Breeding Journal, Species:Syngnathus scovelli/ Gulf Pipefish

General
Species: Syngnathus scovelli
Social Structure:  8 mixed adults and juveniles, only 1 positively identified male
Size of Individuals:  Adults are approx 6 inches long, skinny as a pencil
Age of Individuals:  unkown, wild caught
Date added to Tank:  1/10/11

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  75 AGA display
Substrate Details:  2 inches aragonite
Filtration Details:  plumbed into 300 gallon system, this is a display tank. Large skimmer, live rock and dsbs throughout
Water Changes:  10% weekly (I try)
Water Temperature:  78`
Lighting:  Home depot shop lights
Lighting Cycle:  6 am to 9 pm
Other Tank Inhabitants:  Hippocampus erectus, one blue chromis, one blue damsel who have alluded my netting attemps

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Live brine shrimp, live ghost shrimp, frozen brine and mysis shrimp
Feeding Schedule:  Twice a day

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  Unknown, unseen egg exchange. Appro 1/17/11? I do not believe he was gravid in shipping bag.
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Hatch Details
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Larval Tank Details
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Larval Feeding Details
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Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start: 
Days after Hatch: 
Date of Settlement End: 
Description of Fry: 

Grow-Out Tank Details
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Grow-Out Feeding Details
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Additional Information

(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 



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If your thread does not contain these photos the MBI Committee will not be able to approve your reports. PHOTOS AND VIDEO S MUST BE PLACED IN ADDITIONAL POSTS, NEVER IN THE FIRST POST IN A JOURNAL.

I had attempted this species years ago, and did raise a few. Wish me luck?
 

Good luck! Pipefish are a dream of mine. Some day...

--Andy, the bucket man.
"Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

This are easy and big. I think they are as cool as dragon faced or alligator, but they are not well accepted. I don't know why. Maybe because they are cheap and readily available?!!!

Tell me if you can see his pouch is inflated? I do not believe this species has a true pouch as we think if it in seahorses. I think the female lays the eggs that stick to his belly, as he fertilizes them the surrounding tissue expands to cover the eggs.
 
Maybe....
 

 

 
 

How hard are they to keep? Is feeding difficult?

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

Once they are on frozen foods, they are really easy. But, these are being very spoiled right now, and getting enriched live brine shrimp twice a day. A few will snick at frozen mysis but not all, and the smallest ones wont even give chase.
 
I am trying to decide if tonight he needs to go in the critter keeper. I think he is close...
 

Do you have any tricks for getting them on to frozen foods?

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

Yes. Don't feed them live. A healthy fish will snick at frozen food if it is hungry enough. But, I got these from a diver in Florida, and we did not want to ship the week before Christmas because of traffic at FedEx. So, he keep them for a week and fed them live brine shrimp.
 
So, now I feed them live out of a net, and they are getting to associate the net with food. I think if I let them get really hungry, they will eat frozen from the net. But, my other issue is I got a coolest seahorses with them, who were very skinny. I need to fatten them up. One out of 4 will eat frozen, the other 3 only live ghost shrimp. So, for the next week, every one gets spoiled!
 
But, have you ever raised brine shrimp to adult size? It is no work, really. You know my method for rotifers?

Here is why these pipes are getting spoiled:
 

Lovely. I could sure go for a full tank shot if you have the time and inclination.... Thanks!

--Andy, the bucket man.
"Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

This will be edited when I clean the glass.
 

 
Here it is before this last redo:
 
http://www.advancedaquari...m_photo_view?b_start=9

http://www.suzysreef.com/

  Moved him out...

 


 

http://www.suzysreef.com/

Wow!  Thanks for sharing the links and pics of your tank.  It's very beautiful.  Is there someplace I can read more about it?

Dang. That's a huge tank for horses and pipes. Very nice!

--Andy, the bucket man.
"Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

It's a 75, and quite full. It looks empty since the last redo, but I am trying to redesign it using some freshwater planted design ideas.

Ig, for you! Thank you for the kind words!

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/10/aquarium

http://www.suzysreef.com/

Nice Suzy.  Love the color on that Erectus; mine have decided that they like to look like the pale sand bed and not like the yellow or orange plants.  I was spying some dragon pipes the other day; I've never seen these before though.

Rook

They are very common in the GoM. I do not know why they are not sold in local fish stores. When they first get shipped, they are rather plain, dark and hiding, shy. But, once they get in your tank, they lighten up and have gorgeous markings. I have had them turn easily as green as a Dragon faced. But, these will eat!
 
So, they did not like the move. A female has an egg strand hanging from her belly this morning. I cannot see the most gravid male, or any larvae.
 
>insert sad smiley face icon here<

http://www.suzysreef.com/

Very nice Suzy!  I have blue stripe pipes that I moved out of my broodstock system into my 385 display.  They spawned frequently; unfortunately I didn't keep solid notes although I may have posted some information on another forum (I'll have to check).  They are so small that I could never see any larvae.
 
I also have a Dragon Faced pipe.  I never trained it to frozen, it just figured it out.  At some point I will get a few more and hopefully create a pair.
 
I will be following your breeding journal. 

Yes, let me know if you have any info on them. I know where there are a few doing the wild thing!
 
I think Dragon faced would be very similar to these common pipes. They are close to the same size so I would think their larvae would be slightly similar. In fact, an adult dragon faced may be bigger.
 
Thank you for the kind words!

http://www.suzysreef.com/

Shoot! He looks less gravid today, but I can see no fry. And I was up before the lights came on. But, he still looks gravid. I wonder if he delivered partially, like seahorses do sometimes? More tomorrow?
 
Anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.suzysreef.com/

Hey Suzy,
 
After bringing home a bunch of pipefish that I collected in Florida last weekend I've been doing some research on them. I have at least 2 different species: S. scovelli and S. louisianae. They are often confused but the S. scovelli seem to be a "short snout" variety: http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Syngna_louisi.htm Do you think that may be what you have?
 
Not trying to contradict you, just wanted to see what you thought.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."