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Collecting for the first time: Where to start?


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#1 Guest_RisiganL_*

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 06:16 PM

Hello everybody! I live in Raleigh, North Carolina and I have recently developed an interest in the native species in our area. I have a 29 gallon aquarium that I plan to stock with fish that I collect, but I have no idea where to start. First off, what equipment will I need? I have a pretty cheap dipnet and a few homemade minnow traps at the moment. Also, where should I look? Are there are places in particular that are good productive search areas in Raleigh? As you can see, I am pretty lost, and all help will be greatly appreciated.

#2 Guest_CATfishTONY_*

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 06:55 PM

Hello everybody! I live in Raleigh, North Carolina and I have recently developed an interest in the native species in our area. I have a 29 gallon aquarium that I plan to stock with fish that I collect, but I have no idea where to start. First off, what equipment will I need? I have a pretty cheap dipnet and a few homemade minnow traps at the moment. Also, where should I look? Are there are places in particular that are good productive search areas in Raleigh? As you can see, I am pretty lost, and all help will be greatly appreciated.

i would start here, and see what you can do.

http://forum.nanfa.o...north-carolina/

read a little first then get your fish. the fish come easy the hard part is keeping them alive in a small closed system tank
as they are wild to start with.



#3 Guest_Usil_*

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 09:32 PM

Read about - types of fish in your area ---------> Read about Collecting Techniques --------> Determine type of fishes you are interested in ----------> Read/study about fish you are interested in -----------> Determine fish size at adult, food, habitat requirements --------> Acquire tank equipment ---------> Set up tank with water, filters, substrate, plants, rocks, etc... ---------> Let tank stand for 6 weeks ---------> Learn how to acclimatize fish to the tank ------------> Acquire nets, buckets, portable air supply ----------> Get fishing licence ----------> Learn what fish go well together in a tank ----------> After study, try luck at collecting ---------> Ask questions (but first do all of the above so you can be more specific with questions).....

A lot of study is needed but fun to learn and an enjoyable hobby.

Usil

#4 Guest_frogwhacker_*

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 09:41 PM

Welcome to the forum. Glad to hear of your interest in native fish. A good way to familiarize yourself with a lot of our native fish is the book Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes second edition. You can find them pretty reasonable on amazon.com.

You can certainly catch many small fish with your minnow trap. Where to set one depends largely on what you are wanting to catch as different species will prefer different habitats. One fun method is to try setting a trap in different types of areas just to see what you do catch. After you've seen some of what lives in different habitats, it may give you some better ideas of what you'd like to keep. Everyone's got their own preferences, but I prefer to only leave a trap set for about a half hour or less at a time. If left too long some of the fish can injure themselves trying to escape. I've also seen water snakes get into traps that are left unchecked too long. Only leaving it set for a half hour or so also gives you the opportunity to try several areas within a few hours that can also be spent fishing or collecting/sampling with the dip net. I usually just use a slice of bread for bait in the trap. The book I mentioned above is quite handy for identifying the fish you catch, especially if you're planning on keeping them as it's possible that there are some that may not be legal to keep.

As for your dip net, I've caught darters and minnows in a dip net that is only 6" wide and 8" tall, but I prefer my larger one. I can't remember the dimensions of it and it's still in the truck.

If you search through some of the past discussions in the forum here titled Nets and Sampling Gear you should be able to find some useful information. Here's a link: http://forum.nanfa.o...-sampling-gear/

Hope this helps. Good luck with your collecting and keeping native fish.

Steve.

#5 Guest_RisiganL_*

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 10:35 PM

Thanks for the replies! I am a fairly experianced fish keeper as this will be my 6th or 7th tank. I am fully aware of cycling processes, equipment, water chemistry, ect. Right now I am looking at darters and small cyprinid species. What I am unsure about is the collecting methods for these fish. I am seeing many references to kick seining, but not as many for dip nets. How can you use these effeciently? Also, does anybody know of good collecting spots near Raleigh?

#6 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 11:35 PM

Best way to get started in this hobby is to find others that have some experience and go out with them... now that is not always possible... but you are in a particularly good area... there are several NANFA members that are in your general area, that also hang out here on the forum. One of them will likely speak up here in a day ot two. Jump at the chance to get out in the water with someone else. They will also know a little about the fishes of your area, and what is more suited to tank life.

But in general, you wll do OK with many of the minnows and chubs from the streams in your area. I myself am not a fan of creek chubs, they get too big and eat their tankmates. But many other shiners and chubs mix well with darters and make for a nice community tank.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#7 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 27 November 2011 - 12:15 PM

See my reply on your other thread:
http://forum.nanfa.o...ew__getlastpost

Also, I'll be leading a field trip for the Raleigh Aquarium Society on Friday Feb 17, 2012, 1:00 to 5:30. see raleighaquariumsociety.org

Edited by gerald, 27 November 2011 - 12:18 PM.


