I have one that was accidentally put in my cooler that is surviving (so far)... I haven't seen him eat yet, but he is schooling with one old P.metallicus (from the florida convention, who is teaching the others to eat flakes), the taillights and the pugnoses, and seems to be doing OK, so far.
His nose is still very red, but he is not as brilliantly yellow-green as he was in the tannin stained waters.
Back to the Swamp
Started by
Michael Wolfe
, Feb 04 2012 04:58 PM
55 replies to this topic
#42
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Posted 03 April 2012 - 10:53 PM
If he isn't dead yet then he stands a fair chance of making it! So, I wonder if blackwater is the key to their color? Well, we have plenty of blackwater streams in MS but the silversides are just plain silver. I think it's just a Georgia thing.
#43
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Posted 04 April 2012 - 04:47 PM
I got 3 back to NY alive and well, not as full colored but 4 days in a cooler does that. Mike I did also get the Pteronotropis grandipinnis on the way home. My last stop the current was too strong to get in the pools with a seine on my own so not much luck did get Cyprinella venusta, alabama shiners and southern studfish but just a few in a small back water. Threw em back and headed out to NY. Great trip glad I attended. Really concerned about Pteronotropis creeks seems like an awful lot of ones from the past have changed for the worse it felt good to see a good one as I walked up to the grandipinnis site.
#44
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Posted 08 April 2012 - 09:43 PM
So here's a tally of what I brought back:
Huge mess of okefenokee pygmies
About a dozen Leptoleucania omatta
15 (approx) Lepomis maginatus (dollar sunfish)
10 taillight shiners
6 Fundulus lineolatus
3 eastern mudminnows
10 Enneacanthus gloriosus (bluespot dwarf sunnies)
one pirate perch
one swamp darter
a couple of very small juvenile sunnies that were left over
Most are doing quite well. The tank designated for the dollars (55 gallon, I'm attempting to stuff them in rift-lake cichlid style... so far, it's working, but two weeks in isn't much) was overrun with snails. Now, the gravel is littered with snail parts. I know the literature says these guys eat mainly insects and crustaceans (which is probably true in the wild) but they've cleaned house and are greedily eating everything I throw in the tank.
The lined killies and oddballs (mudminnows, juvenile sunnies, and darter) are all eating well, although I did lose the pirate perch. I suspect a nitrogen spike since I'm reusing a filter sponge in that tank's HOB.
Lost a few of the taillights during acclimation, but I have a nice little school of 6 that are beginning to color back up and eat eagerly.
We've lost over half the bluespots... they're just not eating very well. Tomorrow morning, we're likely to hit the local creeks to dig up some critters to see if live food suits them better.
Pygmies (Elassoma and killies) are likewise not eating as well as the others, although they're taking some nibbles here and there. If we can find scuds or other small stuff in the creeks, we'll offer it.
Huge mess of okefenokee pygmies
About a dozen Leptoleucania omatta
15 (approx) Lepomis maginatus (dollar sunfish)
10 taillight shiners
6 Fundulus lineolatus
3 eastern mudminnows
10 Enneacanthus gloriosus (bluespot dwarf sunnies)
one pirate perch
one swamp darter
a couple of very small juvenile sunnies that were left over
Most are doing quite well. The tank designated for the dollars (55 gallon, I'm attempting to stuff them in rift-lake cichlid style... so far, it's working, but two weeks in isn't much) was overrun with snails. Now, the gravel is littered with snail parts. I know the literature says these guys eat mainly insects and crustaceans (which is probably true in the wild) but they've cleaned house and are greedily eating everything I throw in the tank.
The lined killies and oddballs (mudminnows, juvenile sunnies, and darter) are all eating well, although I did lose the pirate perch. I suspect a nitrogen spike since I'm reusing a filter sponge in that tank's HOB.
Lost a few of the taillights during acclimation, but I have a nice little school of 6 that are beginning to color back up and eat eagerly.
We've lost over half the bluespots... they're just not eating very well. Tomorrow morning, we're likely to hit the local creeks to dig up some critters to see if live food suits them better.
Pygmies (Elassoma and killies) are likewise not eating as well as the others, although they're taking some nibbles here and there. If we can find scuds or other small stuff in the creeks, we'll offer it.
#47
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Posted 09 April 2012 - 10:33 AM
Blackworms & skeeters should get them eating and help restore their energy and lost ions. Also fresh-hatched brineshrimp for the pygmies.
Those should be true E.okefenokee based on range; please get some pics once they're settled in and colored up, so we can compare with our plethora of E.gilberti pics.
I've only caught taillight shiners twice, both times they got Flexibacter on the tail & caudal peduncle within the first 24 hrs. Beautiful fish, but highly sensitive to collecting stress. Good luck with them!
Those should be true E.okefenokee based on range; please get some pics once they're settled in and colored up, so we can compare with our plethora of E.gilberti pics.
