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Can they eat...

Started by Guest_Zephead4747_* , Jul 17 2008 10:51 PM

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23 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 17 July 2008 - 10:51 PM

Are they big enough to eat petstore feeder shrimp? If they coexisted I could see that as interesting. setup would be 2-3 darters, some shrimp and a few blackstripe topminnows in a 10gal. Substate would probably just be gravel, rocks, and maybe driftwood. Little or no current. Filtration would probably be a ugf+sponge filter. They make ugf for small tanks right?

Also, what kind of darter would do well in this tank? I like iowas, but I don't know much about habitat.

Edited by Zephead4747, 17 July 2008 - 11:00 PM.

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#2 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 18 July 2008 - 02:12 AM

Many darters are too small to eat feeder shrimp (I assume you mean "Ghost Shrimp"). I have kept a Ghost Shrimp, completely by accident in one of my darter and topminnow tanks, and the Ghost Shrimp is doing fine. He doesn't seem intimidated at all by his tankmates.

To answer your other question, Iowa Darters would do well in the tank you've described. Least Darters would also do well if you can get some that are captive bred, or from out-of-state. Least Darters are listed as "Special Concern" in Wisconsin, which means that their populations are not at critical levels, but are at the point at which the DNR is keeping close tabs on them. That is why I suggest getting them from out-of-state, or from captive stock.

Also, they do make UGF filters for small tanks.

Hope this helps!

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#3 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 29 July 2008 - 06:25 PM

Many darters are too small to eat feeder shrimp (I assume you mean "Ghost Shrimp"). I have kept a Ghost Shrimp, completely by accident in one of my darter and topminnow tanks, and the Ghost Shrimp is doing fine. He doesn't seem intimidated at all by his tankmates.

To answer your other question, Iowa Darters would do well in the tank you've described. Least Darters would also do well if you can get some that are captive bred, or from out-of-state. Least Darters are listed as "Special Concern" in Wisconsin, which means that their populations are not at critical levels, but are at the point at which the DNR is keeping close tabs on them. That is why I suggest getting them from out-of-state, or from captive stock.

Also, they do make UGF filters for small tanks.

Hope this helps!

thanks!

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#4 Guest_JohnO_*

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Posted 29 July 2008 - 07:42 PM

One food my darters (rainbow, fantail) devour with gusto is frozen bloodworms. Just love them. When I ran out last week, I did put in some freeze dried bloodworms. They ate up, but with much less enthusiasm.

Was at a pet shop yesterday, and they were out of bloodworms, so I tried frozen brine shrimp. Blech! Yuck! What is this junk? Okay, some of them did eat, but some just didn't like it, preferring the freeze dried bloodworms. Okay, okay, I'll hit up the other pet shop tomorrow. Picky, aren't you? Well, the two little sunfish and small hogsuckers did like the brine shrimp.

Just put in a large pair of variegate darters. They didn't like the frozen brine shrimp either. I went down to my spring and got a bucket full of these little black shrimplike critters. They liked those - man, that big variegate is quick. (no coincidence that spring stream is also full of large and fat sculpins)

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#5 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 03:35 PM

Mine like frozen Mysis shrimp as well as bloodworms.

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#6 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 09:52 PM

There will be a lot of bubbles/airation in the tank, through the UGF, and the sponge filter. I really love the look of the high color rainbow darters, but don't want a lot of current. Will teh rainbows be fine in that sort of tank?

Checking out prices tomarow at the pet store.

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#7 Guest_smilingfrog_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 12:51 AM

There will be a lot of bubbles/airation in the tank, through the UGF, and the sponge filter. I really love the look of the high color rainbow darters, but don't want a lot of current. Will teh rainbows be fine in that sort of tank?

I have a huge (at least compared to all the other darters in the tank) Rainbow Darter that has been in a 75 gallon tank since I got him back in May 2005. The only source of current has been a Hang on the Back filter (Emperor 400 or something like that). He is still healthy, fat, and (I hope) happy. I'm sure he'd be even happier if I put in some power heads to make the aquarium a little more stream like, but I also don't want too much current. I think as long as your water quality is good and well oxygenated and they are well fed they will be okay. At least that has been my experience.
Now if you're wanting to breed them or something like that everything I just said goes out the window.
They are beautiful fish, you will enjoy having them.

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#8 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 01:15 AM

I have a huge (at least compared to all the other darters in the tank) Rainbow Darter that has been in a 75 gallon tank since I got him back in May 2005. The only source of current has been a Hang on the Back filter (Emperor 400 or something like that). He is still healthy, fat, and (I hope) happy. I'm sure he'd be even happier if I put in some power heads to make the aquarium a little more stream like, but I also don't want too much current. I think as long as your water quality is good and well oxygenated and they are well fed they will be okay. At least that has been my experience.
Now if you're wanting to breed them or something like that everything I just said goes out the window.
They are beautiful fish, you will enjoy having them.

thanks, This is turning out to cost quite a bit of $, and it comes straight out of my pocket! I make like 120$ a week working part time, but Half of it stays in the bank for when I graduate. The project will end up costing ~100 dollars or more.

edit: any particular type of food you prefer feeding your darters? brand, etc?

