PA natives

Im interested in keeping Black nosed dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) and maybe pumpkin seed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). I have a large preformed pond set up. I was wondering if I can keep the daces in the pond but am concerned about the temps in the summer. What temperature should they be kept at if kept in an aquarium? Would I need a chiller for the fish tank? There is also a darter Im interested in to but have to identify it to make sure its not protected first that I'd like to keep with the daces.

Edited by exasperatus2002, 11 May 2010 - 09:50 AM.

Im interested in keeping Black nosed dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) and maybe pumpkin seed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). I have a large preformed pond set up. I was wondering if I can keep the daces in the pond but am concerned about the temps in the summer. What temperature should they be kept at if kept in an aquarium? Would I need a chiller for the fish tank? There is also a darter Im interested in to but have to identify it to make sure its not protected first that I'd like to keep with the daces.

Its the Tessellated Darter (Etheostoma olmstedi).

I'd put pumpkinseed in your pond and dace + darters in an indoor aquarium in a room you can keep coolish. Blacknose dace rarely occur in streams that get warmer than 76 F peak summer temp. And they need high dissolved oxygen that may be difficult to provide in a pond in summer. Sunfish will likely eat darters in a pond, and even if they dont you'll hardly ever see them.

I'd put pumpkinseed in your pond and dace + darters in an indoor aquarium in a room you can keep coolish. Blacknose dace rarely occur in streams that get warmer than 76 F peak summer temp. And they need high dissolved oxygen that may be difficult to provide in a pond in summer. Sunfish will likely eat darters in a pond, and even if they dont you'll hardly ever see them.

Yah, what he said.
The dace will do surprisingly well in the standing water - until the heat catches up. Then you'll see a bunch of little missiles launching one by one from the pond till none are left. They won't wait around to die, they'll go airborne right quick.
Both tesselated and BND are reasonably tolerent of warmer and slower water in a clean well aerated indoor tank. They start stressing about when you were gonna put the AC on anyway. I kept both for years in my cellar with no AC or cooling of any kind.

Yah, what he said.
The dace will do surprisingly well in the standing water - until the heat catches up. Then you'll see a bunch of little missiles launching one by one from the pond till none are left. They won't wait around to die, they'll go airborne right quick.
Both tesselated and BND are reasonably tolerent of warmer and slower water in a clean well aerated indoor tank. They start stressing about when you were gonna put the AC on anyway. I kept both for years in my cellar with no AC or cooling of any kind.

Do the Darters set up territories like cichlids do?