Breeding Journal, Species: Syngnathus scovelli (Gulf pipefish)

General
Species:  Syngnathus scovelli
Social Structure: Group of 5 individuals
Size of Individuals:  2.5"
Age of Individuals:  Unknown
Date added to Tank: 03-28-11 QT               

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  10G glass tank for now (QT) 5 Adults were moved to a 30G seahorse tank on 04-18-11 after 3 weeks in QT      
Substrate Details:  none Live sand- 2"
Filtration Details:  sponge filter HOB Filter
Water Changes:  5 gallons Bi-weekly
Water Temperature:  ambient, ~75
Lighting: CF clamp light          
Lighting Cycle: 14/8          
Other Tank Inhabitants: QT: other pipefish, possibly S. lousianae Broodstock tank: 5 individual S. scovelli, a pair of H. erectus, 2 peppermint shrimp and various snails               

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  enriched brine, working on getting them onto frozen
Feeding Schedule: 2-3 times a day          

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  unknown. I have one holding as of 09-05-11, not sure of spawn date but I'd say it was within the last week. These are still in the BRT and the one that is holding is from the 04-22-11 hatch.
Spawn Time of Day:  unknown
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  Not sure but I got a hatch on 04-22-11. ~ September 1, 2011
Courtship Details: not seen, yet          
Egg Size: 1-2mm          
Egg Color: light orange          
Egg Count: Unknown for this spawn.

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  03-28-11, 04-22-11   
Hatch Time of Day: afternoon, evening/9pm             
# Days after Spawn: unknown          
Larvae Description: look like tiny adults           


Larval Tank Details
Temperature: ambient, ~75°F          
Size of Larval Tank: 20G BRT with 5 gallons of water to start          
Substrate Details:  none
Other Tank Decor: none at the beginning. Added a piece of filter floss and a fake seagrass bed for hiding spots.           
Filtration Details: Started a slow drip into the BRT system during week 2.            
Lighting:  Clamp light w/CF bulb
Lighting Cycle: 14 light, 10 dark, some ambient light in the AM            
Water Changes: None yet. The BRT system has been running without livestock for a few months.                

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  NHBS and Tiggerpods
Feeding Schedule:  2-3 times a day

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:  03-28-11, 04-22-11 
Days after Hatch:  0
Date of Settlement End: 03-28-11, 04-22-11             
Description of Fry:  Miniature adults, 1cm+ long but very skinny

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature: Ambient ~75°F                 
Size of Grow-Out Tank: 20 black round tub with about 10 gallons of water                 
Substrate Details: none                 
Other Tank Decor: Fake corals and seagrass.                 
Filtration Details: Plumbed into BRT system, algae turf scrubber                 
Lighting: Clamp light and ambient                 
Lighting Cycle: 14 light 10 dark                 
Water Changes: none                 
Size at Transfer:  about 1/2"                  
Age at Transfer:  They have been here since hatching

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types: NHBBS, Tiggerpods and TDO B1                 
Feeding Schedule: 3-4X per day                 

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

Notes in green reflect current location/details of the broodstock and juvenile events. The initial journal was based upon the broodstock being in QT. 5 adults were moved to a 30 gallon tank on 04-18-11 and have since produced offspring.

You will be required to provide photographic or video evidence in this thread of each event submitted for the MBI Program.
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.

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

I'm doing this kind of backwards since I collected them and some were already gravid. Some of them hatched when I placed them into the QT tank, I think due to the water temp being higher. Since there were 5 pipefish in this tank I have no idea which one was the parent of these first offspring.
 
I think I have both S. louisianae and S. scovelli, possibly another as well. After they are finished with QT they will be separated by species.
 
Here are the potential parents:
 


 
And the babies:
 

 

 

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

Very Cool congratulations Tal.  What a bonus to get juvenile babies

I can't really take credit for them since most of them had eggs when I got them and I don't know for sure who the parents are. I just hope I got some females so I can start from the beginning.

