Edited by wvairman, 05 July 2009 - 06:19 PM.
Quillback carpsuckers
Started by
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, Jul 05 2009 05:38 PM
12 replies to this topic
#1
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Posted 05 July 2009 - 05:38 PM
This is a native fish that I have never encountered. I have a small pond and would like any information that anyone would like to share. I have viewed sites that have them ranging from 12 to 26 inches some picturing them silver, others with a bluish green tint so I thought I would ask those who may have came across some.
#3
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 05:10 AM
Hey, it's a lot better than nothing.I have caught them in the Yazoo drainage in MS. That was over 10 years ago - IIRC I caught just one and it was maybe 4 inches. It was silvery - no blue. It came from RUNNING water. Sorry, not much help here.
#4
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 08:02 AM
They're very skittish fish, have specific feeding requirements (need a substrate to rout through), are touchy as heck to get home and are a poor aquarium choice. I don't know if a pond would make this any better. I imagine you'd need to address all the above just the same, although they may be less skittish once acclimated. I totally understand the appeal, they're awesome fish. But there's a whole lot of other species that are more suitable, with life histories that mesh up much better with the conditions in captivity. So, yeah, I'd take a pass.
Todd
Todd
#5
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 09:00 AM
Great info, I truly appreciate it.They're very skittish fish, have specific feeding requirements (need a substrate to rout through), are touchy as heck to get home and are a poor aquarium choice. I don't know if a pond would make this any better. I imagine you'd need to address all the above just the same, although they may be less skittish once acclimated. I totally understand the appeal, they're awesome fish. But there's a whole lot of other species that are more suitable, with life histories that mesh up much better with the conditions in captivity. So, yeah, I'd take a pass.
Todd
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 11:52 AM
They're very skittish fish, have specific feeding requirements (need a substrate to rout through), are touchy as heck to get home and are a poor aquarium choice. I don't know if a pond would make this any better. I imagine you'd need to address all the above just the same, although they may be less skittish once acclimated. I totally understand the appeal, they're awesome fish. But there's a whole lot of other species that are more suitable, with life histories that mesh up much better with the conditions in captivity. So, yeah, I'd take a pass.
Todd
So the question we need to answer for this gentlemen, is "what similar fish (a native sucker) would be good in a pond?"... is there one, or are they all too highly adapted to stream/river habitats?
I mean, people have carp in ponds, but that's not native... so what other larger suckerish fish could he use?
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 12:09 PM
Carp are omnivores, but sucker are invertivores, so that's one problem. But I think a white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) would do okay if there was frozen supplements, competition with other species was low, and the pond was well established. They'd do better with substrate as well. I think a certain "pond" owner gets away with suckers with having the carpet at the bottom of the pond, as chironomids weave their way into the fibers. But you know me, I'd rather have a bunch of sand and gravel 
Sucker are pretty resource intensive and tough to keep, esp when you can't see them from the side. I wouldn't put one in a pond without knowing a lot more about the pond.
Todd
Sucker are pretty resource intensive and tough to keep, esp when you can't see them from the side. I wouldn't put one in a pond without knowing a lot more about the pond.
Todd
#9
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 12:21 PM
I have had good success with White Suckers and Northern Hogsuckers in the past. I have had good luck with Gizzard Shad as well. I know they are unrelated but a friend of mine tells me he can't keep them alive. Good with Chubs but NO luck with Emeralds.Carp are omnivores, but sucker are invertivores, so that's one problem. But I think a white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) would do okay if there was frozen supplements, competition with other species was low, and the pond was well established. They'd do better with substrate as well. I think a certain "pond" owner gets away with suckers with having the carpet at the bottom of the pond, as chironomids weave their way into the fibers. But you know me, I'd rather have a bunch of sand and gravel
Sucker are pretty resource intensive and tough to keep, esp when you can't see them from the side. I wouldn't put one in a pond without knowing a lot more about the pond.
Todd
Edited by wvairman, 08 July 2009 - 12:31 PM.
#10
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 12:32 PM
I kept a small hogsucker in an aquarium for a while, and he did fine until he met the intake on my filter when the cage fell off the tube. It is hard to get food to them as they like to pick through the gravel and stuff rather than eat fish food. I can imagine that this problem would get worse to deal with in a new pond with little or no food on the bottom ( unless you can sink something they would eat to the bottom, which would be very difficult if there are other fish in the pond. I would have to agree with what has been said about knowing the pond and how long it has been established.
#11
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 12:37 PM
The pond I have now is a preformed pond from Lowes, 300 gallons, but I'm digging out a pond in the back that will be between 7000 and 8000 gallons. What I love the most are Shovelnose Sturgeon.I kept a small hogsucker in an aquarium for a while, and he did fine until he met the intake on my filter when the cage fell off the tube. It is hard to get food to them as they like to pick through the gravel and stuff rather than eat fish food. I can imagine that this problem would get worse to deal with in a new pond with little or no food on the bottom ( unless you can sink something they would eat to the bottom, which would be very difficult if there are other fish in the pond. I would have to agree with what has been said about knowing the pond and how long it has been established.
Edited by wvairman, 08 July 2009 - 12:40 PM.
#12
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 03:27 PM
I think a certain "pond" owner gets away with suckers with having the carpet at the bottom of the pond, as chironomids weave their way into the fibers. But you know me, I'd rather have a bunch of sand and gravel
Sucker are pretty resource intensive and tough to keep, esp when you can't see them from the side. I wouldn't put one in a pond without knowing a lot more about the pond.
Yes, the redhorse do look very nice in that "pond"... and the water is clear enough to see them... so that's probably atypical, but a great example of how to keep some natives in a pond... I should have thought of that.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#13
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 03:43 PM
My best friend is a professor at Arkansas PB in the fisheries dept and he just called and added his two cents as well. He not only agreed with you about it being skittish but also said their environment would be near impossible to duplicate in a pond because they need very strong currents.Yes, the redhorse do look very nice in that "pond"... and the water is clear enough to see them... so that's probably atypical, but a great example of how to keep some natives in a pond... I should have thought of that.
Edited by wvairman, 08 July 2009 - 03:46 PM.
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