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Long Term Pirate Perch Project


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#21 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 28 October 2007 - 11:50 PM

I must wonder though...are these interesting aquarium fish? I've always been intrigued by them but they don't seem like they'd exhibit many behaviors in the aquarium...at least while you are looking during the day.


If you're not interested in Pirate perch before you acquire your first fish, I doubt you'd find them to be an ideal aquarium fish. They don't have the snazzy color of darters and the don't have the activity of minnows but I've had great success and enjoyment keeping them in the right community tanks. No doubt this is an oddball fish but not entirely unattractive. In my tanks they don't seem to hide much and become quite friendly to me (after all I am the food source). In numbers they are quite fun to watch. They appear more active than in community tanks and always slowly "patrol". Interaction among other Pirate perches is highly entertaining. I find them a load of fun in community tanks as well. I might be a wee bit nutty though.

Update:
While out of town for a week my fish were overfed. I keep them pretty well fed (fat) but when I came home most of the fish had portions of their intestines outside of them. I was horrified to say the least. This condition lasted for two weeks in most and almost double for others. I now have to be very careful with portions since a few have "popped" again after too large a meal. I lost one fish and I'm honestly not sure if this condition lead to it's demise. I hope this will not permanently effect my spawning efforts this spring. I can at least report that Pirate perch are gluttons to the point of a near death experience.

#22 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*

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Posted 30 October 2007 - 02:18 PM

I've never kept a pirate perch before, but my friend has and he would feed it worms and fish right out of his hand. They seem like a lot of fun to keep.
That's too bad about the overfeeding. Hopefully it won't happen again.

#23 Guest_hmt321_*

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Posted 30 October 2007 - 02:43 PM

If you're not interested in Pirate perch before you acquire your first fish, I doubt you'd find them to be an ideal aquarium fish. They don't have the snazzy color of darters and the don't have the activity of minnows but I've had great success and enjoyment keeping them in the right community tanks. No doubt this is an oddball fish but not entirely unattractive. In my tanks they don't seem to hide much and become quite friendly to me (after all I am the food source). In numbers they are quite fun to watch. They appear more active than in community tanks and always slowly "patrol". Interaction among other Pirate perches is highly entertaining. I find them a load of fun in community tanks as well. I might be a wee bit nutty though.

Update:
While out of town for a week my fish were overfed. I keep them pretty well fed (fat) but when I came home most of the fish had portions of their intestines outside of them. I was horrified to say the least. This condition lasted for two weeks in most and almost double for others. I now have to be very careful with portions since a few have "popped" again after too large a meal. I lost one fish and I'm honestly not sure if this condition lead to it's demise. I hope this will not permanently effect my spawning efforts this spring. I can at least report that Pirate perch are gluttons to the point of a near death experience.


this is interesting, what would these fish do during a mayfly hatch when there is abundant food for 3-5 weeks? do they pop? or do you think I am comparing apples to apples?

#24 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 October 2007 - 04:06 PM

this is interesting, what would these fish do during a mayfly hatch when there is abundant food for 3-5 weeks? do they pop? or do you think I am comparing apples to apples?


I think it's a fine comparison actually and I'm not sure what to make of my recent experiences. Last year I killed 3 bluespotted sunfish due to gluttony when I changed food supply. I can only guess that fish in very rich areas might suffer from overeating issues or perhaps blackworms are really tasty (they sure don't smell tasty). I must also consider the fact that I'm very careful about the volume I feed and tend to feed very regular amounts and very regular intervals. I might have trained the fishes to a particular way and they simply ate more than they were used to. Captive care simply isn't natural. Fish in the wild might stretch their body parts to accommodate the abundant times and I've not simulated that at home.

#25 Guest_critterguy_*

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Posted 12 November 2007 - 11:44 PM

Could you compare them/interactions at all to Elassoma? Great to hear they are not nocturnal in captivity.

#26 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 12:00 AM

Could you compare them/interactions at all to Elassoma? Great to hear they are not nocturnal in captivity.


I wouldn't compare them to Elassoma based on interactions. I find Elassoma are in a constant state of courtship which tends to keep the males always staking out territory and conquering new territory when possible. Females just seem to always be on the lookout for the next meal. Aphredoderus are rather chummy most of the time and tend to congregate together. Once food is present, they tend to snap a bit among themselves but this appears to gain the best position for feeding and soon disappears once feeding is over. Adult fish tend to get a little ornery around younger/smaller fish if you skip feeds. I've seen very little territorial issues if the fishes are well fed.

#27 Guest_critterguy_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 12:06 AM

Interesting stuff. I wonder if this fighting over the best space to get food is common in the wild. I've seen it in a lot of fish, notably Heterandria formosa. It seems ridiculous to think it would be worth it to waste energy chasing other fish away from a spot where flakes have congregated while the other fish are gorging themselves happily.

#28 Guest_hmt321_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 07:54 AM

I would think that it is instinctive behavior, the fish know that there is more food in a certain spot at a certain time.
i would doubt there is any "reasoning" behind it

#29 Guest_fuzzyletters_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 04:08 PM

Did you change the diet while you were gone? Some fish are susceptible to intestinal blockage I think (blood parrots come to mind) and maybe that would've affected things?

#30 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 04:18 PM

Did you change the diet while you were gone?

Nope, only the person administering feeds and almost certainly the amount.

#31 Guest_rockbassbud5_*

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Posted 13 November 2007 - 08:47 PM

Wow! I didn't realize that a fish could die due to overeating. Ovbiously I realized that they could choke or something of the sorts but didnt think they could really over eat to the point of fatality! My chubs sometimes eat so much that they can't swim but usually just sit in a plant for a few hours until they digest most of the meal. Sorry to hear about your pirate perch because they are really awesome fish. I had one this summer but it just died unexpectedly a month or so ago.

#32 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 25 February 2008 - 12:28 PM

Update:

Late last fall I decided to put two small fish that I was holding for friends. I had run out of room in quarantine tanks and though it would be fine to hold them temporarily in the P. perch tank. Within three weeks only one P. perch survived. Prior to death all of the Pirate perch appeared healthy. Some unknown disease wiped out the whole stock. I decided not to pass this bug along to friends and now only one P. perch remains along with the two fish I placed in the tank. I'm not sure what ripped through the stock but once again I'm reminded of the importance of quarantine.

#33 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 25 February 2008 - 01:27 PM

That stinks!
Any guesses on what the bug was?
I hate stories like that because I'm kinda lax when it comes to quarantine. I scrutinize the new comers for any sign of illness but I realize that's not really reliable. I've been lucky so far.
I find collecting wild actually is better than buying pet store fish. Natural selection is more efficient at culling the sick ones than the dealers are.
Kinda funny because it is SO contrary to conventional wisdom in the mainstream hobby.

#34 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 04 March 2008 - 09:18 PM

Anyone efforting to breed pirate perch this spring?

#35 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 04 March 2008 - 10:36 PM

Anyone efforting to breed pirate perch this spring?



I will have the space and likely try with spring captures. I'm a little disappointed with this run since I've never had issues with maintaining A. sayanus in the past. This group seemed particularly healthy prior my introduction.

#36 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 08 January 2009 - 08:56 AM

Teleost,

I am trying to condition after about 8 months confinement a group of wild caught pirate perch. They would readily consume a range of foods but would not fatten up. We have had some extra sunfish broods so I began adding prolarvae to pirate perch tank. The pirate perch feed aggressively, gotten tamer, and are fattening up. Fathead minnows or the like, maybe as affective for conditioning pirate perch. GOtta find a way to get these guys to perform consistently.




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