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[TruestEggroll]

I have recently caught a Central Mudminnow, which I believe is female, her second day in her 10 gallon; she ate a small earth worm. Ever since then, she has attacked and bitten other worms but always spits them back out. I fear that something may be wrong as she's constantly swimming into the glass wall and is generally restless. I have plants in the tank that she can hide in as well as caves and driftwood. She also breathes heavily whenever she is doing her restless behavior. Could it just be her stressed out? I also believe that she's reacting to her own reflection by trying to swim at it. I'm new to the fish keeping hobby so I'm trying to learn everything I can. It's been a week since i've caught her. 

 

Also, are Central Mudminnows sensitive to nitrates? I've heard that pickerel can be sensitive to nitrates and I am wondering if Central Mudminnows are the same.

[Pike]

It is usually easy to distinguish male from female (sexual dimorphism) as the male has a brightly-colored anal fin that has a green-blue iridescent-like color to it.  I don’t know if there are any other easily distinguishing features.  Their vent holes are different but I have no clue how to tell.  The male’s bright colors are apparently even more bright during the breeding season.  I have a 300 gallon outdoor stock tank where they bred this spring and the males still have brightly colored anal fins.

 

I bring this up as I wonder if you have/had a breeding female and she’s pretty antsy about being in the tank and is more interested in finding a mate given the time of year.  Did she seem full of eggs?

 

They love cover so if you have a sparsely planted tank, they can be skittish/nervous.

 

I have four adults that I kept this past winter in near freezing temperatures and fed them all winter and was able to observe their behavior.  That is going to be different than an aquarium though.

 

Any update?

Edited by Pike, 24 June 2023 - 05:46 PM.