or watchman gobies.

[namxas]

Originally Posted by loverreef

I have a pair of the Blue Stripes
Over all very easy to keep so long as you do not have maroon clowns, sleeper and or watchman gobies.

i'd be curious to hear why you singled these fish out as tankmates...

maroon clowns are snotty to everything (as are most clowns, but maroons are the worst), but i'm at a loss as to why you mentioned the sand-sifters and watchman gobies. bluestripes often act as cleaners, and as such are tolerated by most fish.

there are quite a few folks keeping these fish with Syngnathids of all sorts.

as for the tail growing back, it kind of depends on the damage incurred, and the reason for said damage.

[Squidhead9]

I had a dragonface that did well in a mixed reef but one day I found him in the clutches of a big emerald crab. No more dragonface.

[small alien]

I've had a pair of DF pipes in a 10 gallon QT for several months. They eat prawn roe and cyclops with vigor. I feed twice daily and turn off the flow for close to an hour each time to give them a chance to eat. They are active and their body weight looks good. But nitrates get high fast and it's a lot of work. They do not take mysis, it seems too big for their very tiny mouths. They are always out and about.

I had a bluestripe and it was hidden in the rock work except when I would feed. It would eat mysis easily and with vigor. Lost it in a tank transfer. You won't see the blue stripe much but it's a bit easier to feed.

good luck.