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Mudminnows


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#1 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*

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Posted 07 September 2007 - 04:56 PM

I've got two 1.5 inch mudminnows in my tank and I noticed how much their behavior is like that of a bowfin. I've never kept Bowfin before, but I have watched them a lot in Ludington where my family has a condo. I watch how they slide under plant groups in the marina, stalking fish. I've seen them come up for air. An I saw one ripping up a dead fish just like a shark.
My mudminnows do almost the exact same thing. They seem to have a hard time swallowing bloodworms, but no problem eating an inch long rosy meant for my LMB. They used to come up for air every little bit, but then I put a bubbler on because I got a 3 inch white sucker.

#2 Guest_bullhead_*

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Posted 08 September 2007 - 10:14 PM

Interesting! Sounds messy. I have always wondered why there weren't more sharklike eaters amongst fish. They all want to swallow their prey whole. I'll have to add mudminnows to my wish list.

#3 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 09 September 2007 - 01:33 PM

me too :(

#4 Guest_choupique_*

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Posted 10 September 2007 - 01:40 AM

Mudminnows are awesome. However, I would have to say they are much more pike like than bowfin. With that said, there are a lot of similarities with bowfin.

Bowfin side note: Great you noticed their shark like antics. Another cross order similarity, they death roll just like crocodilians. A band of small ones will team up on a larger prey item and twist it apart.

The rounded tail, rounded snout, air breathing, and pectoral fin use sure speak of bowfin imitation. But, they also use their pelvic fins while hovering ( pike not bowfin like), their hunting methods are more pike like - although bowfin do hunt like pike sometimes. Bowfin are quite plastic in how they go about doing things. Mudminnows are more plastic than pike.

Out in the marsh here, pike, bowfin, and mudminnows are very common. Mudminnows tend towards bowfin habitat more than pike habitat. Then, mudminnows also tend towards salamander habitat. Find isolated pools in the forest after a spring flood, and it will be packed with mudminnows taking care of the mosquito population the best they can, which is better than most.

Anyone interested in mudminnows in an aquarium, I suggest go for it. You will not likely be dissappointed. They can be trained to take high quality prepared foods, but do awesome on any worms or larvae, even frozen. If you can feed them tiny feeder fish, then you will see them at their best. Pygmy pike. If you don't have room for bowfin, or even pickerel, go with the mudminnow. Central mudminnow males given a cooling period will show anyone they are far from cigar butts with fins!

#5 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*

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Posted 11 September 2007 - 06:18 PM

I agree that they are a lot like pike too. Both of mine will take small chunks of frozen krill, and anything else. A few years ago I had a 5 inch one that I fed sticklebacks from the pond I got it from. It did really well until my bullhead killed it. I had it with all kinds of fish including darters, LMB, sunfish, two frogs, two painted turtles. It was in a 20 gallon.
I've figured out the easiest way to feed them is when they come up for air, I stick the food on a broomstraw and dangle it in front of them.

#6 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*

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Posted 11 September 2007 - 06:33 PM

It's weird to me when people say that they really want a mudminnow but they can't find any because I live really close to Rockbassbud5 and it's like a two minute drive to a pond in which the only fish are mudminnows, green sunfish, sticklebacks, and the occasional pirate perch.
There are so many mudminnows we used to use them to feed our turtles.

#7 Guest_esoxandlepomislover_*

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 11:09 PM

I have to admit, you guys are peaking my curiosity on this "pygmy pike." I caught a few this year while using a net in dense vegetation. I didn't think much about it, but after reading your comments, this fish sounds like a great aquarium fish. Sometimes I fixate on grass pike too much. It is an illness you know.

I have always been interested in bowfin as well, but even I won't try a bowfin in my 30 gallon.

It sounds like a central mudminnow would satisfy my pike/bowfin fetish.

Thanks for the great info. I may have to get one for my 10 gallon.

M.



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