Banded Pipefish - Tail Deterioration

[bdesign]

Hello,
I’ve googled all round and come up empty handed.

Anyone have an idea as to why the tails on two pipefish would look like this?

I’ve had them about two months.

Possible nipping by tank mates?
I’ve not seen any tankmates pay them any attention whatsoever.

 

[crusso1993]

Bump

 

[Katrina71]

I'd suspect nipping between the pair first.

 

[Katrina71]

Do you happen to have a Mandy?

 

[fishguy242]

hello, kinda looks to me 2 males ,hard to see both,poss nipping each other at night

 

[ThePurple12]

Don't think there is any way to tell their genders just by looking. If they're not nipping each other, could be an infection.

 

[ThePurple12]

Were the tails like that when you got them?

 

[bdesign]

Do you happen to have a Mandy?

a Mandarin? If so, no.

I do have a pair of Red Ruby Dragonettes that are... <how do all the kids these days say it? Oh, yeah...> adorbs. baha

 

[bdesign]

Were the tails like that when you got them?

The tails were perfect (like this):

 

[bdesign]

I, too, suspect male/male nipping, so I'm going to take one of them out of the DT this evening.

 

[Katrina71]

I recently had my pipefish go missing. Oddly, our Mandarin's hunting patterns changed overnight. I'm not 100% sure they are truly compatible with the same dietary demands. There were more than enough pods in the tank for both to thrive btw.

 

[fishguy242]

you can tell the male has flat bottom,to carry eggs ,female does not

 

[fishguy242]

some pipes are very hard to keep

 

[fishguy242]

what type were they

 

[bdesign]

what type were they

Orange Banded

This is them:

 

[fishguy242]

hi orange banded little harder to keep compaired to red

 

[fishguy242]

one on left is def male ,cannot see enough of one on rt ,try using a flashlight after dark most are attracted to try toget pic then

 

[fishguy242]

the stock photo is male holding eggs

 

[matchmakersmagic]

It doesnt look like nipping, pipefish dont have teeth. Rather they "snick" or suck up their food. It looks more like fin rot to me which would be a bacterial infection necessitating antibiotics. JMO.

 

[fishguy242]

i have seen chasing and poking at tail with yellow banded