I was just curious if anyone in here have or had sheepshead minnows and diamond killifish, what's it like to work with them? Easy or hard to take care of? Does sheepshead minnows bred in freshwater or had to be brackish water?
Does anyone have experience with Sheepshead minnows and Diamond killifish?
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Guest_butch_*
, May 29 2008 06:51 PM
13 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_mzokan_*
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Posted 29 May 2008 - 09:25 PM
I have found sheepshead minnows to be easy to keep. I've kept males in spawning colors for several months in freshwater, but I did not attempt to breed them. You can keep them in freshwater, but you may want to keep your water a bit hard.
Marcus
Marcus
#3
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 30 May 2008 - 11:36 AM
I have kept sheepshead on several occasions, but never to breed. I always kept them in full salt. I've never seen them far from the ocean here in New England but the literature says they go into freshwater further south.
I too have kept males in full color for long periods. The key to enjoying their beauty is to have at least 2 or 3 males and at least a half dozen females. With the males displaying to each other and the females you get the best effect of color. A large tank [~100 gal] for a group that size is recomended. For one thing, they don't form the really tight schools you see in the field if they don't have lots of room. Also, one male is gonna become dominent and the other males and the females will need to get some peace or he'll run 'em ragged.
I too have kept males in full color for long periods. The key to enjoying their beauty is to have at least 2 or 3 males and at least a half dozen females. With the males displaying to each other and the females you get the best effect of color. A large tank [~100 gal] for a group that size is recomended. For one thing, they don't form the really tight schools you see in the field if they don't have lots of room. Also, one male is gonna become dominent and the other males and the females will need to get some peace or he'll run 'em ragged.
#4
Guest_SeaweedGuy_*
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Posted 08 June 2008 - 03:53 PM
I keep a group of sheepshead minnows (3 males and 4 females) in a 75 gallon, with the salinity a bit weaker than full seawater. They have spawned several times, and the babies are really easy to raise provided they don't get eaten by something.
Edited by SeaweedGuy, 08 June 2008 - 03:54 PM.
#5
Guest_KPW_*
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Posted 20 July 2008 - 10:41 PM
I keep both species in fresh water, but have never attempted to breed them. They do just fine and have nice color, though any injury tends to get out of hand in fresh water. When this has happened, I placed them in brackish water for a time and when healed, they went back into fresh water.
Later, KW
Later, KW
#6
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 21 July 2008 - 08:40 AM
I keep both species in fresh water, but have never attempted to breed them. They do just fine and have nice color, though any injury tends to get out of hand in fresh water. When this has happened, I placed them in brackish water for a time and when healed, they went back into fresh water.
Later, KW
Hey Kenny how big do the sheepshead from your area get? How many and what sized tank have you kept?
All the south Florida [Marco Island] sheepshead I saw, which was alot, were all quite small compared to up here. All the fish I saw looked like the first year fish from here, but never one looked like a normal second year fish from here. Maybe they burnout quicker in the warmer water? And yes, they were all adults, they were in full breeding mode. They were also more colorful than New England fish.
Interesting observation about poor healing in freshwater. I've seen the same thing with mummichugs. With them it's usually a fungus. Full saltwater usually brings 'em around.
#7
Guest_KPW_*
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Posted 22 July 2008 - 10:09 PM
Hey Mike
I would guess the biggest I have seen them is just over two inches.
I've kept anywhere from a pair to a dozen and usually keep them in a ten gallon to a 55 gallon depending on what else I have etc. Right now I'm keeping the Adinia xenica, as I like them a bit better.
Later, KW
Hey Kenny how big do the sheepshead from your area get?
I would guess the biggest I have seen them is just over two inches.
How many and what sized tank have you kept?
I've kept anywhere from a pair to a dozen and usually keep them in a ten gallon to a 55 gallon depending on what else I have etc. Right now I'm keeping the Adinia xenica, as I like them a bit better.
Later, KW
#8
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 23 July 2008 - 11:38 AM
have etc. Right now I'm keeping the Adinia xenica, as I like them a bit better.
Later, KW
Hmm, didn't know anything about diamond killies, had to Google 'em. Gets me thinking, would it be possible to mistake diamond killies for sheepshead, if you had no idea there was a similar species?
I'm talking as viewed swimming in the wild, NOT held in hand or net.
I may have seen a nice spawning congregation of diamond killies and mistook them for sheepshead.
In my defense, it was sunrise, light was low, skeetas were mean and I was intently focused on the water surface looking for wakes or a half inch of dorsal spine sticking out of the water. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted some very colorful killies spawning in two inches of water. To everyone else they were just bait.
Does it make me strange to say I remember seeing those fish with the same excitement and satisfaction as seeing my brother hook and land a 20 lb snook in knee deep water 50 feet away?
#9
Guest_topminnow_*
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Posted 23 July 2008 - 06:07 PM
Right now I'm keeping the Adinia xenica, as I like them a bit better.
Later, KW
KPW - Would you mind sharing information regarding your Adinia xenica setup?
#10
Guest_Sean H_*
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Posted 02 August 2008 - 07:19 PM
I have both and have breed both. The Adinia xenica breed regularly in a 20 ongs w/ 1.008 - 1.010 s.g. . They will breed on mops, but the bulk of the eggs I pull are on slate sacks. The largest egg product occurs w/ 2 males to 5 females during warm up when I bring the water up from 68-70 to the low 80's. The little fry have tiny little stripes and are relatively easy to raise for any hobbyist. You can take the eggs off with a razor like corydoras eggs, and I hatch them in water of the same type as the adults. The eggs do fungus a bit easy w/o salt but don't seem to destroy the whole lot if one goes bad next to another egg.
#11
Guest_JakeLevi_*
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Posted 19 October 2008 - 01:47 PM
Hey Mike
I would guess the biggest I have seen them is just over two inches.
I've kept anywhere from a pair to a dozen and usually keep them in a ten gallon to a 55 gallon depending on what else I have etc. Right now I'm keeping the Adinia xenica, as I like them a bit better.
Later, KW
Sheepshead minnows are easy to keep, and breed. I keep them in hard freshwater, have been raising them as a food fish. In a 100 gal stock tank, an overhead flour. , I also grow hornwort in the tank, its been a continuing culture for several years. The biggest ones are just over a couple inches. When I do water changes I add a couple cups of salt every 15-20 gals. So far , so good. There is a heater that keeps it above 60F.
#12
Guest_Mysteryman_*
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Posted 25 October 2008 - 11:14 AM
My fresh water is very soft, and I can't keep them in it for more than a few days.
In saltwater, though, they spawn & spawn & spawn and...
They're also voracious algae eaters, and a few of them will keep your tank spotless.
In saltwater, though, they spawn & spawn & spawn and...
They're also voracious algae eaters, and a few of them will keep your tank spotless.
#13
Guest_JakeLevi_*
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Posted 29 October 2008 - 12:41 PM
i forgot to add that Sheepshead are also found in the Pecos River in Texas and NM, fresh but very hard. They are an extremely adaptable fish .
#14
Guest_asilvas10_*
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Posted 23 January 2009 - 06:41 PM
I am from south Texas and I have found sheepshead from lake falcon all the way down to the Lower Laguna Madre and in great numbers.i forgot to add that Sheepshead are also found in the Pecos River in Texas and NM, fresh but very hard. They are an extremely adaptable fish .
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