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High Color Rainbow Darter Tankmates


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#1 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 11:49 AM

Ok my darters should be in from brian today or tomorrow. I was gonna have them share a home in my 55 withe ny eartheaters but I think they would just be eaten. So I took the media out of a filter on that tank and added it to a new 20 gallon. Tank looks nice just wanted to know what else I can have in there with them. They don't have to be native. Although I was gonna grow out a sunfish or two in there. But how about apisto cichlids? Ghost shrimp. They are 2 males. Thanks guys.

#2 Guest_Drew_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 12:05 PM

Just FYI, a "High Color Rainbow Darter" is just a rainbow darter.

You can keep them with other darters and just about any minnow or chub, small suckers, and small madtoms.

They would like current but it isn't mandatory.

#3 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 12:10 PM

Just FYI, a "High Color Rainbow Darter" is just a rainbow darter.

You can keep them with other darters and just about any minnow or chub, small suckers, and small madtoms.

They would like current but it isn't mandatory.


Thank you. But anything else that I listed? I'm prob not gonna order anymore darters or minnows any other fish that I can add? Are the ghost shrimp or other shrimp a no go? I'm gonna try a small gymnogeophagus balzani. I have 11 in my other tank. My goal was to try and breed them in the 20.

#4 Guest_Drew_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 01:55 PM

Anything similar to what I listed will work. As long as they are in the right temperature range and won't eat your fish or vice versa. I wouldn't keep them with any cichlids.

If you want them to maintain color, you will want a cooler tank, clean water, water movement and high quality food. Anything less and the colors will fade. So keep that in mind when choosing tankmates.

#5 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 02:00 PM

Yeah I only feed blood worms. Live blackworms and cichlid pellets and flakes. Gymno geos prefer cooler water as well they are from southern uruguay. What temp do u recommend?

#6 Guest_gdthom2_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 07:28 PM

I dont keep a heater in my darter tank, and my house gets to about 75 in the summer. So I would say mid 70's at the high end, and anything lower is usually better. Darters can probably stand somewhat higher temps, but I would not recommend keeping them in 80+ water year-round

#7 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 07:33 PM

I dont keep a heater in my darter tank, and my house gets to about 75 in the summer. So I would say mid 70's at the high end, and anything lower is usually better. Darters can probably stand somewhat higher temps, but I would not recommend keeping them in 80+ water year-round


ok i just checked the thermometer in the tank...its reading 81 right now. so im freaking out..they wont be here till tomorrow....is it ok for them to be in warm water for like the summer then low 70s for the winter, spring, fall? i have no way to really make the room colder...at night i can open windows therefore dropping the temp...but i mean is 80 degree ok for some of the day? i would assume it would drop in temp at night in the room?

#8 Guest_gdthom2_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 08:31 PM

It is probably not ideal and they might lose some of their color, but they seem to be very hardy fish. You should be fine, I think good water movement will help. But keep in mind the temp of the water that they are being shipped in. Make sure to take your time in acclimating them to your water and raising the temp of the water the fish are in. If I were to guess, I would say that BTDarters keeps his water in the low 70's. Good luck!!

#9 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 08:33 PM

It is probably not ideal and they might lose some of their color, but they seem to be very hardy fish. You should be fine, I think good water movement will help. But keep in mind the temp of the water that they are being shipped in. Make sure to take your time in acclimating them to your water and raising the temp of the water the fish are in. If I were to guess, I would say that BTDarters keeps his water in the low 70's. Good luck!!



yeah im def gonna take my time... i am running 2 aquaclear 50's on the 20 gallon tank.

#10 Guest_gdthom2_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 08:39 PM

yeah you should be fine then, cant wait to see some pics when its all set up!!! I would also make sure to keep your light on for only about 8 hours or so a day. In that small of a tank, depending on the lighting, it can really add some heat to the water.

#11 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 08:43 PM

yeah you should be fine then, cant wait to see some pics when its all set up!!! I would also make sure to keep your light on for only about 8 hours or so a day. In that small of a tank, depending on the lighting, it can really add some heat to the water.


i was thinking of not even putting a light on and just using the light from the room itself..its a very well lit rooms. do you think i will need an airstone if i leave 2 inches from the top free of water and just let the filter oxynigate it?

#12 Guest_gdthom2_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 09:22 PM

2 aquaclear 50's should be fine, but any extra aeration should be alright as well.

#13 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 09:39 PM

ok here is the tank now. theres an AC 30 and an AC 50...if need be i can put a AC 50 from my 55 gallon which is over filtered. but here is the setup now. anyone have any other ideas? im new to darters so anything will help!! also now that ive opened the windows the temp is almost at 78...im just worried the flux in temp throughout the day would cause damage...but maybe thats how it is in the wild? hot in the day cold at night?

#14 Guest_dafrimpster_*

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 11:19 PM

If you have an open top you can place a fan so it blows across the surface of the water to provide at least some cooling.

#15 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 05:37 AM

If you have an open top you can place a fan so it blows across the surface of the water to provide at least some cooling.


overnight the temp in the tank went down to 72 where its at now. hopefully i can maintain that

#16 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 08:19 PM

overnight the temp in the tank went down to 72 where its at now. hopefully i can maintain that


My tank stays around 70 and I haven't had a problem with the shiners or darters. During the winter the temp stayed in the mid 60's. If you have an open top you can definitely drop the temp down 2-3 degrees by having a fan blowing over the surface. However this will rapidly speed evaporation and you'll be adding extra water maybe 1-2 times a week, depending on the factors (speed, temp, etc...)

Ideally, an air conditioned room would help keep the temp down, but if that isn't possible, I would go for a fan. Even if you can't have it blow over the water's surface, just one blowing on the tank should help a degree or two.

Just monitor them closely for signs of stress due to the temp. Panting, swimming to the surface, etc... Be advised you'll see these signs for the 1st week or so after you put the fish in due to the stress of shipping, transfer, etc... When I add my darters, they usually pant and swim up the sides for a week or two until they are used to their surroundings.

#17 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 01:05 AM

Justin,

Sorry to chime-in so late here, but I've been off of the forum for a few days. My tank temps usually run about 78*F most of the year. They can get close to 80*F in the summer, though. I try to keep my fish cooler than that, but sometimes in the summer it's unavoidable. As long as I have the tanks well-filtered and well-oxygenated, I don't seem to run in to any problems. Hope this helps. If you need to contact me, email or by phone are the fastest ways to reach me. Also, Drew, a "High-Color Rainbow Darter" is a Rainbow that I grade out as having better color than the average Rainbow Darter that I collect. So "High-Color Rainbow Darter" isn't just a Rainbow Darter.

Brian

#18 Guest_Drew_*

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 09:37 AM

Also, Drew, a "High-Color Rainbow Darter" is a Rainbow that I grade out as having better color than the average Rainbow Darter that I collect. So "High-Color Rainbow Darter" isn't just a Rainbow Darter.


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

#19 Guest_bumpylemon_*

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 09:48 AM

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.

#20 Guest_Drew_*

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 09:54 AM

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.


No, only a couple of Lepomis spp. would work, definitely not those two.




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