Help! Pipefish care and feeding

mrdamsel · 12/20/2011, 06:01 PM

Hello! I am a beginner and have 6 months of experience and have had my tank setup for only 2 and a half months. I have mastered feeding and dosing the tank. I never ever overfeed the tank either. I feed the tank with prime reef flakes and PE mysis shrimp. I was wondering what would be the hardiest pipefish for my 40 gallon and, if any, what should I feed it. My current livestock is the following:

x1 small tank bred occelaris clown

x1 small yellow tang (it is only 4 inches and is very happy in my tank and interacts well with other fish. When it gets bigger, I will give it to my LFS who has a 150 gallon.)

x1 blue velvet damsel tank bred and is very peaceful for a damsel. It often plays with my clown and never has ever harmed anything.

x1 lawnmower Blenny who I give a sheet of seaweed every 4 days to.

mtc1966 · 12/20/2011, 06:31 PM

other then the blenny i don't believe your current stock would be compatible with pipe fish. they would out compete them for food.

TamiW · 12/20/2011, 08:02 PM

A flagtail pipefish is the only thing I would consider attempting in your setup - however I would get rid of the damsel first. They get meaner as they get older, and yours is probably very young yet. You'll also likely need to get a smaller type of mysis, either hikari or mini-mysis.

small alien · 12/29/2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishgrrl

a flagtail pipefish is the only thing i would consider attempting in your setup - however i would get rid of the damsel first. They get meaner as they get older, and yours is probably very young yet. You'll also likely need to get a smaller type of mysis, either hikari or mini-mysis.

+1

NatureNerd · 12/30/2011, 10:51 AM

Pipefish are difficult to feed. Mine refuses all foods except the pods he hunts for all day long. Unless you get real lucky and have lots of pods in your tank, they will perish. That is my experience with dragon faced pipefish. I have tried every food I can find. If it isn't alive, he won't touch it.

namxas · 01/11/2012, 12:25 PM

I agree with Tami...go with flagfins. I've kept D. janssi (Janss' pipefish) in a community reef with excellent results. If your tank is that young, unless you QT them and get them eating and weaned onto frozen mysis, your DT won't support them.

Reefers4U · 01/13/2012, 04:25 PM

so... as long as your tank has enough pods (like supporting draggonets) and calm reef inhabitants - no meanie damsel fish or aggro angels - then reef tanks can support pipefish?

I see pipefish in the reef while scuba diving all the time.

Luis A M · 01/21/2012, 09:03 AM

Expecting pipes or mandarins to survive just on the natural harp.copepod population of your tank leads usually to failure.They must be offered external food,live first and then weaned to frozen stuff.

small alien · 01/21/2012, 04:50 PM

I've had best luck with nutramar prawn roe and hikari mysis. PE is a bit large. Also, try frozen copepods like cyclopeeze.

RyanTurner · 01/21/2012, 05:09 PM

My Blues stripes love nutramar Ova and cyclopeeze.

Luis A M · 01/21/2012, 06:09 PM

It depends on species but also on individuals.My D.excisus takes everything and is the easiest species to keep.My D.dactilyophorus pair so far has not taken anything other than live copepods.

12/20/2011, 06:01 PM	#1
mrdamsel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 48	Help! Pipefish care and feeding Hello! I am a beginner and have 6 months of experience and have had my tank setup for only 2 and a half months. I have mastered feeding and dosing the tank. I never ever overfeed the tank either. I feed the tank with prime reef flakes and PE mysis shrimp. I was wondering what would be the hardiest pipefish for my 40 gallon and, if any, what should I feed it. My current livestock is the following: x1 small tank bred occelaris clown x1 small yellow tang (it is only 4 inches and is very happy in my tank and interacts well with other fish. When it gets bigger, I will give it to my LFS who has a 150 gallon.) x1 blue velvet damsel tank bred and is very peaceful for a damsel. It often plays with my clown and never has ever harmed anything. x1 lawnmower Blenny who I give a sheet of seaweed every 4 days to.

12/20/2011, 06:31 PM	#2
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 6,528	other then the blenny i don't believe your current stock would be compatible with pipe fish. they would out compete them for food. __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

12/20/2011, 08:02 PM	#3
TamiW Seahorse Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Greater Milwaukee Area, WI Posts: 914	A flagtail pipefish is the only thing I would consider attempting in your setup - however I would get rid of the damsel first. They get meaner as they get older, and yours is probably very young yet. You'll also likely need to get a smaller type of mysis, either hikari or mini-mysis. __________________ Tami It's all about the snick! Current Tank Info: I have a fish room.

12/30/2011, 10:51 AM	#5
NatureNerd Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 877	Pipefish are difficult to feed. Mine refuses all foods except the pods he hunts for all day long. Unless you get real lucky and have lots of pods in your tank, they will perish. That is my experience with dragon faced pipefish. I have tried every food I can find. If it isn't alive, he won't touch it. __________________ Reef tanks since 1987. Current tank: 75g SPS dominated reef tank set up in 1996

01/11/2012, 12:25 PM	#6
namxas Things With Stings R Us! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Carson, CA Posts: 5,087	I agree with Tami...go with flagfins. I've kept D. janssi (Janss' pipefish) in a community reef with excellent results. If your tank is that young, unless you QT them and get them eating and weaned onto frozen mysis, your DT won't support them. __________________ Greg Current Tank Info: too many to describe, but i think the count is up to "lucky 13"!

01/13/2012, 04:25 PM	#7
Reefers4U Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: IE Posts: 1,422	so... as long as your tank has enough pods (like supporting draggonets) and calm reef inhabitants - no meanie damsel fish or aggro angels - then reef tanks can support pipefish? I see pipefish in the reef while scuba diving all the time. __________________ "In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights." -James Madison Current Tank Info: 120 Visio // Radions // Eschopps Skimmer // MP40 x2 // Tunze ATO // BRS Dosing Pumps and Dual Reactor // Apex Gold //

01/21/2012, 09:03 AM	#8
Luis A M Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Buenos Aires,Argentina Posts: 1,689	Expecting pipes or mandarins to survive just on the natural harp.copepod population of your tank leads usually to failure.They must be offered external food,live first and then weaned to frozen stuff. __________________ Luis A M Current Tank Info: I keep about 40 tanks,for breeding and larval raising.Most are 10 gallons.

01/21/2012, 04:50 PM	#9
small alien The fungus is among us. Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Earth Posts: 3,884	I've had best luck with nutramar prawn roe and hikari mysis. PE is a bit large. Also, try frozen copepods like cyclopeeze. __________________ This moment is all we have. Current Tank Info: 75 mixed reef. F OSFF, Clingfish, M/F Leopards, M Mandy, Darwin Clown, Bullet Goby, Green Clown Goby, M/F Matted Files, Bluestripe Pipe, Tailspot Blenny, Canary Wrasse, Royal Gramma, Papua Toby Puffer, Snooty Maori Wrasse.

01/21/2012, 05:09 PM	#10
RyanTurner Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Posts: 126	My Blues stripes love nutramar Ova and cyclopeeze. __________________ Proud member of Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society.

01/21/2012, 06:09 PM	#11
Luis A M Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Buenos Aires,Argentina Posts: 1,689	It depends on species but also on individuals.My D.excisus takes everything and is the easiest species to keep.My D.dactilyophorus pair so far has not taken anything other than live copepods. __________________ Luis A M Current Tank Info: I keep about 40 tanks,for breeding and larval raising.Most are 10 gallons.

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