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

After talking with another person that has some experience with these guys I decided to give them a formalin bath. She told me that the last 3 batches that she had delivered came with parasites so...
 

 

 

 

 

 
I'm still not sure if I have 1 or 2 species. A couple of them seem to have the larger snout of the S. louisianae but I'll have to check to be sure when I move them out of QT. They all seemed to handle the formalin just fine.

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

The little ones have been in the BRT since March 29. Not sure how many there are, kinda hard to see but the ones that I can find have grown. I would say they are almost 1" now.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Looking good so far. 

Congrats Tal! I hope they continue to do well for you.
I didn't realize the adults were SO small!

Doni Marie~

Yeah, the adults are ~3"

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

very nice Tal  good luck

I moved 5 of the adults out of QT and into the SH tank tonight. Any idea if I have all the same species here? I think so but not 100% sure.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

I lost one of the juveniles today so I decided to get some pix. Here is a mosaic:
 

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

This is so cool- I love following your threads-
Sorry for the loss, continuing to follow for learning
They are sooo cute!

Michelle  
 

Thanks Michelle! That is the only one that I've lost so far. As far as I can tell I still have over 15. They are hard to see as the blend in with things pretty well. 

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

very nice. Thanks for sharing!

RLTW

180 Gallon Mixed Reef

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

I guess I should have paid closer attention to the 5 that I moved into the SH tank on the 19th... I walked in earlier and saw these little ones swimming around:
 

 

 

 

 

 
I was so excited to see them I forgot to shut the pump off. So far I've only gotten 4 out, the rest may have been eaten by the seahorses or got sucked into the filter. I put the fry into the BRT with the other pipe fry that are going on 4 weeks and the H. erectus fry that I got earlier. 

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

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

Here are some pix of the possible parents. There are 5 adults in the tank so I can't be sure who produced the offspring yesterday but sine I've had them since 03-28-11 they must have spawned since I've had them. From what I've been able to find, incubation is between 12 and 21 days.
 

 

 

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

I really like the last 2 pics.

Cool video These are so pretty - just floating through the water like that, they are very graceful. Would love to have a tank for them myself - very relaxing to watch

Michelle  
 

They only swim around like that right after being released. I should have turned off the filter instead of taking pix, then I could have gotten more out. I was too excited to see them and forgot.
 
Most of the time they hang out near the bottom except at feeding time when they come out to eat. They are pretty cool to watch though.

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

S. scovelli from the 03-28-11 hatch:
 


 

 
And the 04-22-11 hatch:
 

 

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

Congrats, Tal, they are beautiful. Makes me want to get pipefish again.

Nice! Well done mate!

Today is 60 DPS so here are the pix!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I think there are 4 left, hard to tell without pulling out all of their hiding spots at once. They are a little over 1.5".

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

Update: The ones from the first hatch are about adult size, 3". The ones from the second hatch are a bit smaller.

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

This is an awesome accomplishment.  I don't know many who have raised pipefish!

Thanks, Kathy. If I could only get them to spawn again so I could complete the loop.

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

Wasn't there a second batch? Did they not spawn for you?

Yes, there was a second batch that hatched a month after I got them but I didn't get pics so... I can't submit a report for points.

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

So, I was checking out some of the "juveniles" that I have in the BRT and this one looks like he might be holding. What do you guys think?
 






 
I had a hard time trying to flip him over and get a good shot.
 
And an action shot:

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

You're gonna be a grampa!

If this is the case these guys mature very quickly. This one is from the second hatch event on April 22, so they are only a little over 4 months old.

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

Looks like he is holding ! Another icon on its way toward your avatar.
Maybe they are short-lived too. How long have you kept the oldest you have ?

Anderson.

Witt and I collected these on March 28th when I was in Orlando. Some of the ones I got were holding at the time and they hatched as soon as I got them home. I had a second hatch 3-4 weeks later but didn't get pics of the eggs, just the fry.

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

Awesome spawn Tal!