Freshwater Pipefish

DHEEPAN 77

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 4, 2009
19
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singapore
Xiao;1626776; said:
I've kept the ones from Dragon's supplier, although from my friend who owns a store in Scarborough so he got them for me. He does share one or 2 suppliers with Dragon's (the Mata mata supplier and one other) so I'm positive they're the same species. Mine were maybe... 7-10 inches long? They could take down small male guppies with ease. Females were too big, but that didn't matter. Keep them in a species tank, or with peaceful fish that won't compete for food (cories are good), or with other reclusive predators (freshwater flounders are awesome with them). Keep about 20-30 guppies in the tank at all times, they'll eat maybe 1-2 males per day, and at the same time, the guppies will breed and they'll eat the fry as well. You don't have to replace the females - they're usually too large to be eaten (although my biggest pipe took down a smallish female).
(TRUST ME U ARE REALLY LUCKY TO SEE THIS SPECIES LIVE IN YOUR TANK FOR SO LONG AND EVEN EAT GUPPY BABY FOR ME IT IS A DIFFERENT CASE ONLY MY BABY PIPE FISH SURVIVE ALL THOSE LONG ONES I BUY DIES EITHER ON THE DAY OR AFEW DAYS LATER I DUNNO WHY)
 

gabs

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2008
15
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0
Malta
It is not east to keep pipefish in the home aquarium.
I'm keeping the african freshwater pipefish (Enneacampus aansorgii) myself and it's a head ache to constantly provide the fish with live food. I'm feeding mine baby brine shrimp, daphnia and young gammarus. Unlike other fish these fish need to be fed constantly. Daphnia swimming along in the water provide for their constant feeding needs. Adult gammarus are too big to be eaten but they breed constantly supplying further food.
Fish are healthy even though I do not add any salt in the water. pH is around 7.5 and the water is medium hard. Almost all other species would require the addition of salt.
I surely understand how cute these little fish are but I strongly advise anyone not to get these fish if a variety of live food is not available.



 

Bamboo_Turtles

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 26, 2010
65
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texas
I read earlier on this thread that someone wrote africans are the only freshwater species . As much as a novice as I am , from a few research and two guys actually claiming to see them in the wild , DORYICHTHYS MARTENSII from asia is a freshwater species . I just picked up six of these today . I have a supply of live brine shrimp on hand. I will be supplying their natural food which is apparently Misquito larva , and I'll occassionaly give them some daphnia . Not sure about the african species but so far it seems the " asian " species prefer flowing water so I do have a nice current flowing in my tank . I'm very much a novice and outside of a few online articles online is the only knowledge I have on them so far . Anyone out there keeping this species , please feel free to chime in and add to what I've said. One of the fascinating features I'm seeing is they can change colors and patterns at will .
 

Bamboo_Turtles

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 26, 2010
65
0
0
texas
I bought the remaining specimens the local fish store has which is a total of twelve . I do believe they are Doryichthys martensii , the seller told me they came in as longnose pipefish from Asia , my guess is Thailand . They don't seem to like a strong current and prefer a quiter , calmer tank with lots of plants to swim through and / or rest on . They aren't as fond to brineshrimp as much as they are to mosquito larvae . I offer them larvae five days a week and they eat them readily . I've found feeding them daily is useless as they do not seem to eat daily . They seem to eat facing down , staring at the sand . I have not observe them eating the prey in midwater . They are not too interested in live blackworms .I have no interest keeping daphnia cultures and none of the local fish stores sell them so I will not be feeding them daphnia . I've noticed since they have settled down and stress level is down , some have darkened up to a charcol grey to almost black , others have remain a light brown / tan color . I am not sure if this is a male / female difference or species . I would lean more towards difference in the sexes as all these came in on the same shipment so I would be fair to say they were collected in the same area of the same stream or creek . They are very active fish and always swimming through plants like snakes in a field . Their eyes move individual like Old World Chameleons . Their fins flutter like hummingbirds and their tail fin extend in and out like fans . Unless they decide to breed , I will not attempt to breed them till after a year of getting them to thrive . I hope to keep these around for awhile and plan to produce F1 and F2's . Over all , they are a very unusual fish to keep and almost always a conversational piece . :popcorn:
 

Hillz McGillz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 23, 2019
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I'm still researching african pipefish as I'm going to attempt to venture out that way (Enneacampus kaupi or E. ansgorii); however I do have the doryichthys deokhatoides (a pair), which I've had for several months now but they are still relatively small (about 3-3.5") and I'm feeding a variety which includes young live brine brine with which I've been training onto frozen and so far they're starting to accept it, attempting to train onto frozen saltwater mysis, P.E. calanus & rotifers, daphnia and live blackworms. They respond with vigor when I drop the food a little ahead of the filter flow and they continue to nibble when some gets caught in my plants. I plan on breeding guppies for them too once they get larger. I keep my SG at about 1.005 give or take, salinity fluctuation between a little above and below 8ppt. NO3 around 5-10ppm. Sphyrically cut sand and plants include java moss and trying to find java fern and several anubias types. Make sure you're trying to recreate their natutal habitat, especially if they're wild caught. Best of luck. I've yet to find any good publications on them. Feel free to post any if you do!
 
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tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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I'm still researching african pipefish as I'm going to attempt to venture out that way (Enneacampus kaupi or E. ansgorii); however I do have the doryichthys deokhatoides (a pair), which I've had for several months now but they are still relatively small (about 3-3.5") and I'm feeding a variety which includes young live brine brine with which I've been training onto frozen and so far they're starting to accept it, attempting to train onto frozen saltwater mysis, P.E. calanus & rotifers, daphnia and live blackworms. They respond with vigor when I drop the food a little ahead of the filter flow and they continue to nibble when some gets caught in my plants. I plan on breeding guppies for them too once they get larger. I keep my SG at about 1.005 give or take, salinity fluctuation between a little above and below 8ppt. NO3 around 5-10ppm. Sphyrically cut sand and plants include java moss and trying to find java fern and several anubias types. Make sure you're trying to recreate their natutal habitat, especially if they're wild caught. Best of luck. I've yet to find any good publications on them. Feel free to post any if you do!

Great to hear the Pipefish are eating the Frozen Mysis. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted.
 
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