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Re: bluenose shiners
Herb:
Thanks for the suggestions. I will keep you posted.
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Herb Harris <top_side at geocities_com>
To: nfc at actwin_com <nfc at actwin_com>
Date: Sunday, July 12, 1998 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: bluenose shiners
>John,
> These are fish closely related to the bluehead shiner, which I am very
>familiar with. In the wild one behavior that bluehead have is a group of
>3 to as many as ten or so rush in to breed when a male sunfish
>momentarily leaves its nest site. If you place small gravel and sand in
>the bottom of the tank and scoop out a small depression simulating a
>sunnies nest site, this will give them another trigger for breeding
>behavior. No plants or mops in the tank are needed, as the bluehead will
>not eat the young of other fish that I have observed, if the bluenose is
>anything at all like the bluehead in this behavior, move any plants or
>other obstructions (mops) out, as they will have more room. Actually, I
>recommend a 20 or 30 tank for this, as they (bluehead) circle and twirl
>around a lot in breeding behavior in the wild.
> If you went to a mud substratum, then put some plants on the bottom,
>and expect territory defense by a dominate male.
> Bluehead, and perhaps bluenose are very sensitive to temperature
>fluctuations so be very careful in a ten gal tank with cooling the tank
>too quickly. Its not the cool off that's a problem, but the quick reheat
>that gets them. This is the quickest way I know of to kill bluehead!
>Cooling simulates rain well enough, but the reheat is not what happens
>in nature, as the streams stay cool for a while, like a day or so.
> Other triggers are water changes from tannic to nearer 7 ph, with more
>clarity (might collect rain water for this). This simulates fresh rain
>in the spring, but the temp has to be close to the 70 - 75 degree range
>for bluehead, but am not sure on bluenose, as they are less heat
>toleratnt than the bluehead in general.
> Course, I have not had the bluehead breed in captivity, just a LOT of
>observation in the wild.
>
>Good luck! Keep us posted!
>
>Herb
>
>
>
>J.F. Laurent wrote:
>>
>> I collected some bluenose shiners last year. I have two females that
>> are about to pop with eggs. I placed the two females and two males
>> in breeding colors in a 10 gallon tank, gravel substrate, sponge filter,
>> spawning mop on the bottom and the surface.
>>
>> To date they have not initiated and spawning behavior. Any suggestions?
>>
>> John