will darters be able to be collected this time of year?
#1 Guest_macantley_*
Posted 07 January 2012 - 07:24 PM
im sure the water temps are around 40-50*F but im not sure if the fish will actually be out or not, the creek is approx 4-8" deep that i collect them in, and its very low right now cause it hasnt rained in a few days.
does anyone see the temps being a problem?
matthew
#2 Guest_frogwhacker_*
Posted 07 January 2012 - 07:33 PM
Just noticed also that you're only a couple hours away from me. It's great to hear from someone who's somewhat local to me.
Have fun collecting.
Steve.
#3 Guest_keepnatives_*
Posted 07 January 2012 - 07:35 PM
You have a good chance of finding rainbow darters though you may need to look in any small pools as well, I've collected rainbows thru out the winter here in NY as long as able to get in he water.im looking for some rainbow darters, ive got one in my tank now, but want a few more, its a 180 gallon tank with three cory cat's and 1 darter, also a few pleco's
im sure the water temps are around 40-50*F but im not sure if the fish will actually be out or not, the creek is approx 4-8" deep that i collect them in, and its very low right now cause it hasnt rained in a few days.
does anyone see the temps being a problem?
matthew
#4 Guest_exasperatus2002_*
Posted 07 January 2012 - 10:57 PM
You have a good chance of finding rainbow darters though you may need to look in any small pools as well, I've collected rainbows thru out the winter here in NY as long as able to get in he water.
Absolutely. I just received a shipment of orange throat & banded darters. Shipping water was 50*f. I was able to acclimate them to my 72* tank water in about 4.5 hrs. They ate within 5 minutes of being put in the tank and all are well now 24 hrs later. Im tempted now to get some tesselated darters & a few (4) Fundulus diaphanus from my local water to join them.
#5 Guest_jblaylock_*
Posted 08 January 2012 - 06:08 PM
#6 Guest_macantley_*
Posted 03 February 2012 - 03:04 PM
im wanting to goto virginia at some point and collect in big stoney creek, looking for candy darters if possible, they are a "species of interest" in WV so i cant collect them here, but in virginia they arent on endangered or "interest" status, infact they are wildly abundant in those streams, id like to collect a dozen or so and set them up in my stream tank and hope they breed.
matthew
#7 Guest_Drew_*
Posted 06 February 2012 - 12:28 PM
i caught some minnows that day, but no darters, i wasnt going in more than knee deep, it was cold!!!!
im wanting to goto virginia at some point and collect in big stoney creek, looking for candy darters if possible, they are a "species of interest" in WV so i cant collect them here, but in virginia they arent on endangered or "interest" status, infact they are wildly abundant in those streams, id like to collect a dozen or so and set them up in my stream tank and hope they breed.
matthew
You probably shouldn't be collecting candy darters from VA. They aren't yet listed but should be. I believe they are a Federally SOC.
#8 Guest_blakemarkwell_*
Posted 06 February 2012 - 01:29 PM
Edited by blakemarkwell, 06 February 2012 - 01:37 PM.
#9 Guest_blakemarkwell_*
Posted 06 February 2012 - 03:26 PM
#10 Guest_gunner48_*
Posted 06 February 2012 - 10:30 PM
I have found Rainbow Darters to be quite hardy when it comes to temps. Last Summer I kept a 55 gallon tank outside with just strong aeration and while it got warm the fish continued to eat well and did just has well has when i kept them in my basement and I had no losses. The tanks had plenty of rocks and nice water movement. They were kept under a deck so they were not in sunshine but the tank warmed into the eighties. This time of year they would need some gradual adjustment, but with a powerhead or strong airstone they should adjust to normal room temps. If the water is low then now might be the best time to go for them. Last year Southern Ohio had the rainiest year on record and the local water never got very low.
#11 Guest_steve_*
Posted 06 February 2012 - 11:45 PM
Last year Southern Ohio had the rainiest year on record and the local water never got very low.
