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mbinkley at earthling_net (Mark Binkley): Re: NANFA-- Fw: questions on natives

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: mbinkley at earthling_net (Mark Binkley)
To: nanfa at aquaria_net
Subject: Re: NANFA-- Fw: questions on natives
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 17:30:05 -0600
Message-ID: <b0e2f55c01021004b795@[128.146.158.157]>

>Mark,
>I remember an ichthyology professor mentioning in 1973, that as far as
he
>knew no one had been able to keep a brook silversides alive in an
>aquarium for more than 72 hours. How long have you been able to keep
>these fish?
>
>Garold
>
>>> Another suggestion would be the Brook Silversides.  This is a long
>>>slender fish similar in appearance to a Halfbeak.  I have found them
to
>be
>>>intolerant of low oxygen or rapid temperature change.  There should
>>>be a species in your area if you're fairly near the coast.

>>Mark,
>
>>I remember collecting brook silversides several years ago near the
>>Georgia coast.  They were dead before the net cleared the water!
>>Prost,


Well, in that case, let me proudly say I have had one in a tank since
11-8-97!  :)   I haven't really concentrated much effort on this species,
so I can't comment beyond what I wrote to Casper, which I copy below.  I
haven't looked it up yet, but someone mentioned to me that Trautman, in
Fishes of Ohio, states that this is an annual species, only surviving one
year.  It will be interesting to see how long mine lives..if it's not
dead
before I get home tonight  :)  Guess I'll be doing more regular water
changes from now on!  :)

This was the exchange with Casper:

>i just read your next post... i found a brook silverside in N Chick
creek off
>of the TN river here in Chatt. the only one ive ever found. it was
trapped in
>a small mosquito infested pool along the creek. when i netted it and
>transferred it to my water bottle it died during the next hour. very
unique
>looking fish ... i have hopes of finding another though i hear they
prefer
>companions and a large tank. Is it unusual to find it in such a small
creek?
>casper


Casper,

Around here, I find them in quiet, shallow inlets of medium to large
rivers
(Olentangy, Scioto R).  Don't know if they're limited to these habitats.
Perhaps the larger populations can be found nearer to the TN River.

I have one that is in my darter tank, a LONG, shallow tank with a
powerhead
for current.  Seems like the silverside stays at the quiet end of the
tank
and doesn't travel around much.  Like the darters, it stays in one place
and waits for the current to carry food over it.  Perhaps yours was
attracted to the shallow pool by the large numbers of insect larvae. 
They
are certainly surface feeders.

I can't confirm that they prefer company.  Whenever I have caught them,
it
has been one at a time, in different areas.  I kept mine alive by putting
it in a large cooler with water from the river for transport.  Then I put
the fish into a tank with water just the same temp as that in the cooler
and let it warm to room temp over night.  I used a powerhead with a
sponge
for aeration.  I use this technique for all wild caught fish when the
water
is cold.

They are not aggresive feeders in the aquarium.

I have also caught them along the shore of a lake in central Florida.
Can't say what species exactly.  They didn't survive long under the
conditions by which I handled them at the time.


                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Binkley                  ~ "The most interesting information ~
Columbus, Ohio, USA           ~ comes from children,              ~
mbinkley at earthling_net        ~ for they tell all they know       ~
                              ~ and then stop."      -Mark Twain  ~
     <))><                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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