I love pipefish

[Paul B]

I just love pipefish and usually have bluestripe pipefish, but just now I got me a dragon pipefish. I fed him a bunch of new born brine shrimp before I put him in my reef because I know the store never fed her.
Of course my copperband figured she was a worm and took some exploratory bites but I think the copperband now knows that pipefish don't taste to good. :smokin:

 

[thirty6]

Thats pretty cool looking
Are the delicate fish? ( hard to keep)

 

[Paul B]

All fish are hard to keep if you don't feed it what it is supposed to eat. In general pipefish are not an easy fish as it has special needs. They only eat tiny live food such as pods or new born brine shrimp. I hatch shrimp every day for my pair of mandarins, bluestripe pipefish,and scooter bleenies. My bluestripes have been spawning for a couple of years but they only live about 3 or 4 years so you can't keep them forever.

The store also has a very weird looking pipefish that I may just go back and get. I don't know what it is as I never saw one before. It was very thin, thinner than most pipefish with a long tapering front end and a long tapering back end that ended in a small tail. Kind of like a knitting needle. But the front was black then gradually turning to a bright orange as if air brushed, then back to black. It was the most unusual pipefish I had even seen and I wish I had some baby brine shrimp with me to try it out on it as it looked hungry and I am sure they can't feed it and I am also sure it hasn't eaten since it was collected so it will die if I don't get her. I am not sure if I can get back there in a couple of days.
http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/2013-05-04152734_zps6315f16f.jpg.html

 

[Reef Art]

My African blue stripe is the favorite fish in my tank. She (I've read that the females are less shy) loves nutramar ova but even eats mysis, ripping it apart. If I put my nose to the corner of the tank, she comes all the way up and looks at me. I've been looking but have no idea how to find an opposing mate.

 

[Paul B]

I have been spawning bluestripes for many years. They are easy to sex as the males have these 3 tiny hooks on the top of their snout, but you need real good eyes to see them. This is a female.

 

[beastium]

Are pipefish generally ok out of water as shown a little?

Sent from my MB870 using Reefs

 

[thirty6]

I thought that was a tank with no substrate, or in bag

 

[fishman1069]

I'm pretty sure that fish is in water

 

[E.intheC]

Nice pickup, Paul! I would love to add a Dragonface Pipefish to my tank as well.

 

[Paul B]

Are pipefish generally ok out of water as shown a little?

I don't know if I understand this question. I keep my fish in water but I would imagine you could keep them in sawdust or cornflakes, but water is better. :bagfish:

I thought that was a tank with no substrate, or in bag

It is a bare container, (with water) to aclimate the thing. Next time I will put some dirt in there so you could see the water. I took the picture in there before I put him in my tank because I didn't think I would ever see it in the tank as it is the same color as the gravel.:bigeyes::Yikes:

I'm pretty sure that fish is in water

You think?

 

[thirty6]

I don't know if I understand this question. I keep my fish in water but I would imagine you could keep them in sawdust or cornflakes, but water is better. :bagfish:



It is a bare container, (with water) to aclimate the thing. Next time I will put some dirt in there so you could see the water. I took the picture in there before I put him in my tank because I didn't think I would ever see it in the tank as it is the same color as the gravel.:bigeyes::Yikes:



You think?

i was pretty sure it was in water too paul, was just surprised at the question and was trying to be nice about it

 

[Reef Art]

Thanks for the info. Although I'm against arranged marriage, I'll now actively look for a suitor.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks for the info. Although I'm against arranged marriage, I'll now actively look for a suitor.

OK, I know it's me. Is this a pipefish question, comment or the wrong thread?

 

[Reef Art]

I'll be looking for a male pipefish for mine.

 

[Paul B]

OK, now I got it, I thought I was going senile.

 

[Paul B]

Who you looking at?

 

[beastium]

lol cornflakes. i only asked becasue it does look like its in a bare tank.. and i also saw someone with a FS thread holding the pipefish by the throat out of the water. The reflection on the bottom also made it look like a snake lol. shoulda rephrased the question

 

[jaBX1]

pipe fish are in they same family as seahorses correct?

I had a seahorse in a 20gal soft tank. There were a couple fish in the tank too. All was well (feeding 2x a day) for about 5 months when she started sinking to the bottom. I quarantined her but she died quickly.

Are pipe fish more "reef safe" as in they can get along and feed with the other fish?
do pipefish eat frozen foods?

your enthusiasm has intrigued me lol :fish:

 

[JonnyJ]

My tank and my yellow banded

 

[ducati335i]

I had a pipefish over a year in my 400 mixed reef, but he finally went through the overflow box!