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Breeders Club Ezine 2
Volume 2 number 2
Native Fish Conservancy?s Breeders Club EZINE Volume 2 number 2 Febuary - March 2000 Well we made it to our third issue! Our last efforts were well received and before the collecting season started I thought Id better get a second issue out. You will notice we now have 3 articles in addition to our usual club business. A trend we want to continue so send in your articles to president@nativefish.org. We plan on doing six ezines this year no guarantee on their spacing. Feel free to pass on the ezine in its entirety to newsgroups, friends, and aquarium clubs anyone with an interest. On the fish front we continue to acquire unusual and unique species for the breeders program including the recent addition of Ellasoma boehlkei. Commonly known as the Carolina pygmy sunfish. We hope to have an auction of our f1?s and f2's of common species in the summer to raise funds for further activities. Remember to be in the breeders club you must join the NFC and the Breeder?s Club and agree to follow all state and federal regs. After that we start sending you fish. So if your serious about fish and conservation please join us today online at www.nativefish.org . If you find someone else is in the club is breeding the fish you were all excited to work with relax. We only have 10% of the worlds fish species to do life histories before we can call our North America job complete. So I am sure there is something else to work with. Until next time good luck and good spawning
The Breeders Club Guys (Bill D, Charles A, Klaus S and always in the background R.R. ) Jordanella floridae Ray Ravary South-eastern Michigan Aquarist League For a picture follow this link http://www.nativefish.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/nativefish/gallery.pl?MODE=FISH_VIEW&ID=548link The American Flagfish, a patriotic name, implying an apple pie type of fishe exhibiting the traits of the United States. While the species is not limited to the U.S. only, it extends from Mexico to Florida. I've collected this species in southern Florida, and found it in fish stores up here in snowy southeastern Michigan. I collected this fish in boggy ditches, canals, and swamps in Florida between Ft. Meyers and the Everglades. I also collected some up in the Orlando area from the same type of slow water environments that I found them in further south. This species is part of the generic "killifish" family. It is the only member of the Jordanella family. Not being a taxonomist I would guess the species is related to the pupfish, because of its body shape. Flagfish exhibit the same deep-bodied form seen in the pupfish family. While some consider many pupfish to be dull colored, the Flagfish is resplendent. Depending on your source of the fish, they exhibit reds, blues, greens, yellows, as well as pale whites and browns. The forms I've gotten usually have red tinted fins. The body is a pale green or brown background with red horizontal stripes; the counter striping can range from metallic green to blue. Pale white to yellow speckling is interspersed across the body. Hence the name, the Flagfish--it has the red and blue with the white stars spangled across the body. The very center of the body shows a prominent black spot. Sometimes dark horizontal bars show on the body. I think the minor variations in the coloring are due to care given to the fish. Keep in mind food, water chemistry, lighting, temperature, planting, and substrate color all affect fishes coloring. The more natural the situation the more vibrant the coloring. I found livefood seems to maximize color as well as the specimens readiness to breed. I've had success spawning these fish in two different situations. I use tanks of 20+ gallons with dark gravel (dark brown). The tanks were heavily planted with hornwort and had duckweed on the surface. I also have had success with tanks that had a good supply of Java moss in them. My tanks were low light tanks with 1 to 2 Watts/Gal. My water is liquid rock Detroit water with a pH of at least 8. Feeding was live blackworms and brineshrimp, spirolina, freeze dried ocean plankton, and live mosquito larva. The tanks were not highly monitored and the fry were left to survive as they could--too many plants. Algae and spirolina seem to be necessary for healthy fish. The fats (HUFA) in the live food and the ocean plankton seem to help all my other fish spawn. The other set ups I've had success with are 8-12 inch deep kiddy pools between 4 to 6 feet in diameter. I dig them into the ground till they are level with the ground surface. They had water hyacinths that spread all across the surface. I observed males staking out territories near/under the root zone of the water hyacinths and inticing the females to them by shimming and displaying. The beginning water parameters were the same as the tank setups. The exception is that the season would only bring one or two water changes all summer, verses trying to do weekly 20% water changes. The water was topped off with the hose or rain. Mosquito?s breed freely and were the primary food of the fish, the fry thrived on the green water that periodically bloomed in the pond (so did the mosquito larvae). Production dropped off when the green water dropped off. I felt the fish were egg eaters also. While the hyacinths limited the nutrients for the green water, it provided heavy cover for the eggs as well as easily delineated and