High Color Rainbow Darter Tankmates

I see. I don't know the type of shiners they sell at some bait stores near me. But do u think any of the bait store shiners would work?

Bait store minnows are full of parasites and diseases. You don't want to use those.

Where in mass can I get something then? Are rosey reds natives? I'm gonna be adding some johnny darters next week. I want to be able to get something local

Ok can someone directly answer me. Would a bluegill or a green sunfish under an inch do ok with them. I have guppies in there now. I was gonna breed the guppies as feeders for my cichlid tank I would assume the sunfish would eat the guppies.

Darters will eat baby guppies

That's good if they eat them. Right now they chase after the guppies lol. They never get them but they try lol. Is brine shrimp ok for a staple diet? My bigger rainbow prefers brine and the little one like brine and bloodworms. My bigger darter would eat the bloodworms then spit them out right after. Hmmm

That's good if they eat them. Right now they chase after the guppies lol. They never get them but they try lol. Is brine shrimp ok for a staple diet? My bigger rainbow prefers brine and the little one like brine and bloodworms. My bigger darter would eat the bloodworms then spit them out right after. Hmmm

Mine spit out food sometimes, they always just ate the next bloodworm that floated by. I eventually converted my darters to flake food, it was way easier for me.

Yeah its nice to convert them. I just want to add something to the tank that will eat what's left over from the darters. Right now I stay at the tank and watch them eat till most is gone. Then I add some more. I wanted to go netting today. But all I catch are these lil sunfish like an inch long. They have like striped purple and silver bellies. Very light in color. Where can I see pics of juvenile sunfishes?

I mean the sunfish I can get I can grow out with the darters and then move them into my cichlid tank. Once they are bigger they can't get along with my eartheaters. Just now they would look like a snack. How long could a 1" live with the darters?

Yeah its nice to convert them. I just want to add something to the tank that will eat what's left over from the darters. Right now I stay at the tank and watch them eat till most is gone. Then I add some more. I wanted to go netting today. But all I catch are these lil sunfish like an inch long. They have like striped purple and silver bellies. Very light in color. Where can I see pics of juvenile sunfishes?

Are you netting in a pond/lake? If so you are pretty limited on the species you can catch. Try netting in a creek I don't know whats lives in area but you are more likley to catch some type of shiner, minnows, dace, or chubs which will make better tank mates for your darters.

Are you netting in a pond/lake? If so you are pretty limited on the species you can catch. Try netting in a creek I don't know whats lives in area but you are more likley to catch some type of shiner, minnows, dace, or chubs which will make better tank mates for your darters.

ill be netting in a stream tomorrow on my father in laws property. i have never done that there. im excited!!

Justin,

To answer your question, a 1 inch Lepomis would do fine with darters until the Lepomis is big enough to eat the darters. I know I say this all of the time, but it's a good rule of thumb, "If a fish is small enough to fit in another fish's mouth, it will usually end up there!". If you're going to keep the Lepomis with darters, you have to have a plan for keeping the fish after he out-grows the darter tank. I believe that you said that you were going to put him with your eartheaters when he got bigger. I see no reason why that would be a problem. If you don't know this already, please be aware that release of the Lepomis back in to the wild after you've had him at your home is not an option. Please check this thread for reasons why. If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer if I can. Best of luck!

Brian

Justin,

To answer your question, a 1 inch Lepomis would do fine with darters until the Lepomis is big enough to eat the darters. I know I say this all of the time, but it's a good rule of thumb, "If a fish is small enough to fit in another fish's mouth, it will usually end up there!". If you're going to keep the Lepomis with darters, you have to have a plan for keeping the fish after he out-grows the darter tank. I believe that you said that you were going to put him with your eartheaters when he got bigger. I see no reason why that would be a problem. If you don't know this already, please be aware that release of the Lepomis back in to the wild after you've had him at your home is not an option. Please check this thread for reasons why. If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer if I can. Best of luck!

Brian

hey will florida flag fish go with these guys?

What is the scientific name of "High-Color Rainbow Darter"?

If the selection process goes far enough (multiple generations with fixed differences developed from source population) and subspecies of ancestral population not known, then I would say Etheostoma caeruleum var. some latin or greek name suggestion brighter color if ancestral subspecies not known. This is similar to what is done with plant cultivars.

hey will florida flag fish go with these guys?

Yeah, that will be fine. I keep most of my darters at about 78*F. With proper water circulation this is OK. You don't want to go much over 80*F, though.

Brian

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American Native Fish for
your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Email: bt@btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

Yeah, that will be fine. I keep most of my darters at about 78*F. With proper water circulation this is OK. You don't want to go much over 80*F, though.

Brian

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American Native Fish for
your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Email: bt@btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

i have been keeping my tank at 72*F

i have been keeping my tank at 72*F

That should be OK.

Brian

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American Native Fish for
your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Email: bt@btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

You know,
I dont know how well this works other than the one that i witnessed. There is a local guy that sales bait minnows outside. He has a new heater coil made for a vehicle circulating water through a fridge or the freezer, dont remember. Basically he made a home-made NC style chiller. Worked well, he just sat the coil in the fridge/freezer and had his tubing going through the fridge.

Mike