I've found what I believe to be brook silversides in the upper Cumberland watershed, but for the life of me, can't seem to get them to survive. It's a 75 gal, heavily filtered, with around 25 darters, one very small longear, and a couple of juvenile hogsuckers.
First trip back I had two, they both survived. The large one died the next morning, the little one disappeared a few days later, might have gotten too close to the reef filter intake.
Last trip back, I brought three, all were dead when I got home. Transport is in a 5 gal paint bucket (new, never had paint), which I prefer for the very tight sealing lid. They were in the bucket for about 2-3 hours. So far, that's the only fish I've lost in transport, and I've moved quite a few darters this summer.
Any tricks/tips on how to get this very elegant looking fish to thrive in a tank? I've been told to try aquarium salt in the catch bucket.
Transporting/keeping brook silversides
Started by
Guest_JohnO_*
, Aug 25 2008 08:05 AM
13 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Clayton_*
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Posted 25 August 2008 - 08:57 AM
I've always used aquarium salt and lots of aeration(You can buy a battery air pump for less than $5) when transporting fish. That was primarily for tropicals that I had to move from one location to another. I've never lost a fish during a tank move when using that method.
I've not collected that species, but I'd try the salt and aeration. It is cheap and easy to do. The worst it will do is help your chances.
If you've got any way to possibly keep the temperature of the water from getting too high that would likely help. Maybe keep a container large enough to put the 5 gallon bucket in and seal it. That should help create a thermal barrier and keep the temps from rising to unsafe levels.
I've not collected that species, but I'd try the salt and aeration. It is cheap and easy to do. The worst it will do is help your chances.
If you've got any way to possibly keep the temperature of the water from getting too high that would likely help. Maybe keep a container large enough to put the 5 gallon bucket in and seal it. That should help create a thermal barrier and keep the temps from rising to unsafe levels.
#3
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#4
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Posted 25 August 2008 - 10:25 PM
See this thread:
http://forum.nanfa.o...p;hl=silverside
That fits what I've heard from the experienced NANFA people who've been kind enough to teach me about collecting fish. Pulling Silversides out of the water and looking at them apparently kills them.
#5
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 26 August 2008 - 01:04 PM
There was an article by Dave --- (can't remember his last name all of a sudden, but he used to be a pretty active member) in A/C several years ago. It was titled "Surprisingly Hardy Silversides" or something like that. I bet they were inlands!! He swore to me they were brooks though.
#6
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Posted 26 August 2008 - 05:43 PM
There was an article by Dave --- (can't remember his last name all of a sudden, but he used to be a pretty active member) in A/C several years ago. It was titled "Surprisingly Hardy Silversides" or something like that. I bet they were inlands!! He swore to me they were brooks though.
I don't know about that. The inlands I collect are just as fragile as it sounds like brooks are. Truthfully, I avoid them as they seem to be "typhoid Marys" that bring all manner of bugs and germs. Not only their fragile nature but the incredably dense schools they swim in seem to make them prone to being carriers. If you watch a school swim by, there's almost always a few fugused ragedy looking sick ones bringing up the rear.
Apropo of nuttin, do brook silversides jump over floating twigs like the inlands do? They seem to do it for fun. At least I can't see any pratical reason for it.
#7
Guest_Casper Cox_*
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Posted 29 August 2008 - 08:16 PM
Brook Silversides.
Cool, unique body shape.
I would never recommend transporting them in a 5 gallon bucket.
Use a cooler.
The trick is cool weather, dont touch them or at least minimize it with a soft net, and collect at night.
This is fun... find a calm backwater lake, river or stream and wade out with a bright flashlight. They float and rest at the surface individually. Slowly raise your net up from underneath them and immediatly place them in a container and then soon to your transporting cooler. Make sure all the waters are the same temp.
I brought several back from camping on the St. Francis after the Missouri convention, 06. The 5 lived for a couple years but im down to one now in the cement pond. I presume they had, have reached their age limit.
We did catch 2 on a very cold day during the first Seinerama that lived for a couple years as well. They were big, maybe 4" long. Boat ramp.
In Tates Hell they are bright red nosed and the bodies are translucent yellow green. Like candy. probably males in breeding condition. Very pretty.
Its fun to wade out at night, one can see lots of things with a bright light. Many fish sleep in the shallows. Salamanders are along the stream banks. Try it.
Ive seen them in flowing water but for a tank i would not have a powerhead blasting. I think they much prefer calm water.
