Hello NANFA! My name is Izzy. I've been keeping fish since 2007. I started with a 55 gallon fancy goldfish tank and gained a Betta splendens tank when I went to college. There I gained my love of the NA natives. I attended the fisheries science program at Virginia Tech and fell in love with Virginia's natives. Right now I simply don't have the room to house the native fish that I would like. But I love reading and talking about NA natives; it's something you don't get on most tropical fish forums. I'm eager to learn from everyone here!
Hello from southern Virginia
Started by
Guest_thekoimaiden_*
, Aug 22 2012 02:52 AM
14 replies to this topic
#3
Guest_Kanus_*
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Posted 22 August 2012 - 11:18 AM
Welcome to NANFA! I just moved to Blacksburg about two weeks ago in hopes of making it into the VT Fisheries Graduate program and/or working with VDGIF(I've been a volunteer the last two years). I actually made it out yesterday to collect my first fish to restock my tanks after moving. Got loads of crescent shiners (I already love it here!) and am looking forward to doing a lot more exploring. If you'd ever like to come out collecting let me know, I don't know anyone here and need to find some fish buddies!
#4
Guest_thekoimaiden_*
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Posted 22 August 2012 - 12:20 PM
If there was ever a place to find a fellow VT fisheries person, this forum would be the place! The VT grad program is an amazing program. I wish they would let their undergrads back in. I hope you get in, Derek. Great people and a lot more fun than school should be.
Right now I'm down near the NC/VA border (its where I have a job), but when I get up to Blacksburg, it would be great to go collecting with you. I miss the area. I forgot that the only natives I do have were collected at the VT Duckpond. I netted out some Mosquitofish (Gambusia spp) for a small tank I had in my apartment. Their descendants are still in my koi pond.
If you can get over to the CATT USFS office on the VT campus, they have a 120 gal native tank in their office. Last I recall it is full of shiners, chubs, and dace. I took care of it for a few months when I worked for them. And I think one of the PhD students who has his office out there has a tank, too.
Right now I'm down near the NC/VA border (its where I have a job), but when I get up to Blacksburg, it would be great to go collecting with you. I miss the area. I forgot that the only natives I do have were collected at the VT Duckpond. I netted out some Mosquitofish (Gambusia spp) for a small tank I had in my apartment. Their descendants are still in my koi pond.
If you can get over to the CATT USFS office on the VT campus, they have a 120 gal native tank in their office. Last I recall it is full of shiners, chubs, and dace. I took care of it for a few months when I worked for them. And I think one of the PhD students who has his office out there has a tank, too.
#5
Guest_sbtgrfan_*
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Posted 22 August 2012 - 02:53 PM
Welcome!
I just got done working for CATT at VT. I worked with the USFS conducting AOP (Road/Stream crossing) Surveys in Georgia and Missouri. Also helped them with some fish & eel shocking throughout the southeast. Their tank in the fish lab is really cool, I can vouch for that. It was actually just recently cleaned and restocked this summer by some members of the crew I was working with. I can't remember exactly what species they have in there, but as you said, they've got a variety of shiners and dace as well as some darters. All collected just down the road from VT's campus. It's a neat looking tank.
I just got done working for CATT at VT. I worked with the USFS conducting AOP (Road/Stream crossing) Surveys in Georgia and Missouri. Also helped them with some fish & eel shocking throughout the southeast. Their tank in the fish lab is really cool, I can vouch for that. It was actually just recently cleaned and restocked this summer by some members of the crew I was working with. I can't remember exactly what species they have in there, but as you said, they've got a variety of shiners and dace as well as some darters. All collected just down the road from VT's campus. It's a neat looking tank.
#7
Guest_thekoimaiden_*
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Posted 22 August 2012 - 09:08 PM
Haha! Not really too shocked to see a lot of fisheries people here. Great to know I'm in good company. Nice to meet you John and Stephen. I love how many people from VA seem to be here. It's a rarity on some of the other fishkeeping sites I frequent.
