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#1 Slavo

Slavo
  • NANFA Guest
  • North Arlington, New Jersey

Posted 16 July 2015 - 01:55 PM

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm new to the NANFA Forum. I've been keeping fish since childhood and have been in the planted tank/aquascaping scene for about 3 years.

 

I'm currently a member of Aquarium Advice and a member/chairman of NJAGC (New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club).

 

I have never kept native fish before, but of late (past year) have been very interested in keeping Elassoma gilberti.

 

I have since contacted an online retailer where I will most likely be purchasing them, along with Heterandria Formosa.



#2 loopsnj64

loopsnj64
  • NANFA Guest

Posted 16 July 2015 - 03:42 PM

Welcome to the forum, I can tell you that Elassoma gilberti and Heterandria Formosa are like tropical fish in almost every aspect (with the exception of the no-heater rule), actually, now that i think about it, unless your keeping far-north cold water species (sculpin, trout etc.), most natives can be kept like, or even with, tropical fish (assuming the tropicals tolerate room temp)

 

You are probably aware of this but I'm just going to warn you that Blackbanded, Bluespotted, Banded and Mud Sunfish cannot be collected or possessed in NJ, i was going to collect them but found this out at the last minute.

 

Well if you prepare correctly, collecting wild fish can be just as, or heck, far more rewarding then buying fish, best equipment to use would be a 10-foot seine, a dip net and waders


Edited by loopsnj64, 16 July 2015 - 03:44 PM.

"All good things must come to an end, but bad things think thats rather dull, so they stick around long after their natural end has come"

-From an art book I read


#3 mattknepley

mattknepley
  • NANFA Member
  • Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 16 July 2015 - 08:03 PM

Welcome aboard, Slavo!

You are in some kind of luck in regards to E. gilberti intel. We had a member who was just gaga over them and did several posts regarding them. She hasn't been active for a year or so now, but if you haven't already found her stuff, use the forum search tool. Also, in case you haven't seen it; she did a really good piece on them that you can find in our Fish in Focus section of the main NANFA webpage. Here's a link just to make it easy... http://nanfa.org/fif/Egilberti.shtml

Collecting your own fish is fun, but as E. gilberti aren't in NJ, ordering them is probably the most practical.

We've got some big Elassoma fans here; hopefully they'll chime in soon.
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#4 Slavo

Slavo
  • NANFA Guest
  • North Arlington, New Jersey

Posted 17 July 2015 - 08:21 AM

Thank you loopsnj64, more than likely they (E. gilbert and H. Formosa) will be kept in their own "native" tank.

 

Although, I am considering adding them to a 20L shrimp/community tank I'll be setting up.

 

I actually did not know about those banned species, thanks for the heads up.

 

I may be planning a collecting trip for the NJAGC, so I appreciate the incite.



#5 Slavo

Slavo
  • NANFA Guest
  • North Arlington, New Jersey

Posted 17 July 2015 - 08:24 AM

Thank you mattknepley for the welcome and for linking that thread, I'll be sure to read it.

 

Yes, I have heard/read that E. gilbert are not native to NJ, so buying them is what I'll be doing.



#6 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 17 July 2015 - 10:34 AM

You might be able to finagle a scientific/educational collecting permit for leading club field trips if you approach the fish & game folks right.  You'll have to release any protected species of course, but a sci/edu permit will at least let you capture and photograph, and avoiding embarrassing situations with fish & game agents -- the last thing you want when leading a public field trip.  Check with Bob Hicks or Ray Wetzel at the North Jersey Aq Soc.  Also,  I might have some spare gilberti fry if your other source doesn't pan out.  Mine are from the Tallahassee / Wakulla area, captive bred for ~ 15 yrs.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel




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