Mummichogs To Freshwater

Alrighty. My ph is right at 7. I was wondering what the best way to accumulate these guys into freshwater. Ill be collecting in wells beach maine after the tide goes out in the marsh. I would like to get 1 or 2 for my tank. Also they are with stickle backs...can they be converted as well? Although I do not want them in my tank. Thanks guys

I've found mummichogs way way up freshwater several times. They should acclimate just fine into less salty water through water changes.

I don't know anything about them, but I'd say to take your time and slowly replace their water with fresh.

My experience with mollies (which can also be converted back and forth) is that they will be less prone to infection if you keep the hardness up. The easiest way could be to add something like R/O Right, which increases hardness after water goes through an R/O filter. Or, if you have some crushed coral or crushed sea shells, they would very slowly increase hardness. I might start with the additive, then keep crushed coral/seashell in the tank to help long-term.

My experience with mollies (which can also be converted back and forth) is that they will be less prone to infection if you keep the hardness up. The easiest way could be to add something like R/O Right, which increases hardness after water goes through an R/O filter. Or, if you have some crushed coral or crushed sea shells, they would very slowly increase hardness. I might start with the additive, then keep crushed coral/seashell in the tank to help long-term.

Well I wanted them in my stream tank. So I wouldn't want the crushed coral in there. I would want it in a regular fresh tank. So it might just not work anyway. Oh well

Well I wanted them in my stream tank. So I wouldn't want the crushed coral in there. I would want it in a regular fresh tank. So it might just not work anyway. Oh well

You can still have it as a freshwater tank. Salinity and hardness are two different things. Hardness more or less refers to the amount of dissolved minerals in the water. You can raise these without raising the salinity. Something like this would do the trick: http://www.drsfoster...cfm?pcatid=4128

Can you get Banded Killifish instead? It's a fairly similar fish to the Mummichog, but prefers freshwater.

Can you get Banded Killifish instead? It's a fairly similar fish to the Mummichog, but prefers freshwater.

I have 3 bandeds

Well there you go!

Clearly the solution is to set up a brackish water tank for some mummies and other coastal critters.

Well there you go!

Clearly the solution is to set up a brackish water tank for some mummies and other coastal critters.

Hahah yeah wife would love that. I need to set up another tank just to get all the people from TN, OH, and the rest of the south to mail me darters

Mummies and sticklebacks can be converted easy.
Put them in a five gallon bucket with only two or three inches of salty water.
Put bucket on floor in front of tank. Use airline tubing [extra small id specialty tubing is better for us lab rats ] and get siphon going from tank into bucket.
Tie knot in end of tubing and slowly pull tight until only a slow drip is coming out.
Let slow drip fill bucket to almost full, hopefully hours later [don't forget!].
For sensitive fish I'd pour off most of the first bucket and repeat. With mummies and sticklebacks one bucket full should be enough.
Pour 'em into the tank.
Mummies and sticklebacks are hardy, but will definitely show better color in hard, brackish or even full salt water. There are better choices for pure fresh, bandeds are one good one, rainwaters another. Rainwaters come mostly from salty saltmarshes but seem to adapt real well to tap water, even breeding well.
FYI, threespine stickleback recently appeared on the protected list in MA. At least I think it's recent. I didn't notice it on there until a few weeks ago.
Fourspines are more hardy anyway, if more belligerent.

Mummies and sticklebacks can be converted easy.
Put them in a five gallon bucket with only two or three inches of salty water.
Put bucket on floor in front of tank. Use airline tubing [extra small id specialty tubing is better for us lab rats ] and get siphon going from tank into bucket.
Tie knot in end of tubing and slowly pull tight until only a slow drip is coming out.
Let slow drip fill bucket to almost full, hopefully hours later [don't forget!].
For sensitive fish I'd pour off most of the first bucket and repeat. With mummies and sticklebacks one bucket full should be enough.
Pour 'em into the tank.
Mummies and sticklebacks are hardy, but will definitely show better color in hard, brackish or even full salt water. There are better choices for pure fresh, bandeds are one good one, rainwaters another. Rainwaters come mostly from salty saltmarshes but seem to adapt real well to tap water, even breeding well.
FYI, threespine stickleback recently appeared on the protected list in MA. At least I think it's recent. I didn't notice it on there until a few weeks ago.
Fourspines are more hardy anyway, if more belligerent.

thanks for the info. im just gonna catch them and observe them and release...no need to put them where they arent gonna be happy and thrive. mike where is a good spot on the french river to catch things? and whats in the french river? its right near my parents house...i went there in oxford/leicester line. i caught nothing. i dont know what the deal is...although i did see lot of fry. do you know any definite spots around my area that i can go for some good good shiners and such? thanks

Here's Natureserve's data on the Quinebaug drainage:
http://www.natureser...jsp?huc=1100001

Here's Natureserve's data on the Quinebaug drainage:
http://www.natureser...jsp?huc=1100001

thanks for the link...but ive been to 20 spots on that drainage...i need an exact spot from someone around here..cough cough mikez lol. i know some awesome trout and bass fishing on that drainage...but for netting...nope

thanks for the link...but ive been to 20 spots on that drainage...i need an exact spot from someone around here..cough cough mikez lol. i know some awesome trout and bass fishing on that drainage...but for netting...nope

I haven't actually sampled the French yet. My interest is the madtoms - not found elsewhere in the state.
I know there's lot's of access in the Oxford - Charlton area.

Mummichogs are pretty easy to convert to freshwater. I caught a bunch of them at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester in full salt, and all I had to do was add a little bit of freshwater to the bucket they were in over a period of a couple days until it was mostly freshwater. Then I put them in the freshwater tank and they've been doing great for about a year and a half now.