Hey everyone!
Background:
I got off of work early today and decided to go out for a bit. I have been meaning to collect some plants for my 46gal and some mosses for my 20 long stream tank. I have also been meaning to put some darters in my stream tank (right now it only has BND).
The spot I had in mind was a place I go fishing and catch lots of yellow and white bass. That same area has tons of plants and I have seen Snubnose darters there before. I was by myself, but had my dipnet and a 4ft seine.

Storytime:
The air temp was 57 F, and it has been a heavy overcast all day. Water temp was... cold.
This is a place where the Holston river has a small split and there is a little park/rec area where there are some fields and a boat ramp.
The water was down a good deal and I was able to slip on the hip boots and go.

I started with the dipnet and caught nothing but some scuds. I also scared off a N. hogsucker. I found a large spot of woody debris and was able to prop up my seine by itself. I worked my way upstream and started kicking. I did this three times - and got 2 snubnoses each go! Just what I wanted.
I then started collecting my plants and saw a nice root system from a tree that eroded into the river. I did a quick swipe with the dipnet and BAM - a 4'' rockbass! I have never caught one there before. I really had to fight the urge to keep it.

So all in all, sucessful trip for plants and snubnoses! I kept 5 of the 6 - 2 males, 3 females (from what I can tell when I caught them).
Fish:
Hypentelium nigricans - Northern Hogsucker
Etheostoma tennesseense (or is it still E. simoterum tennesseense?) - Tennessee Snubnose Darter
Ambloplites ruprestris - Rockbass

Plants:
Moss 1 - Fissidens fontanus (I think)
Moss 2 - ?
Myriophyllum aquaticum ?
M. desmersum ?
Elodea canadensis
Azolla sp

I WILL be posting pics in the next few days when I have time. I will take some of the snubnoses when they get settled, and of the plants.
I am hoping that the plants will green up after I acclimate them very very slowly.
Cheers, yall. Sorry for such a long post and no photos (yet).

sounds like you had fun, im glad some one else was out and about.i like hogsuckers i caught one last year but put it back.
i don't know how to take care of them or feed them.

Yeah, I was really glad to get out some yesterday. Today would have been nice day to go out - it was beautiful here. Anyways, I have no pics from the site, but will get some this weekend if the weather is nice. I am going to collect some substrate - I am unhappy with the substrate I currently have.

I got some pics of a few of the darters. They are still a bit skiddish and washed out.

Moss #1 - Fissidens fontanus ? I collected some about a week ago, and it has greened up a good deal - so I collected a bit more.



Moss #2



Tank


Other plants are going into 46 gallon. Will post pics when I get them in.

That's a great looking tank Will, thanks for sharing.

Keep us posted on the moss, it looks great, I'm not sure it's fissidens fontanus, the one I'm growing doesn't seem as branchy. Check it out.



I like yours though, I've seen something similar not too far from here. Wouldn't mind giving it a try if it works out for you.

Thanks, Patrick. The moss looks kind of branchy b/c when I collected it, I wasn't very gentle and the strains all broke apart. So I tried to clump it back up and pinned it down with some pebbles. When I moved things around yesterday, I noticed that some had already attached itself to some rocks and driftwood (it's been about 2 weeks). I hope it continues to green up and attach itself.
In fact, I think it was that picture (or another one of your tank) that I saw that moss and fell in love with it. I may have commented on it, but I'm not sure. I really like the look and maybe mine will look like that in time once it establishes itself.

How much light do you need to establish moss like that? Nice darters and report. Went sampling myself today. Good to be out and about.

Edited by bart, 26 February 2009 - 11:37 PM.