6 replies to this topic

[Lucania200]

I recently collected a group of Red Shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis) and I'm curious how they normally act around other fish. I seem to recall reading that they are somewhat aggressive, but so far mine just seem hyper-active and a bit shy if anything. Does it change when they go into spawning mode? Does the number of males present affect their behavior? Temperature? Other Factors?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Michael Wolfe]

I've heard other people describe other Cyrpinella as aggressive, but I agree with your observations thus far... they are really more "boisterous" than actually aggressive.

[gerald]

I have not kept lutrensis, but I had a greenfin (C, chloristia) who lived for several years with an Ozark longear sunfish male twice his size, and it was usually the shiner who started (and finished) the fights.  He would fight with my hand too.

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

I keep spotfin shiners with a longear sunfish. The shiners are hyperactive most of the time, but not aggressive.

[Lucania200]

Ok, would they be too hyperactive for a 75 Gal. shiner/minnow community tank? I haven't noticed any missing scales or nipped fins, and they seemed to get along fine, in a 10 Gal. Quarantine tank, with a juvenile suckermouth minnow that I caught with them. The other species that would be in the 75 Gal. Would be the suckermouth minnow, yellowfin shiners, and possibly a stoneroller or two (there's a few other spp. I'm thinking about as well)

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

Ok, would they be too hyperactive for a 75 Gal. shiner/minnow community tank? I haven't noticed any missing scales or nipped fins, and they seemed to get along fine, in a 10 Gal. Quarantine tank, with a juvenile suckermouth minnow that I caught with them. The other species that would be in the 75 Gal. Would be the suckermouth minnow, yellowfin shiners, and possibly a stoneroller or two (there's a few other spp. I'm thinking about as well)

I keep mine in a 20 gallon tank for now without any fin-nipping issues. Yeah, the longear sunfish gets a bit moody now and then and chases, but the shiners and bluntnose minnows are doing fine. So a 75 gallon tank should be plenty adequate. Keep a good canopy on the tank with the holes covered with duct tape or something. I haven't typically had many issues with the shiners jumping, but my bluntnose minnows must be tarded by now they've banged the canopy so many times. And lastly, shiners are a cold water fish. No heater needed. However, to induce spawning, you might need to lower or warm the water some. I am not sure on the accuracy of that, so perhaps some others more knowledgeable of shiner spawning behaviors and needs might chime in?

 

The Grumpy Old Man.

[sfernald92]

I have a group of three males, got them from another hobbyist who was breaking down a biotope tank--offered to take them and put them into my native tank. Two of the three are terrors, the least dominant one is super peaceful... I ended up moving the one into my subtropical Asian river aquarium because the other two were beating up on him, preventing him from eating. He's happily joined my dwarf rainbows and schools with them, no aggression, behaves like a Pseudomugil now (lol). The other two though...

 

TLDR; two are crazy and act like they're on meth, one is living his best life in a nano community.