I worked for CATT in summer 2010. I was in the Ozarks. We were doing BVET and stream inventory. There was a natural gas company that wanted to drill and needed a baseline. Really awesome (but brutally hot). It's also where I found my love for the redfin darter. One of the guys I work with said they did well in aquariums, and ever since then I've been wanting to try them in a tank (I just wish I wasn't filled to capacity now). A buddy of mine from VT worked culverts that year, too. From what I heard him say, I'm glad I didn't! But I would have liked to shock eels.
It's great to know that tank has been restocked! I'll have to get over there and have a look at it when I'm in the area. I love that tank.
EDIT: Quick question. What exactly do you guys mean when you say "go collecting"? Is it to get specimens for your tanks? Or just to sample the local streams and rivers?
I worked for CATT in summer 2010. I was in the Ozarks. We were doing BVET and stream inventory. There was a natural gas company that wanted to drill and needed a baseline. Really awesome (but brutally hot). It's also where I found my love for the redfin darter. One of the guys I work with said they did well in aquariums, and ever since then I've been wanting to try them in a tank (I just wish I wasn't filled to capacity now). A buddy of mine from VT worked culverts that year, too. From what I heard him say, I'm glad I didn't! But I would have liked to shock eels.
It's great to know that tank has been restocked! I'll have to get over there and have a look at it when I'm in the area. I love that tank.
EDIT: Quick question. What exactly do you guys mean when you say "go collecting"? Is it to get specimens for your tanks? Or just to sample the local streams and rivers?
Edited by thekoimaiden, 22 August 2012 - 09:47 PM.
#8
Michael Wolfe
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 22 August 2012 - 10:27 PM
Well I may not be one of the "guys" you were really talking to but Iam going to answer with a general answer... it can mean either. In fact it is a vrey good question and some years ago we tried to change our terminilogy and say "sampling" to indicate that we were not always collecting things to take home... but the language never totally stuck.
But yes, sometimes we are obtaining fish to take home (where appropriate, legal, etc) and sometimes we are obtaining pictures of fish and sometimes we are just swimming with the fish... look around here on the forum at the trip reports seciton and the trip sentions by region and yo uwill see some of all those kinds of trips.
I will say that this is not a good time of year to obtain fish to take home to aquaria... especially in the south... the water is hot and the fish are stressed and you will have a much easier time getting fish home healthy if you wait until the fall.
But yes, sometimes we are obtaining fish to take home (where appropriate, legal, etc) and sometimes we are obtaining pictures of fish and sometimes we are just swimming with the fish... look around here on the forum at the trip reports seciton and the trip sentions by region and yo uwill see some of all those kinds of trips.
I will say that this is not a good time of year to obtain fish to take home to aquaria... especially in the south... the water is hot and the fish are stressed and you will have a much easier time getting fish home healthy if you wait until the fall.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#9
Guest_thekoimaiden_*
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Posted 22 August 2012 - 11:54 PM
Thank you, Michael. I do like the suggestion of a change of terms; it's a shame it didn't stick. The reason I ask this is that last spring I did a little sampling myself. There is an unnamed trib in my backyard, and I wanted to see what was in it. Glad to know I'm not the only one who wants to do that. Unfortunately, the only results I have to show are some grainy pictures on my phone and a spreadsheet of the species I collected.
I have no intention of collecting fish right now. Sadly I have no tank room, but I will probably head back down to the stream in the fall again to get some better pictures!
I have no intention of collecting fish right now. Sadly I have no tank room, but I will probably head back down to the stream in the fall again to get some better pictures!
#10
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 23 August 2012 - 08:20 AM
Check out some of the other threads. Trip reports and such and you can see what others are doing underwater. I have a thread out there for a DIY photo tank also.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#11
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 23 August 2012 - 09:56 AM
Welcome Izzy -- one of NANFA's greatest assets is our focus on bridging the gaps between hobbyists, scientists, and conservation folks. We get aquarium hobbyists and fishing enthusiasts connected with agency and university folks to help out with research and conservation projects. The sciencey people learn that dedicated amateurs can be useful allies, and hobbyists learn that agencies and scientists have other missions in life than just making rules to restrict personal freedom.
On Sept 13 (Thu) I'm doing a "Fish-Watching in the Carolinas" talk for the Guilford Co Audubon Soc in Greensboro (at Kathleen Edwards Branch Library) followed by a Sunday afternoon (Sep 16) fish-watching, seining & photography trip to a nearby creek (Cape Fear basin) in case you'd like come for either/both events.