dependable sites for spawning. My pond fish grew rapidly and spawned freely. Their colors were magnificent and the closest to my wild caught right after their capture. NATIVE FISH WISH LIST: Febuary 2000 If you want your ad to be added or deleted to/from the wish list drop me a note at lepomis3@email.msn.com to or Join the Fish Wish List at FWL@actwin.com by sending a note to Majordoma@actwin.com with the following message in the body subscribe FWL. This list is provided a service to interested parties and emails lists. I accept NO responsibility for any bad trades or illegal actions resulting from contacts made on this list. Deadbeat traders will be kicked off the list. All parties are expected to act in good faith and follow all applicable laws. (I just type the list folks ) All ads subject to rejection solely at my discretion. This list is affiliated with The NFC breeders Program and may be reposted in it's entirety without permission. If you want to look at these fish or the Breeders program go to the NFC website at www.nativefish.org and check out their HUGE photo gallery. ************************************************************************************************ THE NFC Breeders Club has LOTS of neat native fish available for free to people willing to share their breeding success with the NFC. Check them out on the NFC website at www.nativefish.org or contact the breeding guy at president@nativefish.org Todd Daniels. (507) 365-8081 Thurs. through Sundays; or email daniels.todd@mayo.edu ; or snaildarter mail 73323 270th Ave. Hayfield, MN 55940..Want a few Orangespotted sunfish. Young of year or older is fine. Have to trade: YOY dollar sunfish (1/2"), green sunfish(1-2"), rock bass, really cool fish(1-2") or smallmouth bass(2-3"). What would you like? Hanford High School Biology class attn.: Scott Page email HanfordSci@aol.com website- http://www.rsd.edu/schools/hanfordhigh/aquatic/nfc.html : Has Fundulus linelatus , Wild caught ERP Cichlids , Heterandria Formosa, Fundulus Chrysotus, bluefin killie, bluespotted sunfish, orangethroat darters and tons of other unique native fishes for sale/ trade. If you are a school teacher ask me how to turn your class room into a conservation tool that is financially self supporting. People in Washington State check out what we are doing locally . Robert Rice-Email Lepomis3@email.msn.com JOIN A GAINESVILLE FLORIDA REGIONAL NFC CHAPTER !CHECK WITH ME FOR DETAILS. John Brill- 61 Brookside Ave. Livingstone, NJ 07039 HAS FOR TRADE: Enneacanthus chaetodon , E.gloriosus , E.obesus, Umbra pygmaea , Aphredoderus sayanus (Pirate Perch very rare in NJ) , Etheostoma fusiforme , Fundulus heteroclitus , Cyprinidon variegatus ovinus , Lucania parva, Syngnathus fuscus, Mendina beryllina and many other Atlantic coastal plain and estuarine species. WANTS: Lota lota , Archoplites interrupts, Hiodon spp. , Aplodinotus cycleptus, Ictiobus and other sucker species, or anything else I haven't had before. Write or call first; all correspondence answered. Some recent bad experiences with deadbeat traders. Only interested in hearing from people who are serious about trading and willing to reciprocate. Tim Wolfe -2911 Belle Aire Blvd. Theodore, AL 36582 Phone #: (334) 973-2524. HAS FOR TRADE: Flagfin shiners, sailfin shiners, Elassoma species, many others. ALSO HAS: tropicals including angels,guppies , Corydoras catfish for trade. WANTS : Various darters andCarolina shiners for breeding program. Ray Katula - Missifishppi Aquatics, Box 58, Genoa, WI 54632. (608) 689-2726 email: missfish_aqua@hotmail.com Has for sale/trade: 3 bucks a piece plus shipping.Species List: Flame chubs, Variegated darters, Phalen Lake Rainbow darters, Squamosum Orangethroat darters,Red shinersHighline Carpsuckers, Spotted Suckers,Flame Chubs, Southern Redbelly Dace Redside Dace. Bruce Scott 520 E. Lake Hazel Rd., Meridian, ID 83642 Email: br0630@aol.com HAS FOR SALE OR TRADE: H. Formosa, [tadpole madtoms (N. gyrinus), some less than 1" long, and dwarf crayfish (C. shufeldtii); can get small pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow perch, white crappie at certain times of the year. WANTS: margined matoms (N. insignis), orangefin madtoms (gilberti), leastmadtoms (N. hildebrandi), Neosho midget crayfish (O. macrus), any pygmy sunfish (Elassoma)and any or all kinds of crayfish. Please write or e-mail me on shipping crayfish as I have a pretty surefire way of doing it with minimal losses. Ron Romigh 604 Allen Avenue, Monaca, PA 15061-1606. Phone #: (412) 775-6112. Email: rromigh@ccia.com . WANTS TO BUY: Lucania goodei, F. Zebrinus ,colorful breedable darters, E. evergladi, E. okeefenokee, E.boelkei , E. okatie, E.spring , Ennecanthus obesus, E.chaetodon , Lepomis marginatus, L. humilus and L. symmetricus. Andrew Borgia, P.O Box 4346, Key West, FL 33041 Phone # (305) 294-8739. Email noturus2@aol.com HAS FOR TRADE: A great variety of marine specimens and inverts for trade, also has some Key West herps for trade. WANTS:Interested in a great variety of North American species for a private preserved collection. DWIGHT D. MOODY P.O. Box 214, East Montpelier, VT 05651 Phone #: home - (802)476-0685; work (802)241-3482. Email address:dwightmoody@hotmail.com HAS: Hetandria Formosa for sale or trade. ALSO HAS OR CAN GET: a wide variety of Vermont species between mid-Apriland the end of November, including Fundulus diaphanous, northern Redbelly dace , slimy sculpins ,trout-perch, burbot, various