Pipefish as a cleaner for other fish

[Reefer0513]

I am looking for a fish that will provide some cleaner services for my other fish and will not just depend on the food that it gets from picking at the other fish to survive. I have read some earlier posts about pipefish and saw that there was a species that performed cleaner services, but my question has to due with the compability with the other fish in my tank. I also want to know how hard is it to get a pipefish to eat normal fish food such as frozen brine shrimp or flake foods. Any help would be greatly appreciated.



Tank specifications
125 gallon reef tank with 110 gallon sump
Lighting metal halide

1 fox face
1 yellow back damsel
1 tomato clownfish
2 bulb tip anemones
3 chromis
1 flowerpot coral
1 bubble coral
2 leather coral
1 acropora
1 brain coral

[rayme07]

With your tank I would not recommend any pipefish. because of the anemone, and other stinging corals that can hurt the pipefish including some of the other fish you have may bully up on it. Pipefish much like seahorses need a species only tank and are for the experienced reefer because they need live foods, and other special care.

The only fish I have heard of cleaning parasites off fish would be the neon goby but with the size and how docile the goby is I wouldn't put it with the fish you already have. I have also heard of some wrasses as cleaners too but not too sure. :unsure:

[CarmieJo]

My sixline would occasionally function as a cleaner. I believe that some juvi angels will also function as cleaners. As an FYI, plain frozen brine has very poor nutritional value. Mysis is far more nutritious.

[PhotoJohn]

many baby angels serve as cleaners when they are small

[Reefer0513]

Are pipefish really that fragile? Even the Janis pipefish?

[saxman]

i kept a pair of Janss' pipes in my reef for a number of years. they did indeed set up a cleaning station and would groom their tankmates from time to time. the only pipes i'd really recommend for a reef with stinging critters are the flagfins, since they are a swimming genus. this means they can handle the flow of reef setups and don't rest on the coral/nems/clams.

IME, flagfins take to eating frozen mysis and BS pretty readily. i do, however, recommend training them in QT so you can monitor their progress.

[THEJRC]

Caveat...

even the flagfins will have problems with some stinging corals as their nature is to skim surfaces. I have experienced this one myself. That said...

In the interest in the pipes I would recommend another cleaner. now... by the same token... the precursor to my addition of multiple tanks to my system was in fact the beautiful pipefish!

[saxman]

agreed...if it's just a cleaner you want, you can't beat a neon goby. i had one for close to 2 years (they reportedly don't live much longer than that) and it was a hard-working little fish. again, it had a station and did not harass its tankmates the way some cleaners do, but my CBB and my foxface lined up every AM for a grooming.