That's for sure. It changed a lot of my normal fishing/sampling/collecting strategies and sites.
Also, Welcome to NANFA too. It's good to hear from someone else from southern Ohio. Are you more east or west?
Steve.
#12 Guest_macantley_*
Posted 11 February 2012 - 12:05 PM
also, kanawha falls is supposed to be the geographic break on the candy darters, however ive never heard of any populations being found anywhere close to kanawha falls, most are found above bluestone dam probably 60-70 water miles away. i hear the best locations for candy darters is near pembroke in virginia, its probably 20-30 miles via the water above bluestone.
matthew
#13 Guest_gunner48_*
Posted 11 February 2012 - 10:06 PM
#14 Guest_FirstChAoS_*
Posted 11 February 2012 - 11:03 PM
I live in the southwest part of the state. I have collected in Eastern Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and several of the Southern Ohio water sheds. The Little Miami River is the river I know best and it is a classic warm water midwest stream that is a national wild and scenic river. The year before last we had a severe drought, and last year record rains so the fishing was difficult. Like a lot of fish keepers I got interested in natives when I collected a few rainbow darters. I found them easy to keep, if you have black worms and Grindal worms to provide has food. They like water movement, need water changes, and they need a lid on the tank has they are quite the jumpers.
I never heard of a darter jumping before. Ethestoma have weak swim bladders and rarely go near the tanks surface unless they follow structure up their.
#15 Guest_steve_*
Posted 12 February 2012 - 12:18 AM
Steve.
#16 Guest_dredcon_*
Posted 12 February 2012 - 12:23 AM
I never heard of a darter jumping before. Ethestoma have weak swim bladders and rarely go near the tanks surface unless they follow structure up their.
I think some species are more likely to hang out up in the water column than others.
I used to keep E. parvipinnie and I think some of them spent more time near the top than the bottom.
They also had more personality than any other darter species I kept.
#17 Guest_jblaylock_*
Posted 12 February 2012 - 02:16 PM
i caught some minnows that day, but no darters, i wasnt going in more than knee deep, it was cold!!!!
im wanting to goto virginia at some point and collect in big stoney creek, looking for candy darters if possible, they are a "species of interest" in WV so i cant collect them here, but in virginia they arent on endangered or "interest" status, infact they are wildly abundant in those streams, id like to collect a dozen or so and set them up in my stream tank and hope they breed.
matthew
Agreed with Blake and Drew, you probably shouldn't be collecting Candy Darters. Nobody is trying to beat you down (I've been in your shoes) but we care about these fish and they are up against enough as it is. I don't know what fish are in your area, but a quick (2-3h) drive from your location would get you to E. variatum in Kentucky. They aren't quite as beautiful as the Candy, but a great alternative.
#18 Guest_gunner48_*
Posted 12 February 2012 - 09:19 PM
But, over time they settle down to the routine of living in a tank and there less prone to jump. Now when I move some of the flat rocks they just move off to another place to hide.Providing a few flat rocks with a few smaller rocks under them to provide some space between the flat rock and the bottom seems to make them feel secure. All of the wild fish I have collected usually want to hide the first few days and I try not to disturb them. I try to keep the light cycle to what it was when I collected them. After a day or so I add some black worms or some Grindals by placing them in the water flow so they appear has natural food. I add just a few and I stand back from the tank and watch from the other side of the room to see if they start feeding. When they start eating I add enough for them to polish off in a few minutes. Within a week they begin to associate my arrival with feeding time and they will come out from under the rocks when I l add a few grindals has a starter. The starters they can smell in the water flow everybody in the tank pops out from under the rocks and I can do a head count to make sure nobody has died under the rocks. When comfortable my darters are usually visible and so far I have not seen them fight or any signs of fin damage from fighting.
#19 Guest_exasperatus2002_*
Posted 13 February 2012 - 08:56 AM
#20 Guest_fundulus_*
Posted 13 February 2012 - 11:10 AM
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