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The Misers guide to Native fish keeping
by
Robert Rice
A lot of us would like to Native keep fish. We enjoy
watching and learning about our local species but just
don't want to spend the kind of money the folks at the pet
store tell us we need to just for a basic tank. I have a
solution, treat those fish the way they deserve. Treat those
fish the natural way. You can have an inexpensive attractive
tank that is not high maintenance. Contrary to what they
tell you a power filter on the back of a tank is not
necessarily the cleanest way to run a tank on a budget.
Think about it how good for a tank can it be to have the
water run through a sponge full of fish wastes all day? So
follow my step by step plan and you will have a clean tank
the envy of the neighborhood.
First off stop buying retail. If you really are on a budget
keep you eyes open for used tanks and lights at a garage
sale or the local paper. I make it a rule to never spend
more than 1$ a gallon for used setups. A setup must include
a tank and lights. For tank stands I bridge the tank between
cinderblocks covered in sheets, curtains, whatever looks
nice. Decorations like plastic castles or half used
chemicals like pH up or down or whatever go right in the
garbage They add nothing and usually are to high maintenance
to bother with. The second thing to do is to decide weather
this is a tank for shiners and darters or a sunfish tank. If
it is a darter /shiner tank you will need a powerhead and a
undergravel filter. The place to buy your undergravel filter
and the gravel is ,surprise, the chain hardware stores
(Lowes, Menards, Home Depot etc.) They have 50 pound bags of
river pea gravel in a variety of colors for about 2 -3
bucks. They intend it for landscaping purposes and to spice
up someone's cement patio. However with a scrubbing at the
house you got your gravel. They also sell a variety of
plastic grids used for light covers and what not for about 1-
2 bucks. Take one of those cut it to fit and punch a hole
for the powerhead intake tube and you are in business. Of
course old undergravel filters old powerheads are usually
available for a song at garage sales and what not so keep
you eyes peeled If it's a sunfish atorium all you need is
a gravel bed. Here's the trick you need a thick gravel bed
I like about 6 inches be it for shiners, darters, or
sunfish. This gravel bed performs a very important purpose
and without it you will have a high maintenance tank. This
bed provides homes for the good guy bacteria that break
down fish wastes. So get that gravel going .
Next step after you put 6 inches of gravel and the optional
powerhead setup. It's time to get creative. First off go
ahead fill up your tank and sadly we will have to say you
might have to add one chemical . Nowadays you just cant let
water "age" like the old days. The chemical complexity of
chloramine makes water unsuitable for fish until it is
completly removed from the water. You could call your water
company and find out if they use chloramine. Perhaps they
just use chlorine. If so you can then avoid the chemicals by
letting the water age 72 hours. If not use something that
removes,. chloramine your choice of brands but make it
inexpensive. OK you have your garage sale tank setting on
those charming cinder blocks. You placed it away from
windows and heat vents. It's full of water and gravel and
looks pretty good. Congratulations you are a third if the
way there.
OK time to take a look around and find a place to collect
some plants. EEEK you say collect plants ! Yep without
suitable vegetation this whole mix will not work and you
would be forced to purchase (yuk) some more higher tech
equipment. Find some rooted plants that are tolerant of
lower light and grow well. In the Native category
watersprite, cabomba, and giant val come to mind. In the non
Native category several types of swords and Java fern fit
the bill. You don't have to "collect" all of them borrow a
few from another tank or from a friend. You will need 3
plants per gallon ultimately. However for now 1 per gallon
should get you started. Go ahead and plant them in the tank.
It's getting close to fish time.
Now you have waited a few days, set things up on a budget
and are pretty proud of what you've got going on. If you
have the powerhead option turn it on. The lights should stay
on at least 10 hours a day. Biology should start kicking in
and things are starting to cook. Find the healthiest tank
you can find and beg , borrow or steal a handful of gravel.
Take the gravel and put it in your tank. The old gravel will
"seed" the tank. The good guy bacteria will have the inside
track on things. Now that you have done the above it is time
to add fish. You can add fish but not many and not to fast.
Start with either 1 sunfish or 4 darter/shiners. That's it.
OK you got your tank, your plants and your fish and suddenly
your tank gets cloudy, what's wrong ? Nothing, you are on
the right track. The cloud is caused by a bacteria bloom.
The seeded bacteria has found a new home and has gone to
town. In a few days things will clear up . You have your few
fish, your few plants what next ? Stick by your guns and do
NOT give in to your desire to feed the fishies three squares
a day. This set up is dependent upon a more natural food
schedule . Feed 2 times a week and that is it ! No more, in
nature fish get a large meal once a week or so and spend the
rest of their time nibbling on plants and what not. Simulate
that at home. Besides who wants to pay for all that extra
food anyway ? If all is going well after 2 weeks it is time
to ad a few more fish. Remember how many you added a few
weeks back ? Add the same amount this time and continue
every three weeks or so until you reach the 1 sunfish per 3
gallons or the 1 shiner/darter per gallon limit.
Now comes the extremely difficult, time consuming
maintenance of this setup. Twice a month use a gravel vacuum
and remove 20% of the water while vacuuming 1/2 of the
gravel. A gravel vacuum for those who don't know is a siphon
with a big end and a small end .The big end gets pushed into
the gravel and the little end goes into the bucket. The
gravel pulls up about halfway up the big end and then falls
back while the dirt heads to the bucket. For a 20 gallon
tank this will take about 10 minutes. Exhausting isn't it?
At some point algae will build up on the tank. Go to the
grocery store pick up one of those plastic brillo pad
looking dish scrubbers and use it to wipe the glass clean.
That's it your tank maintenance is done.
If the plants prosper and you don't get to crazy with the
food and the fish you are home free. With a little luck your
natives will thrive and perhaps even spawn. This low tech
setup has served me well I have kept and bred a great many
species in them with little expense or problems. I hope it
does the same for you . Until next time good luck and good
fishing!