Breeding Darters
#1 Guest_SDC010_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:02 PM
#2 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:07 PM
#3 Guest_FirstChAoS_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:45 PM
#4 Guest_fundulus_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 07:07 PM
#5 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 07:52 PM
#6 Guest_exasperatus2002_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 09:28 PM
I have bred and raised a few varieties though I have never bred slenderheads. And am in the process of breeding more. I cycle the lights down through the winter months and keep my tanks in the high thirties to low forties beginning in December and raising the temps again @ March. Though I may start raisiing the temps/lights a bit earlier this year (early March). It's been tough this year keeping the temps down because we have had such a mild winter. My males are already coloring up and starting to get territorial and a number of females are getting fulll of roe. They are also getting hungrier. I would imagine unless you can chill your slenderheads into the 40's for a good period of timethey are most likely not going to spawn for you. Are you sure you have a pair?
When your temps are that low, can you still feed them & if so how often? I know with goldfish in my pond if I feed them below a certain temp, the food can rot in their stomach & kill them. But then these are goldfish & not native fish who are better suited for the northern winter.
#7 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 09:36 PM
Where did you hear that? Is it true?I know with goldfish in my pond if I feed them below a certain temp, the food can rot in their stomach & kill them. But then these are goldfish & not native fish who are better suited for the northern winter.
Something that I find kind of interesting is that goldfish don't have true stomachs. Here are some internal anatomy photos (don't click this link if you're squeamish): http://thegab.org/Go...al-anatomy.html
Goldfish are actually well adapted to cold winters, and it's easier to spawn them if you drop the temperature for a month or more to simulate a winter period. They're a little like darters in that sense.
Edited by EricaWieser, 18 February 2012 - 09:49 PM.
#8 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:09 PM
#9
Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:09 PM
I wonder if anyone successfully bred darters. The closest I heard was BT Darters breeding of Johnny darters where the few eggs that survived and hatched lead to fry that wouldn't eat.
Yes, people have bred darters... like Bruce said, has been done on a large scale... but also Michigan NANFAn Bob Muller has bred several darters and written some nice American Currents articles on his techniques... and I am glad to see Ken chime in here with his experience... he has captive bred darters (several species)... and Ken needs to write that up as an AC article also...
#10 Guest_EricaWieser_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:24 PM
You bred darters so much that you were able to use them as feeders? What? I want to read an AC article on your breeding setup too. Or a topic on this forum.... dozens of Fantails and Johnnies raised and culled out to use as food for the sunfish community tank.
Edited by EricaWieser, 18 February 2012 - 10:31 PM.
#11 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:41 PM
#12 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:51 PM
Yes, people have bred darters... like Bruce said, has been done on a large scale... but also Michigan NANFAn Bob Muller has bred several darters and written some nice American Currents articles on his techniques... and I am glad to see Ken chime in here with his experience... he has captive bred darters (several species)... and Ken needs to write that up as an AC article also...
Does that count as a Fish In Focus???
#13
Posted 19 February 2012 - 12:05 AM
Does that count as a Fish In Focus???
Sure! Sharing about a fish is all it takes... and everyone wants to know about your breeding successes.
#14 Guest_SDC010_*
Posted 19 February 2012 - 10:45 AM
#15 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 19 February 2012 - 02:41 PM
Percina are more difficult to sex when not in breeding condition or not adults. That's why I was asking. Since I don't have Slenderheads yet I will tell you what I look for in males. Territorial combating, dorsal and/or body coloration becoming more intense, and in the case of my Blackbanded they have a thicker body are much larger than the females. This isn't fool proof and again this much more noticable during preperation for breeding. Here is a website I found that can help you a bit more. http://www.dnr.state...spx?tabid=21823i have two full grown (about 3 or 3 and a half inches long), and two juvenile(about 1 and a half inches). how would i be able to sex the slenderheads?
#16 Guest_Ken_*
Posted 19 February 2012 - 03:25 PM
Correction.... the blackbandeds did eat all of the minnows I gave them..I reduce the feeding during the chilled period to three times a week and as a general rule at @ half the volume of food. Usually they stay under or near their rocks during the coldest temps only to hit the food as it passes if at all. I hate generalizing feeding because I have quite a variety of darters (each in their own tanks) and some darters will eat different foods if offered. For example, I went to the creek today and got quite a few small minnows, 1 water boatman and 1 gammarus (which is what I really wanted). I brought them home and put some of the minnows in a few tanks. Tank temps are at mid forties. Anyway, my Piedmonts were having a feast, but the three other tanks (blackbanded, logperch and varigated) not so much. When I add bloodworms at this temp. most of them come out to eat though not so much the redlined and banded darters which surpises me since bandeds are northern and used to colder temps. I adjust the amount of bloodworms I add to each tank. It works for me anyway. since I've been keeping /breeding darters I've only lost 8 not counting the dozens of Fantails and Johnnies raised and culled out to use as food for the sunfish community tank.
#17 Guest_AndrewMeiborg_*
Posted 19 February 2012 - 05:45 PM
#18 Guest_GreatLakesAquatics_*
Posted 05 July 2012 - 06:56 PM
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