24 replies to this topic

[fishlvr]

So the past few times I've been out have been pretty entertaining. The first time this year, I went to a little creek up the road from my apartment to see what I could find. Not much in the way of fish (Gambusia, Heterandria, and bass); however there was an abundance of yellowbellied sliders, common snappers, and more fishing spiders than I have ever seen in one spot. I scooped through some parrots feather and got a mosquitofish and a fishing spider, and he jumped down, grabbed the fish and ran out of my net! I proceeded up the creek and found what looked like maybe a beaver dam?

My next outing I went to what is called the Little Black Creek. Although not really little, it is indeed very black. There I found Gambusia, Heterandria, and banded sunfish, but my trip was cut a little short when a group of high school kids decided they wanted to go tubing.

Finally, yesterdays trip I went to Sterling Creek, which produced bluespotted sunfish, Everglades pygmies, pirate perch, eastern mudminnows, mud sunfish, grass pickerel, and a fairly large leech that got my arm while dipnetting. I didn't catch any pickerel, but I saw one dart out of a clump of bladderwort and snag him a Gambusia. I also had a pretty interesting collecting partner that hung out with me the entire time.

Turtle eating duckweed


Possible dam?


Water hyacinth growing in mud


My collecting partner

[Matt DeLaVega]

I would raise the odds to definite beaver dam. How long was your fishing buddy? Looks small enough to not be too intimidating.

[fishlvr]

He was maybe 3 feet. May have been a tad more. He just sat there watching me for a good 2 and a half hours.

[Michael Wolfe]

Sounds like some nice trips Steve.  I love seeing people appreciating their local stuff.  Mud minnows and mud sunfish are some that I dont see often.

[fishlvr]

Yeah I never caught any until I got down here Michael. I may put a pair in my tub and see if I get some young. I've always loved their resemblance to bowfin. I've always wanted mud sunnies as well but currently don't have the space for any.

[fishlvr]

And this from today... nice group of redbreast nests.

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[Michael Wolfe]

Thanks a cool shot... 

 

And as far as mud minnows, I think gerald has broke the code on breeding... it seems to be plants and neglect (Just kidding gerald).  

[fishlvr]

I may have to talk to him. I've just been indecisive lately. I can't decide between the mudminnows or Enneacanthus, or if I want to keep it a "pygmy" tub and add Elassoma and L. ommata with nothing larger.

[loopsnj64]

I may have to talk to him. I've just been indecisive lately. I can't decide between the mudminnows or Enneacanthus, or if I want to keep it a "pygmy" tub and add Elassoma and L. ommata with nothing larger.

 

 

Well, considering the tank size, why not both?, they come from similar habitats and are nonaggressive, so i see absolutely no problems keeping theme together, if there is room in the tank/tub, i would suggest a pirate perch, i do not know how to care for them, but pirate perch are another small nonaggressive fish from that kind of habitat

[Michael Wolfe]

... pirate perch are another small nonaggressive fish from that kind of habitat

I dont think that word means what you think it means...

[fishlvr]

 
 
Well, considering the tank size, why not both?, they come from similar habitats and are nonaggressive, so i see absolutely no problems keeping theme together, if there is room in the tank/tub, i would suggest a pirate perch, i do not know how to care for them, but pirate perch are another small nonaggressive fish from that kind of habitat

There wouldn't be a problem keeping maybe Enneacanthus and mudminnows together, or even a couple other species. However, the idea is to come out with at least a few offspring of the species I keep in the tub. With multiple larger fish that would be near impossible, at least in a tub this small. with just a pair of banded sunfish or mudminnows though, there wouldn't be as much threat to the offspring.

[gerald]

NIce thing about mudminnows is they do fine all year-round in a 10" deep wading pool on my driveway, and they're too invisible to attract herons or raccoons.  I'm not sure Enneacanthus would make it through the winter in Raleigh like that, without a partially buried pool.  (But in Savannah they probably would).  I do have a 2nd generation of mudminnows growing now, offspring of the ones I posted about in 2013.  They take 2 yrs to mature.  Dense plants and neglect is about right.   I do feed them blackworms, Daphnia, and skeeters ... when I happen to remember.

[fishlvr]

Gerald - I might have to try that it seems easy enough haha. I'll probably wait on having mudminnows till I can get a kiddie pool. That way I can have a bigger area for more babies.

Continuing the thread, todays trip was pretty awesome. I went to the same place where the kids went tubing and the creek has dried up a significant amount. I found redfin pickerel by the dozens, a few bluespotted sunnies, Elassoma zonatum, pirate perch, an unknown darter, unknown topminnow, and two things I've wanted to have in my collection - swampfish and a dwarf siren! I also found a very small gar and a couple of snakes as well. There were several crayfish and some type of ghost shrimp in every dip of my net as well. Very exciting day! The broadbanded water snake was clearly gravid and about to drop, which I found pretty cool.

The swampfish excited me to the point I've decided to turn my tub into a "mini swamp" with the swampfish, Elassoma evergladei (from a different location), Heterandria, swamp darters and pygmy killies (if I can find either of them), and maybe a couple pirate perch if they won't devour everything else.

Sorry about the sideways pics. I can get them to turn.

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[gerald]

The pirate perch probably WILL devour everything else that's not bigger than he is.  They look dumb and clunky but are very effective nighttime ambush predators.  The darter is a swamp (fusiforme) and topminnow is a lined (lineolatus).  Are you sure about the dwarf siren?  Nice green snake!  Maybe you'll catch  a black swamp snake sometime - that's one I'd love to see in the wild some day (along with rainbow and mud snake of course).

[fishlvr]

Ok I'll avoid the pirate perch then. I may remove the Heterandria to as I'm sure they'll pick off any fry I get from the other species. I had no idea that was a swamp darter. I always thought their markings weren't that prominent. As far as the siren, I'm 100% sure it's a siren, and about 90% sure it's a dwarf. It's possible it could be a lesser. I'll have to re-count toes later. As far as snakes, swamp snakes have always been at the top of my list, along with pygmy rattlers! Maybe I'll find one or the other soon, or maybe even both!

[loopsnj64]

Oh lol sorry i didn't think through about the fact that the pirate perch is an ambush predator did i?

[fishlvr]

Counted toes on the siren again today. 4 toes = lesser siren. Not a dwarf like I was hoping but still a cool salamander. I finally got to see one in person and hopefully it'll stay with me for a while.

[mattknepley]

Look like some really neat trips. Love those swampfish. Have fun with your swamp pond.

[fishlvr]

I'm tring to. I can't seem to get any Elassoma home without them getting the fuzz.

[littlen]

I'm sure the (early) summer heat and increased pathogen loads this time of year are not in your favor.  Try adding a little salt, and even cooling the water slowly several degrees before moving them home.  Just a thought.  The big, fancy, colored up males may already be on their last days of summer and are being pushed to the max fighting/displaying/mating.  So through no fault of your own the capture and transport home may easily push them over the edge.  

 

Are you finding any juveniles or subadults?  

Keeping your tank at home on low level salt could help prevent any fungal infections while they adjust to life in captivity.  While your plants wouldn't like that, you could make a bunch of yarn mops that they could hide in.