minnows, catfish, shiners, etc. John Laurent, P.O. Box 1018, Bartow, FL 33831Email: jfranklaurent@msn.com WANTS: I am interested in buying and 8Rearing information on the Following species: Blue nose shiners, red shiners,pygmy Sunfish, flagfin & sailfin shiners, blue spotted sunfish, Orange spotted sunfish, and rainbow darters. HAS: For Commercial sale Shovelnose sturgeon , Florida gar others . CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE WWW.JURRASSICFISHES.COM Ray Suydam - email : raysuy@webtv.net , Long Island NY Wants :Colorful Daces- Minnows-Plants. Has for trade asst. exotickillifish custom spawning mops- shipping boxes. Serious replies only. Dan McMonigle, 3896 Boston Rd., Brunswick, OH 44212-1262, ph#440-238-8336 email Mcdaphnia@aol.com : Sell or Trade: Live Daphnia, Cypris, or Cyclops $5/portion Spotted Gambusia holbrooki-southern Florida strain with nearly all spotted males, some spotted females $15/pair Can get sticklebacks, darters for trades Want small species of sunfish Bruce Bernard: Email : bruce_bernard@yahoo.com WANTED: Olympic Mudminnows. Buy or trade for killies, native or exotic. Josh Wiegert Email: Joshuaw@paul.paulsmiths.edu , Paul Smiths College Box 1294, Paul Smiths, NY 12970 (Sept-Mid Dec, Jan-May. e-mail for address outside of this): Wants : ANY Darters, esp. Riffle and Twig Spawners. Willing to trade for anything else. Has (or can get): Wide variety of plants. Some small perch. E. olmstedi, E. nigrum, some tropicals, esp. Cichlid. Currently living in the middle of nowhere, far from any pet shops. Interested in talking to people willing to trade tropicals, as well. Jeremy Carroll- email: eagle@on-net.net : Wants to buy: flathead catfish fry, channel catfish fry, blue catfish fry, ANY MADTOMS ! I love catfish, looking to share with others with similar interests. Also any info people have on the Iridescent Shark (pangasius suchi). GARY ROLLWAGE - grollwag@oilstates.com WANTED:JUVENILE OZARK BASS, SHADOW BASS, FLIER, MUD SUNFISH OR WARMOUTH Ron Brooks email- orchid@kellnet.com , Want to buy : Java Moss , Notropis Chrosomus - Rainbow Shiner, Elassoma Boehlke - Carolina Pygmy Sunfish Etheostoma Acuticeps - Sharphead Darter, Etheostoma Caeruleum - Rainbow Darter Chris AKA - Skiwee10@aol.com writes: I have/can get the following native species and they are sold at reasonable prices. Bluegill ,Juvenile Largemouth Bass- 1 -2 inch range specimens seasonally available, 6 inches or more available year round .Yellow bullheads/ Black bullheads Channel Catfish above 8 inches , Green Sunfish, Softshell turtle juvenile specimens ,Green turtle juvenile specimens ,Crawdads year round and very cheap! Green frogs/bullfrogs year round contact me if you have any specific species you are wanting to buy by emailing me at Skiwee10@aol.com, chances are I may be able to get it for you.Wanted- Channel, White, Bullhead(any species), Flathead, or Blue catfish juveniles in the 1 to 3 inch range, if you can get any or all of these email me for trade or buying info. Chris Imraan Seedat e-mail: iseedat@bigfoot.com -Please add my request for Lepomis megalotis sent to South Africa Dollar Sunfish: Spawning Two Varieties of Lepomis marginatus by: R. W. Wolff I have spawned two varieties of the three marginatus that I know of. The first is from North Carolina, and the second is from Louisiana. I will describe the differences in the two populations and the methods I used to spawn them. Distinguishing the two strains: The two distinct strains, or distinct variations, of the dollar sunfish are unique, as even the females are distinguishable. The North Carolina, or eastern variety is a pastel fish with larger than average fins and a golden orange background color. The Louisiana variety has dark blue markings and a dark orange-red background color. The fins are of typical size for Lepomis. Both males have extended ventral fins rays of the front. The other difference, rather than being color orientated is the feeding habits and construction of the mouth. The eastern variety has a more down slung, or subterminal, mouth. It prefers to feed in the mid-water areas, where as the Western variety has a superior mouth, and will more willingly feed off the surface than the bottom. Both strains enjoy the same foods, and adapt to commercial prepared foods readily. Feeding for proper breeding conditioning: Prepared foods are not to be used except for filler. Proper feeding must include a variety of live foods. The best foods for this are earthworms from rich soil, but not manure piles, tiny fish, small crustaceans or pieces of larger ones, and crickets dusted with a vitamin powder. Fish must be fed heavily at least once a day. I like to feed non- aquatic foods in the morning, and aquatic ones late in the day. The reason is during the day the fish will pick up some of the uneaten foods. The aquatic foods will be alive the next morning for the fish to eat. Other considerations to preparing fish for spawning: I do no other things other than start a feeding program to get dollar sunfish to spawn. I?m sure a cooling period, coinciding with a shorter photoperiod would help the process along, but this was never an option in my set-ups in the past due to other inhabitants of the fish room requiring heat. So this being the hardest part of inducing spawning, and being able to forgo it, that makes dollars that much nicer for breeding. Three methods outlined: I have spawned dollar sunfish in three different ways. The first is what I refer to as cheating (although there is nothing at all wrong with this method) is conditioning the pair or group to spawn with the feeding regimen above. Then move the fish outside to a pool. The pool should consist of two depths, a shallow gravel covered area, protected by gnarled roots and some floating weeds. The deep area should be heavily vegetated. The second method is in a larger 3-4 foot tank, set up in a natural way with weeds and roots etc. The third method is in a ten gallon. You will need two ten gallons side by side, or a sturdy divider in the one tank. The breeding pair should not be raised together in the ten gallon, but in the tank from option two. The ten-gallon should have a nice layer of gravel and a floating mass of plants. I used no filtration in the pond, and foam filters in the aquariums. Two 40-watt bulbs, one warm white and one cool white in the fixture do lighting the aquariums. Pool spawning method detailed: Having set up the pool as mentioned above and having water temperatures of the mid to upper seventies you can add fish, if they are not already in the pool. Keep feeding the fish as you would in an aquarium, but be careful none of the live foods are something that will consider your fish fry to be food for them. The male should set up a nest in the shallow part of the pool, maybe underneath roots or weeds. You may not notice the nest, but if he stays in his spot when disturbed, he most likely has a nest fanned out. Sunfish will spawn at any time in the day, so you will have to watch for eggs. As soon as the male is guarding eggs you will want to remove the female(s). The easiest way to do this is to actually fish them out with hook and line from the deeper part of the pool. You don?t want to catch the male off his nest, although he should not quit guarding it if this happens. After fry are noticed not staying in the nest area, the male should be removed too. You can supplement the fry?s diet with baby brine shrimp, or daphnia, but there should be plenty of this naturally. Large aquarium spawning: Set up a 30 to 75 gallon aquarium as a natural set-up. Make sure the plant and driftwood cover is very thick. One or two males and two to four females can be added. Males should start defending areas and fanning nests. Heavy feeding is important, as are water changes. The females should start to fill up with eggs. If this all works as planned, spawning will commence. Remove any males that are not nesting. After spawning remove females as soon as possible, as the male dollar sunfish will kill them. Eggs will hatch in three days approximately. Continue to let the male guard the fry. He should not eat them, but may clean fry with his mouth, and catch any ?early nest leavers? and put them back in the safety of the nest. It is important that the plant growth is thick, this will stimulate small infusoria to grow. The fry will feed off this when the yolk sack is depleted. Once the yolk sack is depleted, the fry should be free swimming and taking baby brine shrimp. Remove the male at this time, and any possible remaining adults. Continue to raise the fry in the tank. Feed as many times as possible, but make sure all food is eaten. It is very hard to clean a tank full of fry. The fry should grow quickly and begin to accept other small live foods, what ever you may have available. Keep trying to feed the fry larger food items as they can handle them, this seems to increase growth speed. Once the young fish reach quarter size they may accept prepared foods. I have not had dollar sunfish accept prepared foods until they were almost tow inches in length. Why this is I?m not certain, as most other species will take prepared foods from the start. Ten-gallon spawning method: This method is the first method I employed. It is nice for someone with limited space. It is more time consuming and is more work. Have two ten-gallon aquariums set up side by side. Put the same gravel in each, some thick mass of floating plants, and a foam filter. Have a divider cut for one of the ten gallons. Condition the male and a female in each tank. If the male is to busy watching the female, slip a piece of paper between the tanks. When the male has fanned the nest, and the female is ripe with eggs ( this is a full looking belly, even long after feeding), place the divider in the tank with the male, then add the female. Flip the divider up to let the female in with the male, and watch carefully. The male will continue the courtship dance, which consists of a display, by a blinding dash around the perimeter of the tank. If the female wants to spawn with this male, she will take on female spawning coloration. This consists of dark and light bars alternating down the side, gray and black looking. The transformation is so different from the original coloration, she looks like a different fish. If this happens you are likely going to end up with eggs that are fertilized. The two fish will go to the nest, the female will lie on her side, the male will stay upright, and they will circle the nest, stopping every so often to drop a few eggs and fertilize them. Usually when the male is done, he will drive the female from the nest. It is important to remove her, or put her on the other side of the divider , or she will be killed quickly. This is one of the functions of the floating weeds, to provide refuge for the female once spawning is complete. The other is it provides food for the fry when they hatch. Once the fry are free swimming, remove the