Odd Pipefish Behavior

[Paul B]

I find this very odd. I have a breeding pair of bluestripe pipefish for 4 or 5 years and there is no problem with them.
A month ago I added a pair of Janss Pipefish which are also doing fine. But yesterday I noticed my male pipefish is losing his tail and it is just ribs. He seems healthy otherwise, hunts and all but I have been noticing he is not hanging out with his mate much.

This morning I found out why.
One of the Janss pipefish, I assume the male chases the male blue stripe when ever he comes out to eat. The Janss pipefish will dart after him like a javelin from across the tank and chase him into the corner. I never noticed this before with two very different types of pipefish.
You can see the Janss here.


And the bluestripes.

 

[MadReefer]

Not familiar with pipe fish but assume the similarity in color is the issue. Two males seeking dominance maybe.

 

[Paul B]

They are not similar at all. Janss are orange and black and about 8" long, bluestripes are blue and orange and about 3" long. Well, you seem to be correct, they are the same colors almost. But very different looking

 

[Mark_C]

First I recommend QT, then dose with copper based chems, then QT in a second tank and treat with antibiots, then take anything the contaminated fish was in touch with and place each item in a separate QT tan....
Oh...
sorry, I thought I was on another site.

 

[Paul B]

First I recommend QT, then dose with copper based chems, then QT in a second tank and treat with antibiots, then take anything the contaminated fish was in touch with and place each item in a separate QT tan....
Oh...
sorry, I thought I was on another site.

Sounds like a plan, I also think I will remove my 26 year old clownfish and quarantine him for 72 days, then freshwater dip, then into copper, Prizapro and quinicrine for 37 days,. Of course the pipefish have to watch this the entire time so they know what to expect.

 

[Paul B]

My male pipefish seems to have almost healed his tail. It was down to stumps as the much larger janss pipefish would chase him whenever he came out to do whatever pipefish do. That pair of bluestripe pipefish learned that they have to stay on the other end of the tank so now I have to feed them there. They are happy again and are doing their spawning dance that resembles the macarana.

 

[MadReefer]

Glad to hear he's doing better.