Dragonface Pipefish in 45 Gallon

airmantx · 08/05/2016, 06:08 PM

I am looking to get a DFPF (Dragonface Pipefish) for my show fish in my Rimless JBJ 45 Gallon. I have a Refugium flooded with Copepods and I was wondering if I would be able to sustain him in my tank. Also if you have a DFPF please give some tips/advice on how to train them onto frozen. Thanks

ThRoewer · 08/07/2016, 04:14 PM

I tried them but they died of an infection within a few days while still in quarantine.
They are definitely a bit more on the tricky side when it comes to feeding.

I keep so far only Doryrhamphus species (excisus, paulus, janssi) and those you can easily keep in small tanks without any pods once they accept frozen food.

airmantx · 08/09/2016, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

I tried them but they died of an infection within a few days while still in quarantine.

They are definitely a bit more on the tricky side when it comes to feeding.

I keep so far only Doryrhamphus species (excisus, paulus, janssi) and those you can easily keep in small tanks without any pods once they accept frozen food.

Thanks so much!

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taithao35 · 09/04/2016, 09:46 PM

I got 4 ddpf from liveauaria for 2 wks in my 150 gallons.
They constantly & actively search for food in the tank.
I hope they will eat AEFW for me

ThRoewer · 09/08/2016, 05:20 AM

They won't eat flatworms (AEFW). At best they may keep the Red Bugs in check.

From what I heard Sixline wrasses may go after AEFW.

Joey_bananas420 · 11/17/2016, 07:52 PM

I Have a pair or dragon face pipe fish in my main display they are active pod pickers I prob feed 5 to 6 times a day small amounts of a home made frozen mix I get from my local reef shop. The pipefish have yet to go after any of it.

ThRoewer · 11/23/2016, 01:20 AM

I have a pair right now in a 10 gallon QT. Tigger pod feeding introduced some Nannochloropsis algae resulting in an algae bloom. I fought that with Brachionus which the dragon face also go after. Now, even after removing most of the Brachionus the pipefish are still constantly picking at something.

fabulousfavia · 07/21/2017, 10:13 AM

A tank like that would be enough to sustain a dragon face as their primary prey are copepods. I have trained mine onto frozen but their willingness to accept it depends on their personality. There are a few methods of training them onto frozen including the fast or starve method where you only offer frozen until they accept it but since dragon face pipefish are quite finicky this method might not work. Another method that works most of the time is if you start with feeding all copepods and slowly reduce the amount of copepods you feed and increase the amount of frozen you feed until you are feeding all frozen. Do not rush the process the amount of time it takes depends on how finicky the fish is. Dragon face pipefish are amazing at eating red bugs. If you keep a few they will eat the red bugs until there is nothing left. In my opinion if you have a steady source of copepods you shouldn't train him onto frozen because during vacation you won't have to have somebody come in and feed the frozen food. Hope this helps. Good luck.

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08/05/2016, 06:08 PM	#1
airmantx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 15	Dragonface Pipefish in 45 Gallon I am looking to get a DFPF (Dragonface Pipefish) for my show fish in my Rimless JBJ 45 Gallon. I have a Refugium flooded with Copepods and I was wondering if I would be able to sustain him in my tank. Also if you have a DFPF please give some tips/advice on how to train them onto frozen. Thanks

08/07/2016, 04:14 PM	#2
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	I tried them but they died of an infection within a few days while still in quarantine. They are definitely a bit more on the tricky side when it comes to feeding. I keep so far only Doryrhamphus species (excisus, paulus, janssi) and those you can easily keep in small tanks without any pods once they accept frozen food. __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

09/08/2016, 05:20 AM	#5
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	They won't eat flatworms (AEFW). At best they may keep the Red Bugs in check. From what I heard Sixline wrasses may go after AEFW. __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

11/23/2016, 01:20 AM	#7
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	I have a pair right now in a 10 gallon QT. Tigger pod feeding introduced some Nannochloropsis algae resulting in an algae bloom. I fought that with Brachionus which the dragon face also go after. Now, even after removing most of the Brachionus the pipefish are still constantly picking at something. __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

07/21/2017, 10:13 AM	#8
fabulousfavia Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 198	A tank like that would be enough to sustain a dragon face as their primary prey are copepods. I have trained mine onto frozen but their willingness to accept it depends on their personality. There are a few methods of training them onto frozen including the fast or starve method where you only offer frozen until they accept it but since dragon face pipefish are quite finicky this method might not work. Another method that works most of the time is if you start with feeding all copepods and slowly reduce the amount of copepods you feed and increase the amount of frozen you feed until you are feeding all frozen. Do not rush the process the amount of time it takes depends on how finicky the fish is. Dragon face pipefish are amazing at eating red bugs. If you keep a few they will eat the red bugs until there is nothing left. In my opinion if you have a steady source of copepods you shouldn't train him onto frozen because during vacation you won't have to have somebody come in and feed the frozen food. Hope this helps. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ I'm an impulse buyer, I need this, this, and this, oh and this would look nice with these zoas Current Tank Info: 55 gallon rimless saltwater reef tank and many more

09/04/2016, 09:46 PM	#4
taithao35 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 315	I got 4 ddpf from liveauaria for 2 wks in my 150 gallons. They constantly & actively search for food in the tank. I hope they will eat AEFW for me

11/17/2016, 07:52 PM	#6
Joey_bananas420 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 54	I Have a pair or dragon face pipe fish in my main display they are active pod pickers I prob feed 5 to 6 times a day small amounts of a home made frozen mix I get from my local reef shop. The pipefish have yet to go after any of it.