male or both parents. Then the cycle can be repeated in another set up, while the fry begin growing in this tank. The fry: Now, out of the three methods mentioned, I hope you have more fry then you thought possible. Within a little over a year, these fish should be able to spawn themselves. Be sure to pass the extras along to other Aquarists that may be interested. It is also nice to have a garden pond to put them into. Dollar sunfish show off nice colors when the sun shines on them as they swim through a garden pond. Dollar sunfish are not usually aggressive to non-sunfish type fish, granted these are not small enough to be a meal. You could have a nice natural set-up with some of the killifish or other small fish that are found in its habitat. Other important notes: Do not mix strains of dollar sunfish, unless this is to be carefully documented, and none of the F1s passed unwittingly to other Aquarists. Due to the uniqueness of this, as well as other species of fish throughout their range it, would be near to hybridization to mix them. The way I keep my fish straight is to add a location name onto there Latin name on the tank label. I borrowed this from the killifish keepers, because it works for these fish, why not our native species. You never know, after more study is done, you might have a new species in your tank already at home. Finny Critters Care And Maintenance
Konrad Schmidt St. Paul MN. Too Much TLC - This Editor's many hats includes a stint in a pet store selling tropical fish. The most common problem, which confronted novice Aquarists, was overfeeding their fish. Cloudy water and copious amounts of food accumulating (and rotting) on the bottom were rarely acknowledged in time to prevent the imminent disaster. Some well meaning fish keepers would feed three times a day just like people when actually once a day is just fine and if you miss a day or even a weekend - no problem. In fact, as long as it does not become a regular practice. Fish are much tougher than they appear! Carrying Capacity - One of the most frequently asked questions in fish husbandry is how many fish can be comfortably maintained in an established and filtered aquarium? A rough rule of thumb is one to two inches per gallon (e.g., 10 - 20 inches in a 10-gallon aquarium). This guideline can be exceeded, but the aquarium will require more frequent water changes and a power failure or disease under crowded conditions can cause a major wipe out. An Ounce of Prevention - One very simple, safe, and inexpensive disease preventive is the addition of salt to the aquarium water. Dosages range from one-half to two teaspoons per gallon. Aquarium salts are available at pet stores, however, non-iodized table salts are much cheaper and work just as well. The only drawback occurs when aquarium water spills on the outside glass and evaporates leaving a film, which can be difficult to remove. Landscaping With Rock - Many aquatic habitats contain rock, which provides structure, and cover for fish. This natural and also attractive feature can be realistically duplicated on a small scale in aquariums. Shale and limestone are the easiest to work with and the latter also doubles as a buffer, which prevents the pH of water from going acid. The Editor favors contouring gravel with rocks to form terraces, which are honeycombed with crevices and caves for fish. Live or plastic plants add a nice final touch on the upper level. Rocks can be purchased from pet stores or collected from streams, lakes, or quarries. However, avoid railroad beds where spills and leaks occur from a myriad of nasty chemicals. I have heard several tragic tales from Aquarists who helplessly watched their favorite fish gasp its last breath shortly after adding a pretty, but tainted stone or two. Natural Vegetation - Live, aquatic plants provide cover for fish, reduces algae growth, and also greatly enhances an aquarium's aesthetics. Several species will work in the aquarium, but the grass-like, Valisineria (wild celery), and bunch plant, hygrophilia, are two favorites of the Editor. I prefer to purchase these from pet stores, but remember to leave the root crown above the gravel with Val and remove any lead weights or rubber bands from bunch plants. Plants also can be collected in lakes and streams, but restrict harvests to early season when plants are actively growing. Late season transplants, at least in Minnesota, often die back to the root system. Keep lights on for only about 6 hours per day because longer photoperiods promote excessive algae growth. Like fish, plants will need periodic water changes to prevent water from getting too acidic. A 25% change once a month should be sufficient. Finally, one plant to avoid is duckweed, which floats on the surface. To its credit, aquarium lights are nicely filtered through the canopy, but no other plants can survive in the understory and once introduced is almost impossible to eradicate. Jumpers - Some natives have this suicidal tendency more than others and is often most prevalent in the first few days of captivity. In Minnesota, examples include the redside dace (Clinostomus elongatus), and both southern (Phoxinus erythrogaster) and northern (Phoxinus eos) redbelly dace which the latter, by the way, is often sold as jumpers in bait stores. The only solution is a full hood on the aquarium, but sometimes a temporary cover restrains the newcomers long enough to adjust and accept their new surroundings. Coldwater Tempering - Generally, floating