On Sept 13 (Thu) I'm doing a "Fish-Watching in the Carolinas" talk for the Guilford Co Audubon Soc in Greensboro (at Kathleen Edwards Branch Library) followed by a Sunday afternoon (Sep 16) fish-watching, seining & photography trip to a nearby creek (Cape Fear basin) in case you'd like come for either/both events.
#12
Guest_sbtgrfan_*
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Posted 23 August 2012 - 11:39 AM
Haha! Not really too shocked to see a lot of fisheries people here. Great to know I'm in good company. Nice to meet you John and Stephen. I love how many people from VA seem to be here. It's a rarity on some of the other fishkeeping sites I frequent.
I worked for CATT in summer 2010. I was in the Ozarks. We were doing BVET and stream inventory. There was a natural gas company that wanted to drill and needed a baseline. Really awesome (but brutally hot). It's also where I found my love for the redfin darter. One of the guys I work with said they did well in aquariums, and ever since then I've been wanting to try them in a tank (I just wish I wasn't filled to capacity now). A buddy of mine from VT worked culverts that year, too. From what I heard him say, I'm glad I didn't! But I would have liked to shock eels.
It's great to know that tank has been restocked! I'll have to get over there and have a look at it when I'm in the area. I love that tank.
EDIT: Quick question. What exactly do you guys mean when you say "go collecting"? Is it to get specimens for your tanks? Or just to sample the local streams and rivers?
I'm actually not from VA. I'm in SC, but I got the job up there in Blacksburg with them for the summer.The culverts weren't too bad. Would have been a lot worse had their actually been water. Since we worked in Missouri most of the time this summer, there was hardly any water at all, even in the major streams and tribs. As I'm sure a lot of people that live out there know, the drought is doing some major damage. When we saw water, it was almost always just isolated pools and in those pools were just hundreds and thousands of fish crammed together. I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do. Without rain, they'd be dead within a week.
The sampling I helped with for CATT was for some grad students mainly, but the eel shocking is an annual sample for them. It's really cool. Eels are a pain to net because they are hardly phased by a shocker even when cranked up. Once we got them netted, we tagged them or looked for previous tags. I believe the oldest eel we found this year set a record for them, and it was first tagged by them almost 12 years ago and it was caught in the same area back then that it was caught in this summer. It hadn't been caught between the first tag and this past capture within those 12 years. I thought that was really cool.
At some point I plan to get back up there. I've got a VA fishing license I bought this summer that expires next summer, and I need to take advantage of it!
#13
Guest_jblaylock_*
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Posted 23 August 2012 - 12:53 PM
Hey!! I was born in VA (wise), can I be one of the guys, lol? But seriously, you guys are lucky in that VA (and for me in KY) are open to 'collecting' and keeping native fish at home. I actually love VA's laws and how they are stated. I usually collect a couple times a year in southwest VA. Maybe we should all plan a trip!
#15
Guest_thekoimaiden_*
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Posted 24 August 2012 - 01:37 AM
Gerald, I would love to come to those events, but I'm working all day on the 13th and the 16th is my boyfriend's birthday. It seems like a lot of stuff is scheduled for that week in general. Everyone wants a piece of me.
Stephen, that's sad about those fish you saw this summer. That drought hit everyone hard. We're still behind on rainfall here. I did hear some funny stories about shocking the eels from the guys who went in 2010. When they start wriggling, they'd have to shock them again.
I actually knew about this forum a year or so back. I'm kicking myself in the butt for not signing up sooner and going to the convention in Roanoke. It is literally 45 minutes down the road from VT. I'd be up for a trip in southern VA some time this fall, tho.
Stephen, that's sad about those fish you saw this summer. That drought hit everyone hard. We're still behind on rainfall here. I did hear some funny stories about shocking the eels from the guys who went in 2010. When they start wriggling, they'd have to shock them again.
I actually knew about this forum a year or so back. I'm kicking myself in the butt for not signing up sooner and going to the convention in Roanoke. It is literally 45 minutes down the road from VT. I'd be up for a trip in southern VA some time this fall, tho.
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