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Feeding brook silversides

Started by Guest_gzeiger_* , Jul 28 2009 04:17 PM

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23 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 04:17 PM

I just got a school of silversides (Labidesthes sicculus) from Goose Creek, SC. Last time I caught a couple I was far from home and they suffered badly in handling and transport, with only two of four making it home and the remainder dying in just a couple days. This time I had help holding the bucket - thanks Jchampagne! - so they weren't out of the water more than five seconds total, and they seem to be doing great. They have a 60 gallon tank nearly to themselves - just a couple crawdads and bluefin killifish. I'm hoping the larger number will lower the stress level too, since they seem to have a strong instinct for schooling. So far I'm keeping them in very low light conditions, with just a light on in the tank beside them 8 hours a day and the room otherwise darkened.

I've only had them since Saturday, but they're tricky to feed and are starting to look malnourished. They aren't enthusiastic even about frozen bloodworms. I've also tried mysis and brine shrimp and glassworms. Today they ate fairly well from a cup of live mosquito larvae, but I can't keep that up forever. Has anyone successfully kept these? They seem to be midwater feeders, and the frozen food just goes unnoticed if it isn't eaten on the fall.

If Irate wanders by, tell him I'm already tuning my crwth.

Edited by gzeiger, 28 July 2009 - 04:19 PM.

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#2 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 05:54 PM

I had a dozen, some from Arkansas in January, Ohio in May, and Michigan in June. 80% survived transport. I have 7 left. The Brook Silversides lived in 2 20gallon tanks for months. This last month all are in a 190 gallon with a powerhead propeller for current at the surface.

It took about a week for the Silversides to learn to eat flake food off of the water surface. They seem to like HBH Betta Bits the most; sprinkle the food gently so the surface tension keeps the food at the top. I also feed freeze-dried bloodworms. Some days, live daphnia and mosquito larva are added to the tank.

Last month I saw some pre-spawning parallel swimming. Not much activity now.

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#3 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 07:41 PM

How did you get them to even notice flakes? Mine don't even go to the surface to get the mosquitos that survived the first moments after being dumped in.

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#4 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 10:15 PM

If Irate wanders by, tell him I'm already tuning my crwth.

My experience with brook silversides is that in captivity they only eat dead brook silversides. They laugh until they cry, then they die, then they die.

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#5 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 10:21 PM

I once had a Brook Silverside that lived for many months on flake. He never seemed to look well-fed, though. Someone once suggested to me that Silversides might like pin-head crickets. I haven't yet had the opportunity to try this, but I imagine it would work. In nature they eat terrestrial insects. You just have to find a source for pin-heads. Some pet stores carry them, some don't. Hopefully you can find one that does. Best of luck!

Brian

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#6 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 28 July 2009 - 11:28 PM

How did you get them to even notice flakes? Mine don't even go to the surface to get the mosquitos that survived the first moments after being dumped in.

They have short digestive tract with a small stomach so best to assume they are predatory on small easy to digest animals (i.e. zooplankton).

Consider starting a water flea culture or hatching brine shrimp. Also diets formulated for small fry are likley to meet nutritional needs and be palatable. Bumping up salinity al little might improve their appetite.

If you might resort to flake foods, then do not let a single nonfeeding session detour your use of such feeds.

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#7 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 05:14 PM

Try HBH Soft and Moist. You can crumble it if you need to. If they aren't interested, try adding very small amounts of other foods along with mosquito larvae. This may lead to them tasting and getting used to the alternate food.

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#8 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 06:02 PM

They have short digestive tract with a small stomach so best to assume they are predatory on small easy to digest animals (i.e. zooplankton).
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Have you seen HBH Betta Bits? Yes, it's the size of a fair-sized daphnia, .8mm diameter,
but it is a ball of solid food,
more of a meal than an easy to digest treat.
I have seen a Silverside eat 5 Bits in less than 2 minutes.

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#9 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 06:05 PM

I haven't seen the Betta bites, but after I saw your post I tried some Hikari Discus BioGold pellets I had, and I got some small Spectrum sinking pellets. So far, they will hit the pellets but don't recognize them as food, so they get spit out and sink down to the crawdads. I'll keep trying. Maybe if I feed fewer or no mosquitos for a bit they will come around.

I finally got a good count. There are thirteen, all still alive (less the one very sickly one who got fed to a bluegill on arrival at home).

Edited by gzeiger, 30 July 2009 - 06:06 PM.

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#10 Guest_jchampagne_*

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 07:00 PM

They have short digestive tract with a small stomach so best to assume they are predatory on small easy to digest animals (i.e. zooplankton).

Consider starting a water flea culture or hatching brine shrimp. Also diets formulated for small fry are likley to meet nutritional needs and be palatable. Bumping up salinity al little might improve their appetite.

If you might resort to flake foods, then do not let a single nonfeeding session detour your use of such feeds.

What about Hikari First Bites? They are for intended for fry, but just about all of my fish will eat them. Very small slowly sinking granules.

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#11 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 01 August 2009 - 08:05 AM

I don't think size is the problem. The Bio Gold pellets are very small and the fish are definitely big enough to eat them. They just don't recognize it as food yet.

They did start eating frozen Mysis a couple days ago, and after being fed live bloodworms scooped up with the mosquitos for a few days they are starting to eat frozen ones as well, but only the smaller pieces. I still have all 13, and they look better fed now than they did when I started this topic. I think they're going to make it.

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#12 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 02 August 2009 - 01:16 PM

I haven't seen the Betta bites, but after I saw your post I tried some Hikari Discus BioGold pellets I had, and I got some small Spectrum sinking pellets. So far, they will hit the pellets but don't recognize them as food, so they get spit out and sink down to the crawdads. I'll keep trying.

Just like small human children, you sometimes need to offer fish new foods several times before they will be accepted.

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#13 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 02 August 2009 - 11:12 PM

Crickets are not hard to raise if you have a few Rubbermaid totes. I have an article if you're interested - send a P-mail

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#14 Guest_D_Wilkins_*

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Posted 07 August 2009 - 08:16 PM

A trick I use on a regular basis is to put a few fish in the tank that are eating good. If you have some type of shinner or other small nonagressive fish you could add, I would bet very shortly they will be eating well.

Good luck,

David

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#15 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 08 August 2009 - 01:42 AM

Well, that may be part of the trick. They are eating well now pretty much any frozen food I offer. They still spit out pellets, but I'll keep trying.

I do have quite a swarm of H. formosa in there now to keep them company, and half a dozen bluefin killies, so maybe those guys showed them what was good to eat.

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#16 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 08 August 2009 - 03:48 AM

gzeiger,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid that your Silversides are going to really like the young Heterandria formosa, if you get my drift.

Brian

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#17 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 08 August 2009 - 01:04 PM

That's perfectly fine. I've yet to have any young survive. Heterandria are nearly as common as Gambusia hereabouts, and I don't mind them being feeders.