12 replies to this topic

[Robert Lamb]

I'm hoping to snag 2 or 3 this weekend and I want to know some basic care info. I imagine it would be similar to other riffle darters but considering how large they are compared to others I was curious if maybe there were some differences. 

 

What would be the best things to feed them?

 

How much flow do they need? I have a 20 gallon long set up but I don't have a powerhead yet (I've also heard that powerheads can warm the water, which I really don't want)

 

Are they aggressive towards each other or other fish? 

[Isaac Szabo]

Unfortunately, as Doug informed you in your other thread, it is illegal to catch and keep most fish in Tennessee (including tangerine darters). And even if you lived in a state where keeping them is legal, they would need a much larger setup as they are very large, active darters. A better (and legal) way to enjoy them is to go snorkeling with them, and you have many great options for doing that near where you live.

[Robert Lamb]

Yeah I didn't see that message until after I posted this thread because for some reason I'm not getting notifications. I really want darters so I'll probably end up buying rainbows from someone who can legally sell them

[Isaac Szabo]

Sorry for the bad news. Tennessee's regulations are really unfortunate in this area. Many other states do allow the catching and keeping of native fish.

 

Buying fish from someone like Zimmerman's Fish or Jonah's Aquarium is a good route. However, I'm not totally sure whether or not there is an issue with buying species that are native to Tennessee (such as rainbow darters), so you may want to look into that. At the very least, you should keep some documentation from the purchase so you have some proof that they weren't collected in Tennessee.

[Robert Lamb]

I found an older thread just a bit ago saying that as long as you have a receit for the fish there's no issue. I happen to know someone who's pretty high up in the TWRA so I can confirm with him just to be safe

[Isaac Szabo]

Sounds good. Thank you for wanting to do this legally.

[Matt DeLaVega]

These laws are a real bummer, however I would still encourage you to get out and do it- minus actually keeping fish. Learning about them on the water by netting, angling, snorkeling, etc is super rewarding in it's own right. Maybe more so in warmer weather than right now, but you get the point.

[Michael Wolfe]

MDLV is absolutely right. Get out in the habitat with the fish. Nothing. Will teach you more or increase your enjoyment of the fish than seeing them in their natural habitat.

[gerald]

You're only 5 hrs from Columbia SC.  Come join us March 19-22 for the NANFA convention: we'll see and catch a nice variety of darters, minnows, sunfish, etc.  The convention might not be this close again for years.

[Robert Lamb]

I'll definitely try to be there, sounds like a ton of fun!

[Casper]

TWRA...

Sadness prevails.

 

I do find great satisfaction snorkeling with Tangerines.  Beautiful, friendly, inquisitive.  Not suitable for aquariums unless they are very large boxes of glass, cold and with powerful head flow.

Nonetheless listed and illegal to keep in TN.

Very common species though.

I live in Chattanooga, just south of you.  Come Spring i will be snorkeling again and if you want to learn a new activity i'm here.  So very much to see.

[Robert Lamb]

Oh cool, it's always awesome to find other local people (idk if I'm just not out going enough or what but I have a hard time finding others with similar interest nearby).


This is something I just thought of btw, does anyone know what the laws on collection are in GA? I'm really close to the border and there are a bunch of nice darters found in nearby counties.

[Michael Wolfe]

Yes, we had our annual convention in Georgia a few years back and got a very clear statement from GADNR... you can reference it here.

 

Short version is yes, you can collect in GA with a fishing license rather easily, with some limitations as defined.

 

However, I am not sure about the TN rules on bringing these back in to your home state?