African Bluestripe Pipefish
The African Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus) is a fish that requires specialized care and conditions, and is recommended to be kept only by expert level fish keepers who have set up an aquarium specifically to keep Pipefish and/or Seahorses. These fish are extremely peaceful and should not be house with anything other than seahorses, other pipefish, and non aggressive invertebrates. Stinging corals and anemones could potentially harm pipefish and should be avoided in a habitat designed for these interesting fish.
Pipefish are carnivores, requiring meaty foods as their diet, and usually they will accept only live foods at first. Live brine shrimp and live baby guppies are two foods that Pipefish will generally not have an issue eating. Frozen food should be offered in an effort to get them to take a wider variety of foods, but often Pipefish will not switch to a frozen food diet. Frozen Mysis shrimp would is one frozen food item that Pipefish could possibly be tempted to eat, along with frozen brine and frozen mosquito larvae. Plan on always having to feed live foods, even if the fish does accept some frozen.
Approximate arrival size: 3 to 5 inches