#8 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 27 November 2011 - 03:02 PM

Also, does anybody know of good collecting spots near Raleigh?

I posted this link on your other topic, but I guess I can post it again here. http://216.27.39.101...iedmont_PFA.htm There are several pages like that on ncwildlife.org

#9 Guest_davidjh2_*

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Posted 28 November 2011 - 11:48 AM

My most effective way of dipnetting is to find a spot where the fish think they are safe like a weedbed of some kind or a pile of leaves on the bottom. You just drag your net through the leaves or the weeds and you'll get something.This won't work for every species of fish but you'll get a fair diversity. You can even to a fast drag through a current break or riffle and get lucky sometimes.

#10 Guest_mywan_*

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Posted 28 November 2011 - 12:37 PM

My favorite method of dipnetting is to go out in the middle of the night with a flashlight and net. In fact it would be educational just go out to a creek day or night and crawl the creeks to see what you can see. For me it's not just the fish, but the whole ecology around them. Once you learn how to observe them catching a few for a tank is quiet easy. Some very interesting places are under bridges right inside of town. Personally I suggest before worrying too much about how to catch them initially, just walk to the creak nearest your house and wade or get down on your hands and knees in the water and see what you can observe. Or do what some others do here and go snorkeling. People underestimate what is literally right under their noses, thinking that water they can see the bottom through appears empty.

All these pictures here except 3 where taken without ever capturing anything:
http://www.facebook....43807739&type=1
The 3 captive are the 2 baby toad frog (Bufo), raised from tadpoles, and the darter with the white background, taken on a NANFA trip. The blue pool is something I have in my yard for wild frogs and other critters to use as they wish.

This Southern studfish (Fundulus stellifer) was taken around 2:30 AM (never attempted capture and notice the eggs below the fish).
Posted Image

A rather beautiful Speckled Darter (Etheostoma stigmaeum) daytime pic, never attempted capture.
Posted Image

Find out what's there and what you can observe under different conditions, then worry about catching the few you want to try keeping in an aquarium. Also note the variations in the environment, which may result in figuring out better ways to care for your fish.

#11 Guest_davidjh2_*

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Posted 28 November 2011 - 04:56 PM

I second the night trip. When I go night fishing I love to shine a flashlight in the water just to see the various creatures that you would never see in the daytime. Fish are a lot calmer too and won't run if you shine a light on them. Being a crayfish collector and someone who just can't resist turning over a rock or log in or around the water I've come across critters that I otherwise would never have even known about. Just be aware that not all critters that live under rocks and logs are friendly and you have Cottonmouths down there. Even up north I tend to pick up large rocks or logs in such a way that I can drop and run if needed. I've been chased by bees and wasps before and I'm getting slower as I get older :biggrin: .

#12 Guest_RisiganL_*

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Posted 13 December 2011 - 06:28 PM

A night trip does sound nice. It might have a bit of trouble convincing the parents though.

#13 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 08 January 2012 - 07:07 PM

Thanks for the replies! I am a fairly experianced fish keeper as this will be my 6th or 7th tank. I am fully aware of cycling processes, equipment, water chemistry, ect. Right now I am looking at darters and small cyprinid species. What I am unsure about is the collecting methods for these fish. I am seeing many references to kick seining, but not as many for dip nets. How can you use these effeciently? Also, does anybody know of good collecting spots near Raleigh?


OK RisiganL, I'll give you a quick run down, but the best way to get started is to just get started. My first collecting trip was me in a creek with a large aquarium net...didn't work out really well.....actually I caught several bluntnose minnows and a few Greenside Darters.

1. Have the tank ready
2. with this weather, get some waders...at least hip-waders. In the summer, use old shoes
3. Get a 5-gal bucket, couple bucks @ lowes, home depot, etc...
4. Dipnet. I love my Perfect Dipnet, check it out HERE. My first net was a painters pole, with a pool net on it..Used that method for 2 years
POOLNET
Posted Image
5. Get out in the small to medium creeks. Scoop around in the pools, runs. To kick seine with a dipnet: place the net in a riffle downstream of you and quickly kick/shuffle your feet towards the net. check the net and try again. Always start at the head of the riffle and work your way down. Try to find areas where the water is channelled into a "V" and you can put the net on the lower side of the "V". This will help coral the fish into the net. Starting out, I was not good at this, but as you figure out the technique, you'll get better. I use a dipnet and now I have moved up to a 4ft seine that I use in the same way I use the dipnet. I've found the seine catches more fish, but you can't use it in shallow water.
6. What you need to remember is at this time of the year is that the creek water will be cold and your tank water will not be. The fish need to be slowly acclimated. Use the drip method and do it slowly, I've taken several days to put a fish in the tank during the winter (opposite in the summer, you want to get them to cooler water quicker)



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