All my natives are doing very well. But I was wondering if I put some red cherry shrimp in my swamp darter tank, would the darters eat the newborn shrimp, and if so would it be OK for them. I was thinking they might provide another source of live food for them. They currently get live grindel worms and black worms, frozen blood worms and mysis shrimp, and decapped brine shrimp eggs. I have had them a year this month and they are still going great. I've even seen spawning activity but no eggs or fry.
Thanks,
Swamp darters and red cherry shrimp
Started by
Guest_Richard_*
, Mar 12 2013 05:27 PM
7 replies to this topic
#2
mattknepley
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- NANFA Member
- Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.
Posted 12 March 2013 - 06:36 PM
Glad to hear your natives are doing well, Richard! I can't say authoritatively, that your darters will eat them, but my Swampie has a very simple eating philosophy: if it's smaller than him and moves he'll eat it. It doesn't matter if it moves on it's own or if it's the current pushing it along. I don't know a thing about cherry shrimp, however, so I can't vouch for their safe consumption. At any rate, they've got a good and varied diet. How big are the mysis shrimp? If they are what I'm thinking they are, they'd be a little big for my swamp darter. Maybe they come in smaller sizes than what I've seen. Compared to the other foods, how do the darters like them?
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#3
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 12 March 2013 - 06:54 PM
Yes, I have seen full grown darters attach full sized feeder ghost shrimp... and if they catch them (and they do sometimes)... they shake there heads like crazy until the shrimp comes apart and they can eat both halves. Cherry shrimp young would be a tastey treat and the adults are in danger. Swamps are not the biggest darter, not like a big bluebreast or a yoke darter... but they still will hunt. Darters are cute and pretty, but micro predators and good at it (at their own scale).
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#4
Guest_keepnatives_*
Guest_keepnatives_*
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- Guests
Posted 12 March 2013 - 08:34 PM
This smacks of terrorism it's bad enough to hunt them down but to then attach the biggest ones (I guess they tie them to drift wood?) then occasionally catch one and in a mad frenzy detach it into pieces in front of the ones still attached and consume the pieces. That's just cruel!Yes, I have seen full grown darters attach full sized feeder ghost shrimp... and if they catch them (and they do sometimes)... they shake there heads like crazy until the shrimp comes apart and they can eat both halves.
#5
Guest_Skipjack_*
Guest_Skipjack_*
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- Guests
Posted 12 March 2013 - 08:56 PM
LOL! Yes darters are good with a rope. Please do not allow them access to cable ties!
#6
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 12 March 2013 - 09:08 PM
that's twice today, I am really going to have to slow down and spell correctly 
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_gzeiger_*
Guest_gzeiger_*
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Posted 13 March 2013 - 11:11 PM
My bluegills liked to do something like that with crayfish - grab them by the tail and swim into the glass until it broke apart.
#8
Guest_Richard_*
Guest_Richard_*
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- Guests
Posted 15 March 2013 - 02:52 PM
Thanks everyone. Sorry I couldn't get back here until today.
Matt - they like the mysis shrimp, which I would say are between 5 mm and 7 mm. The seem to swallow them about half way so part is sticking out of their mouths, pause, then take in the rest. Their favorite food is grindel worms followed by frozen blood worms. And they like brine shrimp eggs now that they know they are food. My H. formosas even eat the mysis though they do so by picking and tearing at them until the come apart,
And thanks, Michael - I think I am going to try them (the cherry shrimp). There are six darters in the tank, all about 2inches, maybe a touch more.
Matt - they like the mysis shrimp, which I would say are between 5 mm and 7 mm. The seem to swallow them about half way so part is sticking out of their mouths, pause, then take in the rest. Their favorite food is grindel worms followed by frozen blood worms. And they like brine shrimp eggs now that they know they are food. My H. formosas even eat the mysis though they do so by picking and tearing at them until the come apart,
And thanks, Michael - I think I am going to try them (the cherry shrimp). There are six darters in the tank, all about 2inches, maybe a touch more.
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