NFC: Re: DP Sculpins

["Andrew S Dalton" <ASDALTON at prodigy_net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: CEFCHURCH at aol_com <CEFCHURCH at aol_com>
To: nfc at actwin_com <nfc at actwin_com>
Date: Tuesday, November 03, 1998 11:01 PM
Subject: NFC: DP Sculpins


>I've only kept one sculpin and that was many years ago.  I really like the
way
>they look and would like to catch and keep them.
>
>(1)  Several years ago, it seems like I read that they will die once water
>temperature reaches much above 72 degrees.  If that is true, they will die
in
>my home once summer gets here again.  Can anyone shed some light on this?
>
>(2)  I'm interested in any other keeping tips:  substrate, food, hiding
>places, stories, tankmates, etc.
>
>(3)  What type of habitat are they normally found in?


I have kept mottled sculpins for many years, and in my experience everything
in Dwight Moody's response is correct.  I have a couple of things to add,
though.

Sculpins are territorial, and the more aggressive individuals will obtain
food and hiding places at the expense of other sculpins.  Right now, I have
two sculpins in a 10 gallon tank.  A few years ago, I kept sculpins in a 20
gallon tank and discovered that two sculpins was the limit for that setup,
too.  A sculpin tank should be set up with _area_ in mind rather than
volume, since sculpins live on the bottom.  When feeding, make sure that one
fish doesn't take all of the food, while the others get nothing.

The easiest way to keep the temperature low is to have the aquarium in the
basement.  In the summer, I also use a small exhaust fan to evaporate water
and remove more heat.  If your house has central air conditioning, you might
not need either of these countermeasures.

As a practical note, don't use an undergravel filter.  A sculpin tank needs
lots of rocks and caves, and removing these items so that you can vacuum the
UGF is a real bitch.  My ten-gallon setup has an Eclipse hood instead.

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[\   Andrew Dalton
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