Cool, unique body shape.
I would never recommend transporting them in a 5 gallon bucket.
Use a cooler.
The trick is cool weather, dont touch them or at least minimize it with a soft net, and collect at night.
This is fun... find a calm backwater lake, river or stream and wade out with a bright flashlight. They float and rest at the surface individually. Slowly raise your net up from underneath them and immediatly place them in a container and then soon to your transporting cooler. Make sure all the waters are the same temp.
I brought several back from camping on the St. Francis after the Missouri convention, 06. The 5 lived for a couple years but im down to one now in the cement pond. I presume they had, have reached their age limit.
We did catch 2 on a very cold day during the first Seinerama that lived for a couple years as well. They were big, maybe 4" long. Boat ramp.
In Tates Hell they are bright red nosed and the bodies are translucent yellow green. Like candy. probably males in breeding condition. Very pretty.
Its fun to wade out at night, one can see lots of things with a bright light. Many fish sleep in the shallows. Salamanders are along the stream banks. Try it.
Ive seen them in flowing water but for a tank i would not have a powerhead blasting. I think they much prefer calm water.
#8
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 29 August 2008 - 11:21 PM
Casper is right about collecting them at night - with a headlight you can get them easily at the surface. If you haven't done any night collecting you are in for a treat.
#9
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 09:44 AM
Nothing I love more than wading a quiet cove at night and listening to the popping sound of big stripers sucking the silversides in from the surface.
If you've ever heard the pop sound a bluegill makes when it sucks in a bug from the surface, you can imagine the same motion from a mouth the size of a softball.
Seriously, has anyone ever seen silversides leaping over a floating twig?
If you've ever heard the pop sound a bluegill makes when it sucks in a bug from the surface, you can imagine the same motion from a mouth the size of a softball.
Seriously, has anyone ever seen silversides leaping over a floating twig?
#10
Guest_Casper Cox_*
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 11:08 AM
mikez sez:
Seriously, has anyone ever seen silversides leaping over a floating twig?
Well seriously, i suspect one could train a silverside to jump over a twig.
A 9 volt battery might do the trick.
Seriously, what the heck are you talking about?
Ive seen them leap evading predators and seines. And i saw a frenzied mass reacting to my flashlight. But just dancing with a twig?
You may have had a special silverside within you grasp, and then let it go.
Kinda like a flea circus.
Seriously, has anyone ever seen silversides leaping over a floating twig?
Well seriously, i suspect one could train a silverside to jump over a twig.
A 9 volt battery might do the trick.
Seriously, what the heck are you talking about?
Ive seen them leap evading predators and seines. And i saw a frenzied mass reacting to my flashlight. But just dancing with a twig?
You may have had a special silverside within you grasp, and then let it go.
Kinda like a flea circus.
#11
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 03:42 PM
Nothing I love more than wading a quiet cove at night and listening to the popping sound of big stripers sucking the silversides in from the surface.
If you've ever heard the pop sound a bluegill makes when it sucks in a bug from the surface, you can imagine the same motion from a mouth the size of a softball.
even smaller sunfish do this and make that great noise... my enneacanthus suck floating dried shrimps off the surface of the aquarium and make that noise...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#12
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 04:42 PM
mikez sez:
[b][i]
Seriously, what the heck are you talking about?
I kid you not, totally serious.
We don't have brook silversides but inlands are one of our most abundant saltwater bait fish [no commercial value].
In calm waters, bright sunny conditions, no preditors, silversides will jump out of the water, back and forth over a floating twig, sprig of weeds, a plastic straw, whatever. There is no practical explanation that I know of. It really seems like they're playing. They only do it during "leisure" time, never in rough conditions or the presense of preditors. Also it seems only young ones do it. I don't recall seeing the bigger ones do it. And I'm not talking isolated occurences here. If there's young silversides in calm conditions without preditors, they're jumping over stuff.
You see, when you spend the whole day standing on a jetty waiting for the stripers to arrive, you have time notice to the little things.
Edited to add link to silversides jumping reference.
jumping silversides
Edited by mikez, 30 August 2008 - 04:48 PM.
#13
Guest_bullhead_*
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 10:58 PM
Silly point, but this thread should not be under "minnows and suckers"
#14
Guest_drewish_*
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Posted 30 August 2008 - 11:21 PM
Silly point, but this thread should not be under "minnows and suckers"
Good call, didn't even notice.
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