I just found a redfin pickerel (i think) that i about .75-1" in total length. I'm not exactly sure what to feed it and could use some input. I used lake water for the tank thinking that there might be some small things in there that he could eat but i just want to make sure there isn't anything i can buy to feed him. Maybe those blackworms or something that you use for juvenile fish. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

He would probably eat blackworms. Also see if you can get some daphnia and other microcrustaceans; no small fish can resist those. Just run a fine-mesh net through a pond or swampy ditch and you should come up with plenty of the little guys.

I just found a redfin pickerel (i think) that i about .75-1" in total length. I'm not exactly sure what to feed it and could use some input. I used lake water for the tank thinking that there might be some small things in there that he could eat but i just want to make sure there isn't anything i can buy to feed him. Maybe those blackworms or something that you use for juvenile fish. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have any standing water where mosquitos build up? I usually have luck feeding fish under an inch with small mosquito larvae.

He would probably eat blackworms. Also see if you can get some daphnia and other microcrustaceans; no small fish can resist those. Just run a fine-mesh net through a pond or swampy ditch and you should come up with plenty of the little guys.

I'm not sure how well blackworms would work. I had 2 redfins a couple years ago and they wouldn't eat worms. They seemed to need the constant swimming action of glassworms or feeder fish to get them going. The falling/wriggling worms just did it.

Try *tiny* feeder guppies. You'll probably need to ask the LFS person to get the smallest you can, and then sort by size yourself. Or... just dump them in and let the pickerel decide what he can deal with.

I have some newborn guppies next to my desk here that would look absolutely delicious to a baby pickerel...

Edited by jase, 28 April 2008 - 06:24 PM.

Often a LFS will have adult brine shrimp. You could put a few of these in his tank at a time.

I'm not sure how well blackworms would work. I had 2 redfins a couple years ago and they wouldn't eat worms. They seemed to need the constant swimming action of glassworms or feeder fish to get them going. The falling/wriggling worms just did it.

Try *tiny* feeder guppies. You'll probably need to ask the LFS person to get the smallest you can, and then sort by size yourself. Or... just dump them in and let the pickerel decide what he can deal with.

I have some newborn guppies next to my desk here that would look absolutely delicious to a baby pickerel...

I've used live blackworms for many tiny half inch and larger redfin pickeral in a bare bottom tank they did quite well on them.

Often a LFS will have adult brine shrimp. You could put a few of these in his tank at a time.

Good call. Like I said, when I had my pickerel they seemed to need a constant motion/swimming to get them to strike. Worms didn't do it. Glassworms also worked really well. I bet mosquito larvae would be ideal.

I've used live blackworms for many tiny half inch and larger redfin pickeral in a bare bottom tank they did quite well on them.

Mine was on a gravel bottom, so that might be the difference. If my pickerel didn't get them before they hit bottom, they were gone. It was white worms at that point and they don't wriggle as much as blackworms, so that might have been a big factor.

Use one of those cone worm feeder things that stays near the surface and they go nuts over blackworms.

Use one of those cone worm feeder things that stays near the surface and they go nuts over blackworms.

hunger tames the wildest beast. If it moves it will eat it given enough time to stare at it and decide. Like Mike said the blackworms were eaten on the bare-bottomed tank (the worms couldn't hide). Especially if its very young and impressionalbe. My redfin, Pete the Pike, loves worms. We play tug of war with night crawlers. He also eats crickest, spiders, pinkies, tadpoles, water beetles, stoneflys, young bluegill & pumpkinseeds, anything that moves if given enough time to inspect it.

Use one of those cone worm feeder things that stays near the surface and they go nuts over blackworms.

I was using a cone feeder with whiteworms. I think whiteworms just don't wriggle enough on the way down to excite them. Of the two pickerels in the tank, I never saw one touch a white worm -- even while little largemouth bass were going nuts for them.

I got it to eat I took a jar and put some lake water and water plants in it and stirred it up. I could see lots of the microcrustaceans so i poured it in. He ate a couple of tiny worms right away and a few other things. I think i might try to get some brine shrimp and try that too.

BTW, does anyone know how long it will take for it to get up to the point where i can feed it rosy red/mosquitofish? It's easier for me to just catch a few and throw them in than having to scoop lake water everyday : /

Edited by DCBuckeyeguy77, 29 April 2008 - 05:19 PM.

According to Fishes of Tennessee, specimens over 50 mm (2") in total length feed mainly on fish. But you'll need small fish; juvenile rosy reds or guppies would be best. I would avoid Gambusia until your fish has more size on him, as they can be vicious little buggers.

It's very easy to raise your own daphnia; just put a bunch of them in a tank or bucket with an airstone going and give them green water or a little active yeast periodically. If you keep small fishes or expect to breed your fishes the daphnia colony is a great resource.

BTW, does anyone know how long it will take for it to get up to the point where i can feed it rosy red/mosquitofish? It's easier for me to just catch a few and throw them in than having to scoop lake water everyday : /

Obviously it depends on how much you feed them and other variable factors but one thing I'd be carefull about is giving them food that is too big. It may seem like they can stretch beyond limits but the young ones easily get overly optimistic as to what they can handle. Limit food size to what they can easily handle. Thinner bodied fish are also easier for them especially juveniles avoid the big bellied goldfish feeders till they grow up.

Good point on the over-optimism. I lost a grass pickerel about 4" long when he tried to take down a 2.5" green sunfish. I have both fish in a jar somewhere, the sunfish still lodged in the pickerel's throat.

Good point on the over-optimism. I lost a grass pickerel about 4" long when he tried to take down a 2.5" green sunfish. I have both fish in a jar somewhere, the sunfish still lodged in the pickerel's throat.

I will third that. I thought I lost Pete, but he managed to stomach the bluegill that I thought was "safe" in the tank. He sat keeled over at 45degrees for a day and a half with a "frizbee in his belly....