I've only caught taillight shiners twice, both times they got Flexibacter on the tail & caudal peduncle within the first 24 hrs. Beautiful fish, but highly sensitive to collecting stress. Good luck with them!
We've lost over half the bluespots... they're just not eating very well. Tomorrow morning, we're likely to hit the local creeks to dig up some critters to see if live food suits them better.
Pygmies (Elassoma and killies) are likewise not eating as well as the others, although they're taking some nibbles here and there. If we can find scuds or other small stuff in the creeks, we'll offer it.
#48
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 09 April 2012 - 02:09 PM
I've only caught taillight shiners twice, both times they got Flexibacter on the tail & caudal peduncle within the first 24 hrs. Beautiful fish, but highly sensitive to collecting stress. Good luck with them!
Funny that you mention that... I have a small group of 5 (originally 6) and only lost one that decided to jump... and an accidental silverside in with them... I did see some infections on some other fish, but not these guys. They and the pugnoses are eating like, well like shiners... I haven't seen the silverside eat for sure, but he schools with the rest fo tehm and seems to get excited and zip around when everyone else is zipping around eating... I just cant tell if his crazy shaped mouth is opening up or what.
Oh, and we saw both Okefenokees and Everglades on the trip... using all the indicators tat had been mentioned on a couple of the other threads and seeing them back to back they were pretty easy to identify (females blotchy or smooth... males by the eye glow and the bars vs spangles).
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#49
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Posted 10 April 2012 - 01:28 PM
Thanks guys and gals, especially Mike W for putting this together. If I get some time, I'll post more details. But I got some things I was looking for and got to see a part of the country and some critters I haven't seen before. It's always good to put faces to names and see old friends. I have intentions to shoot some of the fishes I brought back. We'll see how that goes. Got some really huge and nice Ellasoma from the Okefenokee system. Somehow I seem to have only one female Ellasoma okefenokee. Anybody want to trade for males or evergladei, or anything else? I have a lot of possible trades including many species not from the Okefenokee system. Anyway, good time. Thanks!
Chip found a delectable barbeque "shack" somewhere down there. The fried mullet was a treat. Ate that leftover brisket for days. Nothing like it. Let's do it again!
Chip found a delectable barbeque "shack" somewhere down there. The fried mullet was a treat. Ate that leftover brisket for days. Nothing like it. Let's do it again!
#50
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Posted 11 April 2012 - 08:52 PM
Dustin and I have made a habit of finding local BBQ shacks when collecting. We both put the blame on Fritz for this addiction.Chip found a delectable barbeque "shack" somewhere down there. The fried mullet was a treat. Ate that leftover brisket for days. Nothing like it. Let's do it again!
#52
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Posted 13 April 2012 - 08:04 PM
That BBQ shack was rather good. Excellent tater salad and a monster BBQ sandwich. Helga can find a place like that, but not a Hardees apparently, or a Krystal.
Unfortunately, I never took any pictures during the trip, I need to learn to do that. I do have a couple here of a couple of the fish I brought home once they got settled in. First up we have the taillight shiners then two of the pygmy killies (Leptolucania ommata). Taillights are still maintaining their red/pink color, it's neat.
Unfortunately, I never took any pictures during the trip, I need to learn to do that. I do have a couple here of a couple of the fish I brought home once they got settled in. First up we have the taillight shiners then two of the pygmy killies (Leptolucania ommata). Taillights are still maintaining their red/pink color, it's neat.
#54
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Posted 13 April 2012 - 11:05 PM
Boy that sounds like it was a good time. I wish I knew of more nanfa people up here so we could go on big organized collecting trips like that. As far as the BBQ goes...They just don't do good BBQ up here, I have to go down south (Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi) and visit family for that. Good luck with the new aquisitions guys!
Scott
Scott
#55
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 22 April 2012 - 11:16 AM
I haven't seen the silverside eat for sure, but he schools with the rest of them and seems to get excited and zip around when everyone else is zipping around eating... I just cant tell if his crazy shaped mouth is opening up or what.
Quick update on the accidental tourist... he eats like crazy although he seems to have to jerk his head up at the last second to eat out of the water column... he would probably be more comfortable eating off the surface, but he is not letting that cause him to miss a meal... also, he is very much faster than the shiners over short busts and beats people to food... apparently that barracuda shaped body works just like it is supposed to.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#56
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 06 September 2012 - 10:21 PM
Leptolucania ommata spawning success! I put a group of these in a ten gallon tank when we got back from the swamp and kinda ignored them... one or two decided not to eat and died... but some others did well... recently the water got very low in that tank just from evaporation and neglect and the hornwort got very thick. I cleaned out the plants some to let the light into the tank and filled it back up with treated water... and now a week later I can see at least two tiny little 1/2 inch ommata swimming around picking at the slate and picking at the surface plants...!!! I am sure there are probably a few more in the dense part of the tank, but cool to see the little guys when I am just feeding frozen foods and earthworm flakes...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
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