Little Shop of Coral
Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus melanopleura)
Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus melanopleura)
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The Bluestripe Pipefish is a sleek, reef-safe standout with an elegant body shape and electric blue striping. Peaceful and fascinating to watch, it spends its time gliding through the tank and hunting tiny live foods. This is a specialty fish that does best in mature, stable reef systems with plenty of copepods and gentle tank mates that will not outcompete it at feeding time.
Why we love it
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Stunning blue striping and a unique pipefish profile
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Peaceful, reef-safe fish with calm, graceful movement
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Fun to watch as it hunts through rockwork and calmer areas
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Great fit for mature reefs with strong pod populations
Care & Compatibility
Care Level: Advanced
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Specialized (copepods and other tiny foods)
Adult Size: ~6 to 7"
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons recommended (larger, mature systems preferred)
Feeding (Very Important)
Pipefish success depends heavily on consistent access to small foods.
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Best in tanks with established copepod populations
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Many will take enriched frozen foods like cyclops, baby brine, and very small mysis, but not all individuals transition easily
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Multiple small feedings per day improves long-term success
If a pipefish is being outcompeted or the tank is low in microfauna, weight loss can happen gradually.
Tank & Setup Notes
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Mature reef tanks with live rock and refugium support are ideal
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Provide calm zones for feeding and hunting
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Use guards on pump and overflow intakes to prevent injury
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Stable salinity, temperature, and strong oxygenation are important
Compatibility Tips
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Best with peaceful fish that will not bully it or eat all food instantly
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Avoid aggressive wrasses, dottybacks, hawkfish, and other fast hunters
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Generally safe with corals and most inverts
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Use caution around anemones and large LPS with strong feeding responses
Acclimation & Health
Slow acclimation is recommended. Quarantine can be difficult unless you can supply live foods reliably. Monitor feeding and body condition closely during the first few weeks.
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LIGHT
LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.
MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height.
HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.
FLOW
LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.
MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.
HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.
SKILL
ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.
While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.
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