I am trying to get a pidgn icon to show in my systray.

Currently I have a "Message Indicator" envelope icon, which when I click, shows a menu with just pidgin in it. I'd really just rather have the pidgin icon, but when I get rid of "Message Indicator" Pidgin won't go to the tray at all.

Possibly related thread:
viewtopic.php?f=66&t=91522&p=180892&hilit=pidgin

Do other applications appear in the System Tray as normal? As Pidgin (as far as I know) follows the FreeDesktop.org standards for System Tray icons, it should appear in the regular System Tray applet.

I think so. The other apps I have in my systray are klipper, and volume control. Amarok also will show in the systray if I run it.

Message indicator may not have anything to do with it, but this is what happens:

Message indicator running:
Close pidgin and it stays in the message indicator menu, where I can bring it up again.

Message indicator not running:
Close pidgin, and it actually quits, does not go to systray, and I can't bring it up again.

Is there anything you recommend I should try?

Try checking in Pidgin's settings for a system tray settings area to see if System Tray minimization can be enabled.

Yup. That was it.

Thanks.