Hey, I live in the st. louis area and am wondering what I can do with a 40 gallon breeder. Im new to native fishes so any advice would be accepted.
40 gallon breeder
Started by
Guest_fishfriend_*
, Sep 20 2013 04:30 PM
9 replies to this topic
#2
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 20 September 2013 - 05:04 PM
I'm assuming it is 36 x 18 x 12 or so deep.
I have several if these tanks and they make great darter stream tanks!
I have several if these tanks and they make great darter stream tanks!
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#4
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 21 September 2013 - 11:38 AM
Yes, it you put your HOB filter on one of the ends... and add a powerhead or watermover on that same end, but towards the front... this create a high flow area in the front and the width of the tank allows the water to sort of naturally circulate across the front and around and the back on the back side of the tank. Some structure in the middle of the tank enhances this further and creates a slack area on the far back side of the tank where fish will move to and from as they choose the best current for them at a particular time.
I loose a few shiners or larger fish from these tanks as jumpers because the relatively shallow depth, but for darters they are great.
I loose a few shiners or larger fish from these tanks as jumpers because the relatively shallow depth, but for darters they are great.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#5
Guest_EricaLyons_*
Guest_EricaLyons_*
-
- Guests
Posted 22 September 2013 - 08:26 PM
Or you could put pygmy sunfish in there. I kept a pygmy sunfish colony going in my 55 gallon tank for a few years.
I recommend hornwort, also known as coontail, and usually taxonomically called ceratophyllum demersum. The babies survived a lot better when the plants smacked the adults in the face if they tried to chase after them. It's named hornwort because it's painfully spiky.
I recommend hornwort, also known as coontail, and usually taxonomically called ceratophyllum demersum. The babies survived a lot better when the plants smacked the adults in the face if they tried to chase after them. It's named hornwort because it's painfully spiky.
#7
Guest_EricaLyons_*
Guest_EricaLyons_*
-
- Guests
Posted 22 September 2013 - 09:14 PM
someone had to mention them 
I do really love darters, too. A 40 long is an excellent space for them.
There's also topminnows, orangespotted and blackbanded sunfish, heterandria formosa, mosquitofish, leptolucania ommatta, the native killies. Forty gallons long like that gives you a lot of options. A lot of those, like the heterandria formosa and I think topminnows, right?, will accept flake food. My pygmy sunfish never have. Darters can I guess technically but mine I think subsisted on snails.
I do really love darters, too. A 40 long is an excellent space for them.
There's also topminnows, orangespotted and blackbanded sunfish, heterandria formosa, mosquitofish, leptolucania ommatta, the native killies. Forty gallons long like that gives you a lot of options. A lot of those, like the heterandria formosa and I think topminnows, right?, will accept flake food. My pygmy sunfish never have. Darters can I guess technically but mine I think subsisted on snails.
#8
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 22 September 2013 - 09:23 PM
Yes, topminnows do very well on flake. And my ommatta will eat it also... but only the better stuff... cyclopeeze or earthworm flake... not regular...
And my brown darter thrive on flake... and I have had swamp darters that also lived for years on mostly flakes.
And my brown darter thrive on flake... and I have had swamp darters that also lived for years on mostly flakes.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#9
Guest_swampfish_*
Guest_swampfish_*
-
- Guests
Posted 24 September 2013 - 09:50 AM
A good option in your area would be to visit the Merrimac River SW of St. Louis and collect some bleeding shiners. They did well for me in a 20 gallon long many years ago. They don't need a current in the tank, but would appreciate it considering where they live. The same collecting trip should yield black-spotted topminnows, black-striped topminnows, and/or northern starhead topminnows in slow-current areas or nearby ponds or roadside ditches. Any of these will be good tank mates for the bleeding shiners but will prefer the calmer water of a typical aquarium. I have found all of these fish to be easy keepers. Phil Nixon
Reply to this topic
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
NANFA Youtube Channel 
