Pipefish not eating.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Help my new pipefish is in QT and will not eat. I have tried pellets and mysis. The pellets have garlic in them. When I put the food in the tank he just stares at it and looks sorta interested but doesn't eat. What do I do?

Kamden Uelton · Apr 28, 2019

My Pipefish never ate frozen, best thing to do is buy some brine shrimp eggs and feed it baby brine or pods.

Mudder · Apr 28, 2019

What kind of pipefish? They are finicky eaters..They can be tough to get to eat anything but live food

You need to get him pods or live mysis shrimp

Newly hatched brineshrimp or vitamin enriched(gut loaded) brine shimp will work in a pinch

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Ok so what I should do is give the pipe fish a copper bath and a prazipro bath then put him in the DT so he has live pods.

Paul B · Apr 28, 2019

Yes, if you want to kill him.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Oh what should I do?

Kamden Uelton · Apr 28, 2019

Pipefish and Copper don't mix...

Kamden Uelton · Apr 28, 2019

It sounds like you weren't prepared for the pipefish and it was an impulse buy... Did you not do any research before buying it? There is really no way to quarantine a pipefish as they don't usually accept large frozen foods such as Mysis and they will never touch pellets.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Well it's not exactly mine it is my friends but she doesn't have an account on here.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Kamden Uelton said:
Pipefish and Copper don't mix...

My mistake.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Kamden Uelton said:
It sounds like you weren't prepared for the pipefish and it was an impulse buy... Did you not do any research before buying it? There is really no way to quarantine a pipefish as they don't usually accept large frozen foods such as Mysis and they will never touch pellets.

I am more of a lionfish person.

SuncrestReef · Apr 28, 2019

Pipefish need to be in a tank with live pods. If your tank doesn’t already have a thriving pod population, you need to order some ASAP from someplace like Algae Barn or others. The pipefish won’t survive long without eating, and they won’t eat frozen or pellets.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

So they are like mandarin gobies? Yes well seeded with different types. Isopods amphipods flatworms copepods tisbe pods I think thats all of them.

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Should she put him in the tank immediately or do something first.

ThePurple12 · Apr 28, 2019

I'd say put him in the tank. That way, he can find pods to eat.

WMR · Apr 28, 2019

Get some pods, hatch some baby brine shrimp. Used to get the smallest gust shrimp I could also, they loved hunting them. Also, try oyster or fish eggs, they may be too small, mini bloodworms, mosquito larvae, the more variety the better. Used to keep banded pipefish years ago, started with live brine & ghost shrimp, once eating, would eat the frozen foods, hope this helps

Peace River · Apr 28, 2019

My pipefishes will take frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, or other similar small, light frozen foods that stay in the water column, but be prepared with a CUC or siphon to take out whatever sinks to the bottom. However, as others have said the main source of nutrition for pipefish needs to be live food otherwise they will waste away. Keeping up with the live food is definitely extra work but pipefish are really neat to keep. Good luck to your friend!

MombasaLionfish · Apr 28, 2019

Ok we both have a clean up crew we started are tanks at the same time she has a 75 gallon and wants pipefish and seahorses and I want lionfish. There are currently 4 other inhabitants in the tank 2 bangii cardinals and two clowns.

MUSBFRANK · Apr 29, 2019

MombasaLionfish said:
Ok we both have a clean up crew we started are tanks at the same time she has a 75 gallon and wants pipefish and seahorses and I want lionfish. There are currently 4 other inhabitants in the tank 2 bangii cardinals and two clowns.

Sounds like "SHE" needs to do alot more research regarding both pipefish and more importantly seahorses, if this is the situation you both are at currently in, PLEASE PUMP THE BRAKES because she has some studying to do before proceeding!

Paul B · Apr 29, 2019

It totally depends on what kind of pipefish it is. The one pictured above is a dragon face pipe and they will eat pods and new born brine shrimp. Most of the free swimming ones, except the blue stripes need larger food and some will take frozen mysis. Some need live food.