new fish in an opened bag for about 20 minutes in the aquarium is sufficient time to equalize temperatures. However, when collecting in trout streams or at northern latitudes in early spring or late fall, much more time may be required to prevent losses. The Editor uses a simple guideline: if there is more than 10 degrees difference in water temperature, fish are put to bed overnight in a non-insulated bucket with an air stone. The next day, if the bucket temperature is still too low, begin partial water changes, which are replaced with the target aquarium's water. Those Other Things - There are several other fascinating organisms which frequent fish environs that are either ignored or overlooked. Some work well in community aquariums while others must be kept alone or with their own kind. Some compatible critters include tadpoles, newts, snails, ghost or glass shrimp, fiddler crabs, and small crayfish and mudpuppies. Another option is a bug or macroinvertebrate tank. Streams, ponds, and lakes carry a myriad of insect larvae, crustaceans, and zooplankton. Possibilities include larvae of dragonflies, mayflies, damsel flies, stonefiles, caddis flies (junk bugs), dobsonflies (helgramites), mosquitoes, midges, craneflies, water scorpions, giant water bugs (warning-they bite), daphnia, scud; and fairy, opossum, seed, and clam shrimp. Many of these bugs are predators and will happily prey before your eyes on feeder guppies, goldfish, or minnow fry. Many zooplankton species can be kept separately in very small aquariums and observed in incredible detail under a microscope. For more information on the realm of possibilities, refer to the Audubon, Golden, or Peterson Guides for reptiles, amphibians, and insects. All should be available at most book stores. Timers are very handy for many of us who are forgetful about turning aquarium lights on and off. For as little as $6, this task is taken care of every single day and also on vacations. Most timers have an override switch, which is handy for after hours viewing. One thing to remember - never plug the air pump into the timer! Stream Aquariums - Powerhead submersible pumps have been around for a long time, but most are simply used on the top of an undergravel filter tube. Why not try something just a little more creative? Next time the aquarium is cleaned, insert the intake port directly into the filter plate and the outlet nozzle pointed toward the front glass of the aquarium. If the fit is not tight, try the adapters, which come with the powerhead or use silicone to glue it in place, but avoid plugging the intake screen. Make a sprinkler wand from a rigid plastic tube (try pet stores) which should come within an inch of the front glass and plug one end with silicone. Drill a straight line of holes into one side of the tube which will direct current lengthwise across the bottom of the aquarium. Select two slabs of limestone or shale, which will fit between the powerhead and the front, glass and carefully sandwich the wand between slabs. Lodge small rocks in the crevice to keep weight off the wand and support the upper slab. Landscape with additional rocks to hide powerhead and cover with gravel to fill in gaps. Fish will enter the current and find a preferred velocity. Carpsucker and buffalo usually remain in a school preferring the slacking currents farthest from the powerhead. While longnose dace take turns charging the crevice where their bodies vibrate violently in the high velocity turbulence. In large aquariums, two powerheads can be used and the opposing currents collide in the middle. The only drawback is powerheads greatly enhance the filtering capabilities of undergravel filters and the gravel must be vacuumed on a more frequent basis. Garden Ponds - Most native fish keepers have mastered the fine arts of aquarium care and maintenance. Why not try something more natural? Not a great deal of space is needed, even an unused corner in the backyard, but preferably shaded. Probably the easiest thing to do is dig a hole for a children's wading pool and add some gravel, rocks, and plants (Lilly pads and arrowheads look great). Either air stones or small submersible pumps provide sufficient dissolved oxygen in uncrowded conditions. Seeding flowers around the pool adds a nice final touch. However, creativity knows no bounds and even more natural ponds can be made with plastic liners. A friend of the Editor built a pond with two bays that were connected by a small stream, which actually flowed. A rebuilt parts washer pump was used to draw water out of one bay up to a waterfall at the other end. Native bog plants were also landscaped around the exterior. All summer long, the back yard was filled with sounds of a babbling brook, croaking frogs, and countless song birds checking out the new bird bath. Collecting Fish Foods - Ever consider shopping the great outdoors for several types of live foods, which are excellent, treats or staples for native fishes? Over a series of upcoming issues, selected tasty morsels will be critiqued. First and foremost, glassworms, which are perhaps one of the better known native grown food crops. However, they are not worms, but actually the insect larvae of phantom midges (Chaoborus sp.) which are found in fishless ponds from about the end of September into April (in the upper Midwest). During this period, populations often become incredibly dense and are very easy to collect. In the fall and spring, the only equipment needed