10 replies to this topic

[Joshaeus]

This is exactly what it sounds like...what are some good Maine natives for a smallish water garden, about 20 gallons in volume? I already know of fathead minnows and swamp darters (the latter of which are not an option because they are protected here), but what are some other small maine fishes that would work well?

[Michael Wolfe]

Here are your choices that you are allowed to take with a bait dealers license... that looks very reasonablely priced to me.

 

http://www.maine.gov...aitrestrictions

Live Bait Restrictions. The following are legal baitfish for fishing: Smelt, Lake chub, Eastern silvery minnow, Golden shiner, Emerald shiner, Bridle shiner, Common shiner, Blacknose shiner, Spottail shiner, Northern redbelly dace, Finescale dace, Fathead minnow, Blacknose dace, Longnose dace, Creek chub, Fallfish, Pearl dace, Banded killifish, Mummichog, Longnose sucker, White sucker, Creek chubsucker, and American eel. Any species of fish not listed above may not be used as bait for fishing in inland waters.

 

From that list, I like the NRBD and Longnose Dace as an easy small tank.

[Joshaeus]

Any problem with trying either of the killies in such a tank?

[Michael Wolfe]

I'm not that familiar with them, other than the stories here... use the search function and I am sure you can get info about them here... or wait for a couple of the others to chime in... I know lots of people have kept both species in general.

[Evan P]

I think NRBD are your best bet. They are very pretty fish who do well in small, standing water habitats.

[mikez]

All bait in Maine by law is local so bait shops are cool source of natives. Mostly golden shiners but dace often are mixed. The dace I've seen where either pearl or finescale.

Banded killie's are good fish and under appreciated. Never kept em in a pond but seems like they'd be perfect. They normally hang in very shallow water in nature so you'd see em a lot.

[Joshaeus]

Would any of these species breed readily in such a water garden?

[Evan P]

I think you could get reproduction out of the killies, NRBD, and maybe Finescale Dace without a cooling period, as I assume you would take them inside for winter.

[Joshaeus]

Might actually keep some of them outside for the winter...I'll use a livestock deicer to keep the garden liquid

[gzeiger]

Last winter I kept a 300W heater in my pond and it did not maintain a big enough hole around itself to lift it out of the water.

[mikez]

My dad has a small retention pond near his place in coastal Maine, no more than 3 feet deep. Somehow golden shiners and pumpkinseed's persist year after year. Many years the water is stinky and full of dead fish at ice out but they and the big eels never die all the way off.