Yellow banded pipefish

Yellow banded pipefish Dunckerocampus pessuliferus

#1 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 01 January 2010 - 05:50 PM

Hi guys,

Picked up a pair of yellow banded pipefish at taunton on the 23rd.Ive tried these once before many years ago in a seahorse system and didnt have much luck with them.Ive always loved them and Mark had a group out the back so i tried them with a bit of mysis.They all fed like crazy! It wasnt a tough choice then to pick out a pair

They are very difficult to sex but we did our best so fingers crossed they are male/female and will breed.
This time they were going into a high flow sps system! Many people say pipefish should never go into high flow reef tanks but mostly thats total rubbish.Ive kept blueline pipefish for the last 10 years in high flow systems and they love it.The yellow bands seem the same,with no trouble holding steady in even the fastest spots.

Pic's!
Posted Image

As expected they fed in the bucket

I really hope they do well.Ive always wanted to keep these beautiful fish and so far so good!

Oh yeah,i also got an A.Desalwii
Posted Image

Not much colour to it.Yet!

Dave

#2 chriss

Killer Whale

Group: Administrators
Posts: 3,497
Joined: 14-December 06

Posted 01 January 2010 - 06:11 PM

Pretty fish and nice size coral too.

Chris

#3 Blacktip

Trigger Fish

Group: Members
Posts: 853
Joined: 23-January 09

Posted 01 January 2010 - 07:23 PM

Very nice Dave.
I'm wanting to try the blues in my new reef.

#4 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 01 January 2010 - 08:53 PM

Go for it! Bluelines are really easy.Just make sure you get a pair because same sexes will kill each other.Bluelines are little psycho's to there own sex!

#5 bobba fett

Trigger Fish

Group: Members
Posts: 672
Joined: 24-November 08

Posted 01 January 2010 - 09:05 PM

Stunning fish, I wish I could have them in my setup!

I suggest a change of plan... Let the wookie win

Check out www.Reefpark.net if you have a minute

#6 Blacktip

Trigger Fish

Group: Members
Posts: 853
Joined: 23-January 09

Posted 01 January 2010 - 10:27 PM

I will, Dave!

#7 dylan

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,396
Joined: 16-April 07

Posted 02 January 2010 - 09:28 AM

how are they coping with the flow dave ?? these are one of my fav fish

#8 dylan

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,396
Joined: 16-April 07

Posted 02 January 2010 - 09:28 AM

how are they coping with the flow dave ?? these are one of my fav fish

#9 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 02 January 2010 - 05:22 PM

They have no problem in the flow Dylan.I do however turn off all the tunze's when i feed the tank.I do this in the morning and again in the evening.I really do this to get a good meal into my mandarins but it benifits all the fish in the system.To give you an idea of the flow they are in the tank is 4ft by 20 inches tall by 18 inches deep.I have two 6045's and two 6055's on a multicontroller.
If i get chance i will post up a video.

Dave

#10 jed

Tang

Group: Members
Posts: 401
Joined: 23-January 08

Posted 02 January 2010 - 06:48 PM

Nice fish Dave, and that acro's a beauty!

#11 lindsay

Sponsor

Group: Members
Posts: 8,905
Joined: 05-June 06

Posted 02 January 2010 - 07:12 PM

Yeah,stunning Dave,look forward to a vid m8

#12 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 09 January 2010 - 08:59 PM

Ok guy's,

Here are a couple videos of the pipefish.The first one is with all the flow on.Ive put some food in so you can see the flow.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=NtQRjUgYJ6I
And this one is with the flow off and them having a munch.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=KE8bu9TLMVs

Please excuse the state of the tank! Ive had a bit of fun with the cutters and milliput! :lol:

#13 jason@jasonsaquatics

shark with HUGE teeth

Group: Administrators
Posts: 4,687
Joined: 08-January 06

Posted 10 January 2010 - 11:37 AM

Stunning Dave ,Tanks looking great m8

jas

#14 lindsay

Sponsor

Group: Members
Posts: 8,905
Joined: 05-June 06

Posted 13 January 2010 - 07:15 PM

They like their food Dave,stunning m8 :dance:

#15 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 19 January 2010 - 12:06 PM

Well sadly guy's ive lost both of them.They both fed very well and still died.Very strange.Ive not had much work so was feeding the last one at least six times a day and it was taking a minimum of 20 mysis/day no problem.Maybe they just arent suited to captive life just yet but i fear that collection methods or handling were the contributing factor in there deaths pre uk.

Dave

#16 Blacktip

Trigger Fish

Group: Members
Posts: 853
Joined: 23-January 09

Posted 19 January 2010 - 01:03 PM

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you put a lot of effort in.

#17 Dave.I

Angelfish

Group: Members
Posts: 1,091
Joined: 06-February 08

Posted 19 January 2010 - 02:17 PM

I really did.Ive kept many difficult fish in the past and spent many hours collecting live foods for seahorses etc but these guys were very strange.The fact that they ate well but still died makes me feel like i really did all i could and it was a little out of my hands.I hate loosing anything,be it a fish or a snail!
I wont try these again for a long time but may try another species if i can get hold of healthy feeding fish.I may even try ghost pipes in the summer when i can collect good numbers of live mysis.

Dave

#18 Binky

Diatom

Group: New Members
Posts: 45
Joined: 10-November 09

Posted 29 January 2010 - 10:19 PM

Hi Dave, sorry to hear the pipes didn't last long. These are now one of my fave fish and a pair are amazing to watch. I got a pair in mid November and although they would only eat cyclops they were feeding well 3+ times per day. Despite this I lost my male mysteriously last week. They were happy enough and had bred mid December. I was disheartened as I also hate fish dying with no visible cause, however the female looks very lost without her mate so I plan to get another soon. I'll let you know how it goes