{"product_id":"beady-pipefish","title":"Beady Pipefish | Hippichthys penicillus","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Beady Pipefish is a slender, mesmerising specialist for the dedicated keeper. Related to seahorses, it drifts slowly through the aquarium picking tiny foods, and it needs a mature, peaceful tank with a steady supply of small live and frozen foods. It is not a fish for a busy community system.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the wild, the Beady Pipefish is associated with estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds and slow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific. Unusually, it is euryhaline, tolerating marine, brackish and even fresh water, and in aquaria it often does best in weakly brackish conditions. Replicating this environment means providing calm water, fine substrate, seagrass or macroalgae and plenty of gentle hiding structure. A mature, stable, low-flow system with an established population of small live foods suits it best.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Beady Pipefish has the long, thin, segmented body and small tubular snout typical of pipefish, with a subtle mottled pattern that gives good camouflage among plants. It reaches around 16–18 cm. Its slow, deliberate movement and delicate feeding are part of its appeal. Healthy specimens are alert, feeding steadily and well-filled along the body, without a sunken or pinched appearance, which in pipefish is a common early sign of a fish that is not eating enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTemperament is best described as peaceful and delicate. It is easily outcompeted for food and stressed by boisterous tank mates. Suitable companions are other slow, gentle fish such as small gobies, dragonets and seahorses in a dedicated system. Avoid fast, greedy feeders, aggressive fish, and anything large enough to harass or eat it. This is very much a species-tank or peaceful specialist-tank animal rather than a general community fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeeding is the central challenge. Offer frequent small feeds of enriched live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, live and frozen Artemia, copepods and small mysis. Many individuals need live foods to begin feeding and only later accept frozen. A mature tank with a self-sustaining population of copepods and amphipods greatly improves success. Feed several times a day and watch body condition closely, as pipefish decline quickly if underfed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor long-term success, provide a minimum aquarium size of 100 L for a dedicated pipefish system, with a larger, mature tank preferred for stable live-food populations. If kept brackish, a specific gravity around 1.005–1.010 is often used; in a marine system aim for around 1.020–1.026. Maintain temperature at 24–26°C and pH 8.0–8.4. Keep flow gentle, provide fine substrate, seagrass or macroalgae and abundant calm shelter. Use gentle filtration with protected intakes and carry out regular small water changes. Stable, mature conditions and a reliable food supply matter far more than tank size alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike other pipefish, males brood the eggs, carrying them on the underside of the body until the young are released. Breeding is occasionally achieved by dedicated keepers, but rearing the tiny young requires abundant small live foods and very stable conditions beyond normal home aquarium keeping. For most keepers the practical focus should be on getting the fish feeding well and maintaining stable, peaceful conditions rather than breeding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHippichthys penicillus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBeady Pipefish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIndo-Pacific estuaries, mangroves and seagrass beds\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16–18 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3–5 years with excellent care\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePeaceful and delicate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdvanced\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e100 L (dedicated system)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarger mature tank for stable live foods\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCarnivore; small live and frozen foods, fed frequently\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24–26°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.0–8.4\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable for marine fish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEuryhaline; ~1.005–1.010 brackish or 1.020–1.026 marine\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDedicated, mature pipefish or peaceful specialist systems\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef safe with caution (peaceful only)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuitable tank mates include other slow, gentle species such as small peaceful gobies, dragonets and seahorses in a dedicated, calm system.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAvoid keeping with fast or greedy feeders, aggressive or territorial fish, and any fish large enough to harass or eat it. Avoid strong flow and unprotected filter intakes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55234149024035,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55234149056803,"sku":"BA8801","price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (10-15cm)","offer_id":55234149089571,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"X-Large (15-18cm)","offer_id":55351951884579,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/Beady_Pipefish_Hippichthys_penicillus_eeba26a1-bdcd-4613-a1ca-f68e9e59ff54.jpg?v=1781681462","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/beady-pipefish","provider":"Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}