are waders, a large, fine meshed aquarium net, waders, and bucket. Twenty minutes of dipping should produce enough food to last from one to several weeks. Winter conditions requires some modifications which include an ice auger, smaller net to fit through the hole, and an extension handle for the dip net to reach down to open water. However, a little practice is required to develop the right wrist action to efficiently scoop beneath the ice. As long as the water temperatures are kept cold, but above freezing (33-50 degrees), glassworms can be kept alive for several weeks. Refrigerators or unheated basements usually do the job. Also, complete water changes should be done about twice a week. The pungent odor and appearance of white (dead) worms indicate when it's time. Glassworms also make an excellent frozen food and occasionally freezing packets (ziploc bags are ideal) throughout the harvest season may cache enough supplies to make it through the summer. One word of warning, pupae start showing up in the spring and begin hatching into midge flies which may result in a minor indoor bug infestation. However, one consolation-they don't bite. Daphnia Delicacy - This very common plankton frequently exhibits dense blooms in fishless ponds usually in the spring, and also, erratically in lakes during the summer. Massive quantities can be easily collected with a fine meshed dip net or seined and frozen as an excellent fish food. Small amounts can be kept alive, but keep the water cool and well aerated. Often, other tasty treats such as fairy shrimp and glassworms are present and make a splendid mix, which your fish will die for! Daphnia does have a hard shell (exoskeleton) which may turn off some finicky fish initially, but after a week on the new menu, most hold outs develop more than just a casual appetite for these scrumptious scallops. A New Brine Shrimp On The Block - For decades, the Editor has used frozen brine shrimp, which my fish dined on happily, but always, clouded the aquarium water. Now there is an almost crystal clear alternative, which is harvested from the plains of Saskatchewan and packaged by Fish King of Chicago. It's definitely worth a try! I'll Have Mine Decapped - Sounds like a coffee commercial, but decapsulated brine shrimp eggs really do provide an excellent food for fish fry. I received a sample from a private hatchery for feeding one week old blue suckers and they just can't get enough of it. The eggs come in one pound cans and are normally sold by the case, but the distributor will sell single cans on a prepayment basis plus postage. For more information contact: INVE Aquaculture Inc., P.O. Box 136, 598 W. Clark St., Grantsville, UT 84029 Phone: (801) 884-3406/Fax (801) 884-6492. (Item #1SFPT5) Gravel Washers or shotguns have been around for some time and are an incredible and valuable tool used in aquarium maintenance. Typically this simple device consists of a siphon tube connected to wider funnel intake which vacuums the gravel. Aquariums should have about a 25% water change per month and the gravel washer accomplishes both tasks at once. Thrust the funnel deep into the gravel and slowly pull up. The siphon action removes only the finer, lighter waste particulates and leaves the gravel behind. Extremely plugged gravel beds may require two passes and once a year, remove all plants and rocks to vacuum the entire bottom in conjunction with about a 75% water change. If this schedule is followed and the fish are not overfed or overcrowded, the aquarium should never have to be torn down and cleaned ever again. However, the Editor must admit at being somewhat negligent in this department and still goes through the age old ritual about once a year. Algae Management - Probably the best practice is controlling the amount and duration of light entering the aquarium. When setting up for the first time, select a room, which does not receive, direct sunlight (e.g., south exposures). Light fixtures should provide sufficient light to see into the aquarium, but avoid wattage overkill - more is not always better. Duration should ideally be around six hours a day and an electric timer is an excellent and inexpensive convenience. Another option is live, rooted plants, which compete for the same nutrients as algae and when established usually gain the edge while adding a nice natural touch. One final must is a scraper that won't scratch the glass and has no detergents. The best and cheapest is a green 3M scrub pad available at grocery stores. However, when working in or near the bottom, watch out for gravel sandwiched between the glass and the pad. On thick pastures, a single-edge razor blade provides a close shave, but one strip at a time and avoid slashing the glass. Drugs, Chemicals, And More - Professional Sporting Goods, Inc. (Formerly Jungle Laboratories) has everything under the sun for keeping fish healthy and frisky. Some of the items advertised in their Bait Products Catalog include Baitsaver, Bubble Tabs, Catch and Release, Ace Ammonia Chloramine Eliminator, Bait Food, Bait Salt, Foam Kill, Hypno (fish calmer), Net Soak, and Parasite Guard. The catalog also provides a Bait Problem Solver Chart that describes the problem, appearance, cause, proper action, and applicable notes. Only dealer quantities are listed, but when it was still Jungle, smaller orders were also graciously accepted. Catalogs can be requested from (800) 835-2248 and don't forget to check out the introductory offer coupons on the last page. Pills, Potions, And Powders - The Fishy Farmacy carries scores of mail order medications to keep your fish happy and healthy. Catalogs are available from (800) 423-2035 or CA callers: (800) 32-FISHY. DC Power - Air pumps that run on batteries can be very useful on collecting trips and a life saver for aquariums in the event of a power failure. Unfortunately, most pumps available from bait stores last only a few hours and the airline constantly falls off the poorly designed nipple. However, there are two that fit the bill. Hagen (ART.