Edited by Zephead4747, 31 July 2008 - 01:15 AM.

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#9 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 07:41 AM

thanks, This is turning out to cost quite a bit of $, and it comes straight out of my pocket! I make like 120$ a week working part time, but Half of it stays in the bank for when I graduate. The project will end up costing ~100 dollars or more.

edit: any particular type of food you prefer feeding your darters? brand, etc?

You can spend a lot of money if you are buying all of this stuff new from a local store. Try searching www.craigslist.com People are all the time selling whole tank setups for cheap on there. You should be able to find many 10gal tanks, usually with hoods, lights, gravel, filters, etc... for pretty cheap.

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#10 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 08:08 AM

thanks, This is turning out to cost quite a bit of $, and it comes straight out of my pocket! I make like 120$ a week working part time, but Half of it stays in the bank for when I graduate. The project will end up costing ~100 dollars or more.

edit: any particular type of food you prefer feeding your darters? brand, etc?

So, by my count you should be able to buy the setup you want in about a month. Not too long, really. And it will taste so much sweeter since you have worked and saved for it! My bet is that this is a project you will feel really good about.

(This isn't so different of a scenario for us that married, BTW. Except that we often have to wait even longer! :tongue:

)

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#11 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 12:22 PM

Yeah, we budget a little "play" money from each paycheck that I don't have to feel guilty about spending on my hobby. I have to save up for stuff, too. It makes me plan more carefully. (I hope! :tongue:

)

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#12 Guest_JohnO_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 03:07 PM

At least you don't have to buy the fish. Actually, that's the great fun with darters. You have to go find them, and you're never quite sure what you'll find when you explore a new stream. I've learned a lot about them in the process, what sort of stream they prefer, what temperature is right, etc...

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#13 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 05:13 PM

At least you don't have to buy the fish. Actually, that's the great fun with darters. You have to go find them, and you're never quite sure what you'll find when you explore a new stream. I've learned a lot about them in the process, what sort of stream they prefer, what temperature is right, etc...

too bad, I am buying them

. Already talked to BT about it. Will seal the deal in a few weeks.

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#14 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 15 August 2008 - 07:26 PM

Sorry about bumping my thread. But will darters eat shrimp pellets? If not I will buy frozen bloodworms, but If they would eat shrimp pellets that would be very convenient.

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#15 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 15 August 2008 - 08:19 PM

I did a couple of tests for you. I dropped a couple of shrimp pellets in front of some juvenile blackside, johnny, and orangethroat darters. They ignored them. I went back 5 minutes later, still ignoring them. I wouldn't buy any.

If you can get it, HBH Super Soft Krill is great. It sinks, the freeze dried food doesn't want to sink. It will eventually, I think. I crumbled some HBH up for the juveniles and they got excited and began eating it. All but the most spoiled of my native and tropical fish love it. It's even great fry food when crumbled. (Thanks to farmertodd for recommending it.)

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#16 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 15 August 2008 - 09:15 PM

I did a couple of tests for you. I dropped a couple of shrimp pellets in front of some juvenile blackside, johnny, and orangethroat darters. They ignored them. I went back 5 minutes later, still ignoring them. I wouldn't buy any.

If you can get it, HBH Super Soft Krill is great. It sinks, the freeze dried food doesn't want to sink. It will eventually, I think. I crumbled some HBH up for the juveniles and they got excited and began eating it. All but the most spoiled of my native and tropical fish love it. It's even great fry food when crumbled. (Thanks to farmertodd for recommending it.)

I already have it for my cories. I don't know what they have at the pet store, but I will look. Basically I'm just looking for frozen bloodworms or this super soft krill stuff?

what kind of a price tag am I looking at.

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#17 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 16 August 2008 - 02:04 PM

Probably 3 or 4 dollars for the cubes of frozen food and 6 or 8 for the big cans of HBH. The big cans last a while, though.

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#18 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 17 August 2008 - 12:29 PM

Sorry about bumping my thread. But will darters eat shrimp pellets? If not I will buy frozen bloodworms, but If they would eat shrimp pellets that would be very convenient.

You may already have a plan, and that's good... but just for information... many darters will eat flakes... and some, like rainbows, swamps, tourquoise, blue breast, will actually grow larger while eating flakes.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#19 Guest_Zephead4747_*

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Posted 17 August 2008 - 02:53 PM

You may already have a plan, and that's good... but just for information... many darters will eat flakes... and some, like rainbows, swamps, tourquoise, blue breast, will actually grow larger while eating flakes.

I bought the blood worms, they ate with gusto as they were sinking, but let the cory, shrimp, and mudminnow eat what was on the ground, unless they got moved again then they would take them. How much/often should I feed them? I fed them about 1/3-1/2 a blood worm cube. Should I feed that much daily or every other day or what?

And can I take all of the bloodworms out of the cubes and into one big ziplock, or is there something wrong with that? using fractions of cubes might get messy

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#20 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 18 August 2008 - 01:00 PM

I don't buy the individual cubes anymore, for both blood worms and blackworms. I get the large single flat frozen sheet. This allows me to break off different sizes and is much safer than trying to split one of those blocks with a knife. You can find a big 1lb block of brine for $8-10, blood worms similarly priced.