Where did you source your Dragonfaced Pipefish?

[nastronaut]

Hi there,

*My questions:

- Where did you source yours?

- Has anyone had success easily sourcing a pair?

- Would you recommend businesses like LiveAquaria when it comes to Syngnathidae?

- Any tips?

I've been deep diving on research of pipefish and hope to acquire a pair for my tank. The only other fish I have are 2 juvenile clowns (a. ocellaris) in a 40gal tank, and I think a pipefish pair would be a great addition.

That said, and as you all know, I'm sure it's virtually impossible to find them captive bred - I've inquired in my area amongst our reef groups and a few are on the lookout for a local source. I'm hesitant to order them off websites, such as LiveAquaria, as I've read so many horror stories about DOA or soon after.

My tank has tons of copepods and amphipods so they'd have a food source right away, and I'm planning to supplement by growing cultures of phytoplankton and zooplankton, or seek sources of baby brine shrimp as needed, etc. I just mainly want to start on the right foot with healthy pipefish and ideally a pair as I'd like to try captive breeding them down the line.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,i'm sorry to say this,but i think a 40 is way too small,they like to roam large tank lots of rock,well established ,jmo,

 

[ichthyogeek]

I'll probably source my blue stripes from an LFS when it's time. Barring that, I'd go with a known pipefish/seahorse breeder (Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy for example). If they can't, then I'd probably go for a place like Marine Collector's or similar. If none of those are viable, then I'd go with LiveAquaria. Although there is an argument to getting known pairs from Diver's Den, which would be better than just buying half a dozen from LiveAquaria...

 

[ThePurple12]

It may be possible for your LFS to get you a pair. I've done it with other fish a few times. But if all else fails, the chance of DOA when you order online is pretty low. I haven't gotten a DOA in 3 years so far.

 

[nastronaut]

I'll probably source my blue stripes from an LFS when it's time. Barring that, I'd go with a known pipefish/seahorse breeder (Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy for example). If they can't, then I'd probably go for a place like Marine Collector's or similar. If none of those are viable, then I'd go with LiveAquaria. Although there is an argument to getting known pairs from Diver's Den, which would be better than just buying half a dozen from LiveAquaria...

Thanks for the leads, good ideas as well!

 

[nastronaut]

It may be possible for your LFS to get you a pair. I've done it with other fish a few times. But if all else fails, the chance of DOA when you order online is pretty low. I haven't gotten a DOA in 3 years so far.

Thanks, I'm checking with then too!

 

[nastronaut]

hi,i'm sorry to say this,but i think a 40 is way too small,they like to roam large tank lots of rock,well established ,jmo,

Thanks for feedback, I'm down to expand in the future and cater to their needs, especially based in their size as they age.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

Hi there,

*My questions:

- Where did you source yours?

- Has anyone had success easily sourcing a pair?

- Would you recommend businesses like LiveAquaria when it comes to Syngnathidae?

- Any tips?

I've been deep diving on research of pipefish and hope to acquire a pair for my tank. The only other fish I have are 2 juvenile clowns (a. ocellaris) in a 40gal tank, and I think a pipefish pair would be a great addition.

That said, and as you all know, I'm sure it's virtually impossible to find them captive bred - I've inquired in my area amongst our reef groups and a few are on the lookout for a local source. I'm hesitant to order them off websites, such as LiveAquaria, as I've read so many horror stories about DOA or soon after.

My tank has tons of copepods and amphipods so they'd have a food source right away, and I'm planning to supplement by growing cultures of phytoplankton and zooplankton, or seek sources of baby brine shrimp as needed, etc. I just mainly want to start on the right foot with healthy pipefish and ideally a pair as I'd like to try captive breeding them down the line.

Culturing your own copepods is a great idea. If you find you need more phytoplankton than you can grow, let us know. We sell blends of phytoplankton that are highly concentrated. A number of our customers culture zooplankton with our foods.

Best,
Chad

 

[nastronaut]

Hey just wanted to update and say thanks for the input everyone! My favorite LFS was awesome and stocked a whole batch of Dragonfaced pipefish and I was able to inspect and select a couple who were acting paired, active, and healthy!

They're more and more active everyday and absolutely desemating my pod population, but I'm culturing phyto, pods, and baby brine to continuously suppliment their diets.

Here's a few pics:

 

[Paulie069]

I catch pipe fish all the time in the bay, very cool creatures, I have one at moment in with my seahorses (32 of em) he seems happy but probably would like a girlfriend

 

[nastronaut]

I catch pipe fish all the time in the bay, very cool creatures, I have one at moment in with my seahorses (32 of em) he seems happy but probably would like a girlfriend

Here's them sleeping (night mode picture)

 

[Paulie069]

Here's them sleeping (night mode picture)

Cool creatures

 

[Weasel1960]

Hi there,

*My questions:

- Where did you source yours?

- Has anyone had success easily sourcing a pair?

- Would you recommend businesses like LiveAquaria when it comes to Syngnathidae?

- Any tips?

I've been deep diving on research of pipefish and hope to acquire a pair for my tank. The only other fish I have are 2 juvenile clowns (a. ocellaris) in a 40gal tank, and I think a pipefish pair would be a great addition.

That said, and as you all know, I'm sure it's virtually impossible to find them captive bred - I've inquired in my area amongst our reef groups and a few are on the lookout for a local source. I'm hesitant to order them off websites, such as LiveAquaria, as I've read so many horror stories about DOA or soon after.

My tank has tons of copepods and amphipods so they'd have a food source right away, and I'm planning to supplement by growing cultures of phytoplankton and zooplankton, or seek sources of baby brine shrimp as needed, etc. I just mainly want to start on the right foot with healthy pipefish and ideally a pair as I'd like to try captive breeding them down the line.

Check out this site they have mostly sea horses but do sell some pipes...everything is captive bred

Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy

Welcome to Seahorse Savvy. We are a Maryland Seahorse Farm producing high quality captive bred Seahorses for retail and wholesale markets.

seahorsesavvy.com

 

[nastronaut]

Check out this site they have mostly sea horses but do sell some pipes...everything is captive bred

Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy

Welcome to Seahorse Savvy. We are a Maryland Seahorse Farm producing high quality captive bred Seahorses for retail and wholesale markets.

seahorsesavvy.com

I did check them out but wasn't finding captive bred dragonfaced yet. Though that is my goal (to breed them).

Not *everything* on that site is captive bred, only what they specifically designate in the title "captive bred". They do have a rigid quarantine process though.

 

[Amstar]

@cyberNative how are your pipefish working out in your 40? What other inhabitants do you have (believe you said a pair of clowns). What kind of flow do you have in the tank?

looking to do the same thing with my 40, pipefish and clowns or pipefish and other fish - not sure about a pair of pipefish though