#A-790) and Bubbles air pumps run on D batteries which last for days. The Hagen pump costs about $10 and is available through pet stores and the Bubbles (Item 363-223) is $20 and can be mail ordered from Bass Pro Shops (800) 227-7776. Before you buy, request a catalog and check out the larger DC air pumps and submersible powerheads that will run off 12 volt batteries. Fish And Lake Management Supplies - The Aquacenter carries a wide array of mostly aquaculture merchandise which includes pools and tanks, water and air pumps, inf. videos, chemicals, feed and feeders, filters, chillers, heaters, water chemistry/quality meters, and nets. Catalogs are available from (800) 748-8921. Shipping Fish 101 - The old guard must plead guilty to elitism from time to time in not providing enough information on the basics, but we definitely got the message and will try to make amends. The following pointers have worked well for this trader which includes one episode where the box was lost for 9 days and miraculously still had 100 percent survival. First, find a sturdy and insulated box such as the type tropical fish stores use. Sometimes there is a charge and sometimes you can find perfectly good ones dumpster diving. Bag size is a personal preference, but I use either 2 half box bags laid horizontal or one box liner. Pour just enough clean aquarium water into the bag that will allow the fish to swim upright or with a slight list and also able to turn around. Never over crowd (4 - 8 minnow size fish per half box bag). It's optional, but some swear by additives such as Start Right or ammonia chips. If available, fill the bag with oxygen (try bait stores). Seal it with heavy duty rubber bands and insert the bag upside down into another bag and reseal again. When sending only one bag, use some type of packing material to prevent rolling. Place a duplicate mailing label inside just in case and seal the box with nylon strapping tape. Cross out old addresses with a magic marker. In the summer, postpone shipment when current or forecasted temperatures exceed about 90 degrees (F) or below 32 in the winter. In borderline temps, use over night services, but spring and fall shipments can usually go first class priority. Good luck and enjoy. Breeders Club INFO
Here is a list of Breeders Club Members as of 2/00 and the projects they are working on. All Breeders Club Members follow all state and Federal regulations. You will notice the distribution of fish to new members has begun.We have also picked up over a dozen new species since our last update. We can expect written life histories with in the next 6 months. Keep up the good work and contact president@nativefish.org with any questions or comments. If you are a recent Breeders Program member and were left off the list please contact president@nativefish.org and we will update the list. If you are awaiting fish or want to donate legally collected specimens please contact the NFC Prez at president@nativefish.org . * Bill Duzen Theduuz@aol.com * Elassoma okefenokee * Black banded sunfish * Dollar sunfish * Rainbow darters * Fantail darters * Greensided darters * Heterandria formosa * Gambusia affis sp. holbrooki * Poecilia mexicana * Lucania goodei * Fundulus crystotus melanistic * Fundulus cingulatus * Flag fin shiner * sailfin shiner * Bluehead shiner * Fathead minnow * Long nose dace * tadpole madtoms * chain pickeral * Cyprinodon nicholsi * Fish I have distributed: R. Page mr_page@hotmail.com - Bluehead shiners, Sailfin shiners, fathead minnows * Ted Taft- Elassoma okefenokee, Orangethroated darters, Sailfin shiners, F. cingulatus * Jeff Mckee- Elassoma evergladei, Fundulus chrystotus melanistic * Jeff Kilker- Fundulus chrystotus melanistic * Klaus Schoening- Sailfin shiners, Fundulus chrystotus melanistic * Robert Rice- Fundulus chrystotus melanistic * Al Morales- Sailfin shiners, Lucania goodei * Jeff McKee Killie@compuserve.com * E. zonatum * E. evergladei * Pygmy sunfish * livebearers * F.chrysotus * Klaus Schoening klaus.schoening@jungle.org * Fundulus chysotus melanistic * Pteronotropis hubssi * Wright Huntley huntley1@home.com * Heterandria formosa * Cyprinodons * J.floridae * Charles Anderton dakota@startext.com * Elassoma spp. * J.floridae * John Sellers jsellersiv@yahoo.com * Heterandria formosa * Elassoma zonatum * Enneacanthus gloriosus * Fundulus spp. * David Hall dahall@lightspeed.net * Fundulus cingulatus * fundulus chrysotus * Elassoma evergladei * Heterandria formosa * Ray Wollf choupiqu@wctc.net * Bantam Sunfish * Bowfin * Many Small Killies * Pygmy Sunfish * Dwight Moody DMoody3042@aol.com * Fundulus escambia * Fundulus cingulatus * Leptolucania ommatta * Tom DiCola MRUARU2@aol.com * Still awaiting first fish shipment *Jack Lehman lehmanwell@aol.com *awaiting shipment, interested in pygmy sunfish and pupfish *ICQ 55526 * Others will be added in next months issu |
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