Pipefish eating frozen cyclopeeze on video

[masterswimmer]

I know there are a lot of people who don't think pipefish can be kept successfully in a full blown reef tank with a variety of tankmates. I've had my Janns' Pipefish (named Ticonderoga by my daughter) in my reef for over 7 months now.

Here's a list of fish tankmates:
mandarin
hippo tang
kole tang
mated pr ocellaris clowns
lawnmower blenny
royal gramma
b/g chromis
Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga eating frozen cyclopeeze1

Ticonderoga eating frozen cyclopeeze 2

Hope you enjoy,
swimmer

[reefD]

cool! janns pipefish huh is that readily available cause i wanna try one now . i feed cyloeeze in my reef alot. my stock is similiar to yours!

[masterswimmer]

Hey David,
They are not hard to get, but I haven't seen any around recently. I got this one while in Florida. I brought it back as carryon.

I'll keep my eyes open for any. If I find them I'll post here.

FYI, they eat pods and will compete for them with a mandarin. It was not sold to me as eating frozen cyclopeeze, so I don't want anyone to think that this is expected. I'm not sure, but I might have gotten lucky. As long as your pod population is adequate, you should have no trouble.

swimmer

[reefD]

humm thanks for the info.

[mysis]

Lfs near me sells them eating mysis and brine.

[masterswimmer]

Mine is doing great, as you can see from the video. However, I also feed mysis and brine as well. The amount that the pipefish can open his mouth is very restrictive to eating these larger food particles. If he does eat them, it is the smaller pieces that float by.

swimmer

[BlueNWhite]

Originally posted by masterswimmer
...FYI, they eat pods and will compete for them with a mandarin. ... As long as your pod population is adequate, you should have no trouble.

swimmer

Hello Swimmer

When it eats pods, I suppose that they will do so more often at night when the lights are out and pods are out, as opposed to the day? Are they active nocturnally?

Thanks,
Raymond

[greenighs]

OMG! I had two alligator pipes named Dixon and Ticonderoga!!! Small world.

[BlueNWhite]

Originally posted by greenighs
OMG! I had two alligator pipes named Dixon and Ticonderoga!!! Small world.

[img]http://www.greenighs.com/seahorses/tank/alligator-pipe.jpg[/color]

Hello greenighs

What happened to them? Do you still have them?

Can you tell me some more about them, I can't do a search on here for information since I'm not a premium member yet (my wife refuses to let me sign up, she doesn't understand...)

I only bought one of them the other day.

Thanks.

[greenighs]

I had them for over a year. Eventually, my seahorses died due to my own idiocy (kept the skimmer off too long and, I think, the horses suffocated, even though there was a powerfilter running and a bubbler). I kinda let the tank go down hill and eventually, the pipes died from what I think was just bad water quality. Isn't that awful??? I feel so guilty about it now, but at the time, I was really busy and really broke and I just didn't have what it takes to run a good tank by myself.

While they were around, they ate frozen mysis, cyclopeeze, daphnia, anything frozen, actually, and thawed out, of course.

[kjdeut]

How much water movement do you have in your reef tank? For me, one of the biggest concerns with putting a pipe in my reef tank is the amount of flow I have. I dont think a pipe fish would handle the output from my Tunze or my return pump very well.

[BlueNWhite]

Originally posted by kjdeut
How much water movement do you have in your reef tank? For me, one of the biggest concerns with putting a pipe in my reef tank is the amount of flow I have. I dont think a pipe fish would handle the output from my Tunze or my return pump very well.

I don't have a lot of flow in my reef tank because I am not keeping any SPS. All of my corals don't appreciate a lot of flow, so in the flow sense, the tank set up works well with Alley (Alligator pipefish). It's only been in there since last Friday, but so far nothing even comes close to bothering him.

[kjdeut]

Good luck, they are really cool fish to watch.

[masterswimmer]

Originally posted by BlueNWhite
Hello Swimmer

When it eats pods, I suppose that they will do so more often at night when the lights are out and pods are out, as opposed to the day? Are they active nocturnally?

Thanks,
Raymond

Raymond,
Very good observation. I thought the exact same thing. However, mine does not move at all from its sleeping place (same exact spot every night) at night at all.

It feeds on pods in the shadows of the LR all day long. I don't really see him much, sad to say. However, as soon as I feed the tank he comes whiping out and starts feeding frozen!. That's how I know he is eating both pods and frozen. BTW, within the last week, he has been coming to the front of the tank, even when I don't feed.......begging, just like his fellow tankmates. I got the above video only a couple of days ago. Prior to that, there would have been no way to do that. He's developing quite the personality.

Definitely one of my favorite fish in the tank. Everyone oooooh's and ahhhhhh's when they see him. A crowd pleaser for sure.


Green, sorry to hear about your sad episode. Our tanks definitely requires some attention. Going without wc's and topoffs and our other daily routine can lead to a downward spiral rather quickly.

I would guess you and I aren't the only ones with a "Ticonderoga" . Seems like quite the appropriate name for one of these guys. I like your other name too, Dixon. Very good. I hope you get back into it, with the intent of staying on top of it.

Good luck,
swimmer

[masterswimmer]

kjdeut, I also don't have any forceful flow in my tank. I do have about 25 colonies of SPS, but they are all strategically placed where there is the greatest flow. It's a mixed reef, so flow is not as much of a concern.

swimmer