I have 3 species of darters, the Banded Darter- Etheostoma zonale, Tesselated Darter- Etheostoma olmstedi and Orange throated darter- Etheostoma spectabile. I was wondering what everyones favorite darter was & why? My Banded darters seem to have the most personality. When I get close to the tank when not feeding, The others will come close to take a look. But the banded's will swim up the glass and look at you straight on, face to face rather then just laying there and glancing over like the other 2 species, always slightly poised to flee should they feel the need to.
Most Personable Darter? Favorite darter?
Started by
Guest_exasperatus2002_*
, Oct 05 2012 11:06 AM
12 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 05 October 2012 - 02:46 PM
Frecklebelly is the hands down most personable darter.
#3
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 05 October 2012 - 02:52 PM
Big logperch will want to be your best friend once they figure out how you operate.
#4
Guest_jblaylock_*
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Posted 05 October 2012 - 03:34 PM
I would say the Banded. I've had mixed results with Frecklebellys, some are personable, but others can be territorial. At one time or another I've kept a big variety of Darters, each can have a unique personality, but overall the Bandeds are like little puppydogs.
#5
Guest_Casper_*
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Posted 07 October 2012 - 06:14 PM
Hard to say which Darter is my favorite, Tangerines? but easy to say all Darters have personality. The way they look out, move their eyes and hop dart swim about. I did note that the Bandeds this weekend quickly approached the front of the tank, looking out at those looking in. Some Darters are easy to approach while snorkeling and camera in hand, others can be very skittish... Greensides come to mind, but then not always. Conditions always change... and seasons and situations.
Bruce notes the Logperch are friendly but i had one that was a nervous, skittish wreck, never tamed nor calmed.
Personality, all unique.
Provide a proper habitat and you will be soon awarded an interesting show.
Bruce notes the Logperch are friendly but i had one that was a nervous, skittish wreck, never tamed nor calmed.
Personality, all unique.
Provide a proper habitat and you will be soon awarded an interesting show.
#6
littlen
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- NANFA Member
- Washington, D.C.
Posted 09 October 2012 - 11:08 AM
For those that have seen the picture I posted of my new tatt, it's safe to say that Redlines are my favorite. I've just had really good luck with my males staying relatively colored up all year long. And with our native stream fish, that is somewhat of a big deal...to me anyways. It's hard to say exactly why I like them the most as I'll admit that other species can get even more colorful and are certainly more bold. But there is just something about them that draws me to them. Every time I net one up, I certainly get the feeling each time as I did when I caught my first (cue: Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time").
But I have to agree with Casper on why darters in general, are my favorite group of fish. And I have heard of Logperch eating right out of peoples hands!
But I have to agree with Casper on why darters in general, are my favorite group of fish. And I have heard of Logperch eating right out of peoples hands!
Nick L.
#7
Guest_steve_*
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Posted 11 October 2012 - 10:58 AM
I love my greensides. well, I love all my darters, but those big eyes and personalities on the greensides really get me. The only downside is that they tend to be a little harder on the snail population in my tank than the rest of them, but even with that, greensides might well be my favorite.
#8
Guest_goenfishen88_*
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Posted 24 October 2012 - 02:52 PM
logperch, for me. followed by greensides.
#9
Guest_exasperatus2002_*
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Posted 25 October 2012 - 07:33 AM
I love my greensides. well, I love all my darters, but those big eyes and personalities on the greensides really get me. The only downside is that they tend to be a little harder on the snail population in my tank than the rest of them, but even with that, greensides might well be my favorite.
I also have a mts problem in my tank. Think a few green sides will take care of it?
#10
Guest_Kanus_*
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Posted 25 October 2012 - 11:27 AM
They absolutely will! Either that or a Cutlips minnow. Both of them have decimated MTS in my tanks in the past (though I wasn't so happy about it though, I don't understand how MTS can be a problem)
#11
Guest_exasperatus2002_*
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Posted 26 October 2012 - 10:12 AM
They absolutely will! Either that or a Cutlips minnow. Both of them have decimated MTS in my tanks in the past (though I wasn't so happy about it though, I don't understand how MTS can be a problem)
It's bad. The sides of the tank are covered in snails when the lights go out. If a Fish dies (daughters tank lost a few danios that got hunch backed) They literally disappear over night. No remnants in filter intake. I kind of think if I skip a feeding that they ambush the fish at night in her tank. I've had no disappearing acts in my tank but I want to reduce the bioload. Got way to many snails. If I poisoned the tank (copper based meds) then the tanks would crash from all the rotting snails.Her tank is to small for clown loaches (10 gallon) and my tank is the native tank so even though its big enough (55 gallon), its to cold for clowns.
Edited by exasperatus2002, 26 October 2012 - 10:17 AM.
#12
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 26 October 2012 - 11:23 AM
I want to reduce the bioload.
You are getting close to a root cause here... but then you say you want to reduce bioload by adding a fish to the tank??!?
Snails are almost never the problem... they are more likely to be a symptom. Why are the adults reproducing? What are the one day old snails eating. Sounds like you have too many nutrients i this tank already. I mean all the energy that it takes to make snails has to be coming from somewhere (we are beyond spontaneous generation for everything except flagfish in my back yard, but that is another story).
I would suggest that you reduce the energy input to the tank (most fish can go several days without added food by you)... and manually remove as many snails as you can, every day for a week (throw them into any other tank with darters or sunfish)... and see if you cant balance this out at a lower level of bioload, instead of just turning snail mass+energy into greenside darter mass+energy.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#13
Guest_schambers_*
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Posted 26 October 2012 - 02:38 PM
Simple answer = feed less. The snails are eating what the fish don't. Less excess food = fewer snails.
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