Anyone else here keep coldwater pipefish or seahorses?
 

I'm setting up a tank specifically for green pipefish native to the northeast pacific. I tried keeping them in my other coldwater tanks but either the flow was too much for them, or the tank occupants where too agressive for them. So I'm going to dedicate a tank for inside my house instead of my garage just for pipefish and other more delicate coldwater animals.

Here's some pics of the ones I've had in the past:
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The tank I'm using is a 1" thick acrylic tank about 30 gallons, with a coast to coast overflow. It will have a closed loop going to a chiller and a mini fridge auto feeder I built. I'll run it right around 55 degrees and use the auto feeder to feed them with Reef Nutrition Mysis Feast. I'll also keep a good amount of live shrimp in the tank that will eventually become food I'm sure.

Best part about all the rock being on the two sides is that I have a place to adhere bivalves without having any rock in the sand to take away from the seagrass bed :D

Here's pics of the tank so far:

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...130_201604.jpg
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I'd suggest keeping to a species only tank as mixing pipe fish with seahorses almost always leads to the death of one or both.

Very nice, what chiller are you running? How much did you purchase it for?

The initial startup cost of coldwater (thick acrylic, chiller) are the only things stopping me. I run a 55g corner bowfront 78 degree reef. I inherited ALL the equipment pretty much, so I've had it up/running and full with coral now for more or less 600-ish dollars. If I could get over the initial hump, I'd love to run temperate.

I live in Connecticut so trapping and catching off the sound would be exciting, and I have access to boating. Best of luck in your setup - I subscribed. Keep the updates going.

cool tank
 

Nice rock wall, how did you do that? I have 2 seahorse tanks but they are kept at 72.
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They are so cute! Good luck with your tank!

Hi Glenn, keeping the tank cool has not been a problem. I have a clip on fan so when the temp gets to 70, I turn it on. I try to keep the temp 68-70. When the temp gets higher for a length time thats when my problem starts. I have not read before of temps much lower than 68 for horse tank. Will keep on eye on this.

For seahorses or pipefish I guess yeah, you could get away with temp that high. Even in the summer you don't have a problem? Is your house cooled with central air? If so, color me jealous. My old window-AC flucuates temperature too much to make a reliable ambient temperature in the summer.

I was hoping for a real cold tank, maybe 55 or 60 degrees. Someday when I can afford a chiller. Someday. :o

its funny problem is actually winter time . room is air conditioned in summer and has a pellet stove during winter . i found the fan thing worked well when my temp got to high. but hopefully once i move to the bigger tank across the room it wont be as bad. i did hit some high temps but was always able to cool it down overnight. i think its a steady high temp that may be more of a problem . but thats just a guess on my part.

There is only the one species of Pipefish found where I collect, so they will be the only species. I was just wanting to know if anyone else has kept either seahorses or pipefish that come from temperate or cold water.

I'm gonna run a PCI CL-280 1/10th horse chiller. Snagged it for $40 off a local guy that was trying to cool way to large a tank with way to many halides over it with way to small a chiller, lol.

You'll get a kick out of this after telling you about the deal I got on the chiller. I picked up that tank off craigslist for $35 :lol2: It was pretty scratched up and I had to relocate the bulkheads, but a few hours of buffing some drilling a bit of spray foam and BAM. It also came with schedule 80 bulkheads :D

Its a ton of fun, dont let the cost deter you. Keep your eyes peeled for deals and it'll be cheaper than doing an SPS reef.

I used pond foam and covered it in rocksalt as it is setting up. After it hardens I brush and wash off all the rocksalt. Then I use an epoxy based gray paint to accent the rocks and it gives me the two tone gray and black rocks that you see in the pictures.



I read about seahorses being found along the east coast in areas around New Jersey, anyone know more about these?

Best guess would be norther erectus producing pelagic fry like reidi.

Did some test fits and checked the routes for the plumbing. Still needs to be skinned in acrylic, but you get the idea ;)


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Water test later today :D

nice job. cant wait to see it up and running

Thanks :D

Few more pics of the setup in better lighting and with the plumbing finished.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...308_095002.jpg
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I'm thinking of keeping a lot of cold water filter feeders along with the pipefish, and I've decided against sea grass and I'm instead going to go with surf grass (Phyllospadix scouleri) and adhere it to the false rock.

I found an awesome 4" scallop last time I went out collecting and I really want to keep him in this tank in my house so I can see him instead of in the garage system. Also with the pipefish in there I'm trying to keep clear of any stinging celled animals like anemones of any kind. So with the auto feeder pushing both live phyto plankton with tigriopus californicus, as well as mysis for the pipe fish, it should work well for both bi-valves as well as the fish.

Nice set up. How dose the dosing pump in the frig work? I have been thinking of doing something like that to feed my Reef.

Works great :) I have another auto feeder fridge setup on my larger coldwater tank that doses live phytoplankton and tigriopus californicus into the return lines every hour.

The one thing I did decide to improve on in the auto feeder for the pipefish tank was to utilize a venturi for where the food goes into the return line.

That way if the dosing pump line ever comes loose, or I need to do maintenance on the doser, it will just suck air instead of shoot water like the john guest fittings do since they lack a venturi.

Really looking forward to going collecting the next few weekends :D As the temperature starts to warm up the seagrass starts to pop up again and the Pipefish start to breed. Also my diver buddy is out as I type this looking for Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers for me :D

Just thought I would bump this up in case anyone was interested.

Went out last weekend and caught 2 adult male Bay Pipefish stuffed with eggs. Was bagging them up to send off to the Idaho Aquarium and babies were already hatching out. Pretty cool :)

Those were the only 2 we brought home since that's all they asked for, but its definitely pipefish breeding season. I did bring home a school of Tubesnouts though and I may bring home some pipefish for myself this time


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Cool thread.
Any new pictures?

I completely agree. More pics!

Yup, H. erectus. They retreat in the winter; it's thought to deeper water, but I'm not sure how much of that is verified, other than they don't hang around in the winter. H. erectus are really more subtropical than tropical. Then again, I'm still not sure the debate over northern and southern erectus being two different species or the same has ever been settled.

i have wild caught piple fishes two are solid dark color and one is banded color and i caught them at oak beach longisland. i had 5 all togather but only three survived and they are doing ok so far i like the way they move arround on the system

I considered going coldwater on my tank to, but I just cant get away from some of the reef aspects :)