Blue stripe pipefish

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

So I’ve been prepping my tank by adding pods to refugium and tank and feeding photo. To get my tank ready for these guys. I was just wondering, would y’all quarantine pipefish? I just worry if you do they would starve in there? (I know they don’t take frozen very well) Are they know for diseases? Just wondering should just add them straight tank for Qt them first like other fish?

 

[Jeeperz]

Good question, I'm interested too. Petco has a pipefish, among others, in velvet inflicted tanks. Could one live in my 20 gallon nano? Is velvet/ick a death sentence for them?

 

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

Good question, I'm interested too. Petco has a pipefish, among others, in velvet inflicted tanks. Could one live in my 20 gallon nano? Is velvet/ick a death sentence for them?

I personally would not recommend in twenty unless you had some kind of refugium or unless you fed the tank copepods like every week. They constantly eat and hunt for them. They would starve to death if not enough or unless got lucky and are frozen and you fed multiple times every day

 

[Jeeperz]

I do grow pods in 4 5gallon buckets for my girlfriend's baby biota mandarin. Just curious about treatment of them once they were in tanks with ich/velvet

 

[AmaleeC]

Good question, I'm interested too. Petco has a pipefish, among others, in velvet inflicted tanks. Could one live in my 20 gallon nano? Is velvet/ick a death sentence for them?

I personally wouldn’t buy a fish that’s already got velvet or ich. Especially from PetCo, as they don’t take the best care of their SW livestock. I went through two ocellaris clowns from them and both died of either ick or velvet. I gave up trying to purchase one from them and decided I’d try a maroon clown instead. He’s been happy now for a few months and thriving compared to the other ones I purchased. But it’s always a risk buying from them tbh. I try to avoid buying from them as much as possible as they don’t even have a return policy for SW livestock.

 

[Jeeperz]

True, I just feel bad for their fish and want to take them all home and treat them, but I can't. I need to stop going in there, it's depressing. But it's the only saltwater store anywhere close

 

[AmaleeC]

True, I just feel bad for their fish and want to take them all home and treat them, but I can't. I need to stop going in there, it's depressing. But it's the only saltwater store anywhere close

I feel that! It’s just hard because it’s so hit or miss and can result in a waste of money.
But, if it makes you feel any better, I won’t lie to you - I often take the risk and buy fish from them because they’re closest to me. All of the fish I currently own are from them. I have a richmonds wrasse, a maroon clown, a neon blue goby, and a lawnmower blenny from them. I attached a blurry photo of my little guys before feeding time.

You just have to carefully inspect fish prior to buying and that applies everywhere. Unfortunately, it’s not just PetCo as I’ve heard people even share negative stories from WWC’s livestock too. No store is really “exempt” from having their fish face illnesses and deaths.

However, I’ve definitely given up on buying any ocellaris clowns from PetCo. I’ve gone on strike ;Hilarious

 

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

So I’ve been prepping my tank by adding pods to refugium and tank and feeding photo. To get my tank ready for these guys. I was just wondering, would y’all quarantine pipefish? I just worry if you do they would starve in there? (I know they don’t take frozen very well) Are they know for diseases? Just wondering should just add them straight tank for Qt them first like other fish?

Ok a little side tracked guys we need know about pipefish quarantine, should you or should you not? Because there feeding habits and do they carry diseases?

 

[Katrina71]

I would not. I did not.

 

[Jeeperz]

Being a fish though, can't they carry ick and velvet, flukes, etc?

 

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

Being a fish though, can't they carry ick and velvet, flukes, etc?

That’s what I was wondering, because I know most gobies are ick resistant or have heard they are. But honestly probably not going to since they already particular diet and don’t want risk killing them

 

[Jeeperz]

Maybe @Humblefish or @4FordFamily can chime in and we can get an opinion from them

 

[4FordFamily]

Being a fish though, can't they carry ick and velvet, flukes, etc?

Yes they can. I have zero experience with seahorses/pipefish. I will tag Krista and see if she has any suggestions.

@SeahorseKeeper

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Hmmm... I’m torn on this. I mean if I’m introducing new seahorses to my tank, I quarantine. There are concerns that the new seahorse can carry pathogens and I don’t want to infect my seahorses in the DT. The seahorses are eating frozen foods already.

With pipefish, it’s tricky. They need to have their dietary needs met first. Personally, I’ve never owned pipefish, so I’m unsure.

 

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

Exactly that’s how I feel, I really doubt you be able get them eat frozen within to the

Hmmm... I’m torn on this. I mean if I’m introducing new seahorses to my tank, I quarantine. There are concerns that the new seahorse can carry pathogens and I don’t want to infect my seahorses in the DT. The seahorses are eating frozen foods already.

With pipefish, it’s tricky. They need to have their dietary needs met first. Personally, I’ve never owned pipefish, so I’m unsure.

That exactly how I feel, I would like to QT them, but don’t want chance then die because lack of food. I wish more people kept them so help on this subject but understandable becaus they are not easy.. sigh why they gotta be my favorite fish haha

 

[Humblefish]

I would just black molly QT them: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/black-molly-quarantine.640235/

Or TTM: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/

Seahorses/pipefish don't tolerate copper, and my attempts to use Chloroquine on them have been unsuccessful as well. I haven't had a chance to test H2O2 yet.

 

[Jeeperz]

So if they are from a tank where other fish have velvet, it is a death sentence for them?

 

[AlwaysHatingNathan]

I would just black molly QT them: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/black-molly-quarantine.640235/

Or TTM: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/

Seahorses/pipefish don't tolerate copper, and my attempts to use Chloroquine on them have been unsuccessful as well. I haven't had a chance to test H2O2 yet.

Thank you for this, very informal, dam TTM seems promising but that is a lot work idk how feel about mollies but sound alike good plan to, but With TTM I worry same about pipefish starving, that my main concern with any of this.

 

[Humblefish]

So if they are from a tank where other fish have velvet, it is a death sentence for them?

For some reason seahorses & pipefish are less prone to parasites. I used to think it was because they were scaleless, but that quality doesn't seem to help puffers with Ich/velvet.

I actually was talking to a PA this morning and asked how they QT their ponies. Apparently they tolerate Copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate quite well : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-copper-med.364112/

The guy I talked to also said they are more likely to find Ich/velvet trophonts inside their gills than on the skin.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

I have to hatch baby brine shrimp for my pipe just could not keep the pod population up