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problems with minnows 7/29/09
I have a bait shop & my minnows are not needing air but they are not
moving. They get on top of the water & just stay/ I have looked every
where to find out on what to do. Any suggestions?
<Well, the obvious thing is to check your aquarium is adequate to their
needs. Fish become lethargic when the water is too warm or too poorly
oxygenated, or when the water has very low quality. Assuming that these
are Pimephales promelas, this is a fairly hardy fish, but it does need
an aquarium with good water turnover, at least 4 times the volume of the
tank in turnover per hour. So a minimal system for these fish of around
100 litres would need a filter rated at 4 x 100 = 400 litres/hour. This
should ensure 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite; if you find you have ammonia and
nitrite levels above 0, then your problem is overstocking,
under-filtering, and/or overfeeding. Assuming you're keeping lots and
lots of fish in one tank, overstocking and under-filtering are by far
the most likely problems. Temperature shouldn't be a major issue with
Pimephales promelas, but they are coldwater fish, and anything much
above 20 degrees C will stress them.
Different minnow species will have different tolerances, in general
towards requiring water that is [a] cooler; and [b] more oxygen-rich, in
which case faster turnover and better siting of the tank somewhere cool
will be
important. Since you're running a bait shop, I have to assume the
welfare of these minnows is fairly low down your list of priorities, but
as someone who cares about fish, I would urge you to review their basic
needs and act accordingly. It's bad enough they're going to be impaled
on a hook and dangled in the water for goodness knows how long, but at
the least make sure you maintain them adequately beforehand. Oh, and if
you think I'm being preachy, well, this is a pet fish website, so I'm
sure you can't have imagined we'd be okay about the use of live fish as
bait! Kind of like a Korean chef asking an American dog breeder where to
get the tastiest puppies...>
ASAP if possible
<Done my best!>
Thanks
Judy
<Cheers, Neale.>
DBA Judy's bait shoppe
<Hmm... fish are friends, fish are friends...>
re: problems with minnows 7/29/09
I apologize for upsetting you with my questions.
<Wasn't upset, merely surprised.>
This is the first time I've ever had this problem. I change the water
every 2-3 days. the temperature is 62 or lower.
<Well, test the water, rather than taking things on trust. Grab a
nitrite test kit, and see what the water quality is like. If it's not
zero, then that's your problem, right there.>
I don't know why you would take such offense at fishing for food but to
each his own.
<It's actually quite complex. Certainly here in the UK, it's hard to
imagine anyone angling for any reason other than pleasure. People
haven't been made so poor (yet!) by this recession that they have to
hunt fish for food. I'm not wild about using fish -- which recent
evidence seems to suggest can feel pain, or something like it -- as
bait. Even putting that aside, live bait taken from one body of water to
another can transfer parasites and diseases.>
I have had koi, goldfish, crawdads, & I do take care of them.
<I'm quite sure you do. I personally enjoy fishing, though not so much
as keeping them as pets. But I do try to minimise any suffering caused,
and operate strictly on a catch-and-release basis. I'm a zoologist, not
a tree hugger, and I respect anglers as being a massively influential
and positive group when it comes to maintaining freshwater habitats. So
please don't think I'm against angling. It's just the use of live fish
as bait that, for me, crosses the line between acceptable and
unacceptable. Other WWM crew members may well have their own opinions.>
I still have some as a matter of fact. Just change their water this
morning. I my self can't hurt Gods creatures, I cant even put a worms on
a hook. But the people who come in here are looking to put food on their
tables.
<Fair enough. It's just not acceptable to me. Would I vote against it,
perhaps, but here in the UK perhaps things are different, and fishing is
entirely a sport, and while many do eat their catches, that isn't why
they do it. A different situation, perhaps.>
They put the to small of fish back & only keep the ones that are edible.
I'm saying this with the kindness of heart for I know I have already
upset you. So Your PREACHING" was okay & understandable.
<Cool.>
Anyway I have the minnows in a 150 gallon vat & i think moving the water
with filtering is what would help them.
<Agreed. You'll need a BIG filter for a 150 gallon system, something
around 4 x 150 = 600 gallons per hour. Now, you may well find a pond
filter more economical.>
I still thank you for your words & have visited your site many times
looking for answers for my goldfish so I thank you for the knowledge
that you pass along to others to ensure that things are okay. & that
they have healthy fish.
<We do try; we're here because we like fish. A lot!>
Sincerely
Judy
Judy's Bait Shoppe
<Cheers, Neale.>
re: problems with minnows 7/29/09
thanks for writing back never thought of pond filter system .
<Happy to help.>
I live in the states so that probably explains a lot. You know how
things are messed up here.
<Wouldn't say "messed up", merely different. I've lived in both the US
and the UK, and there are things I like about them both, and things
about both that drive me nuts! But every time I go back to the US, as I
am next month, it's like my second home and I really love it.>
I live in a very poor town & that's why there's so much fishing.
<No complaints from me! I love a fish dinner!>
very impressed with the zoo (shoot cant spell it) I find that very
interesting. again Have a great day & God Bless
<And to you, too.>
Angels on your pillows, Judy
<Cheers, Neale.>
I was wondering about 3 Minnows I found in the creek 5/20/07
Hi again,
<Hello.>
I was wondering about 3 Minnows I found in the creek. I have a ten gallon
freshwater tank with 1 scissor tailed danio in it. can I put them in there?
<You can certainly try, but what species of minnow are they? Most minnows
caught in cool temperate zone waters (e.g. the "northern" United States)
will not tolerate the warmer water that the Scissor Tail *Rasbora* needs.
Kept in a tropical tank, the minnows will die after a few days or weeks.>
Also what fish go good with Minos?
<In a coldwater tank, all sorts of other small animals could be kept with
your minnows. I'd not add more fish though, because 10 gallons is too small
for that, and minnows need swimming space. But snails and coldwater shrimps
would work well.>
Thanks,
Kyleigh
<Cheers, Neale>
Myxocyprinus asiaticus, in Michigan pond? 4/8/07
I was wondering if I could winter one of these over in a pond? Have you
ever heard of this? I live in southern
Michigan. Thanks
guys,
Holden
<Mmm, I don't think so... this species is listed as subtropical on fishbase:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12304&genusname=Myxocyprinus&speciesname=asiaticus
15-28 C... but do know that it gets much colder in your State. Bob Fenner>
Re: Myxocyprinus asiaticus, in a MI pond 5/10/07
Well, I'd figure I'd let you guys know that a couple guys that I know had 3
of these guys overwinter here in Michigan.
<Appreciate this>
They got pretty big over last summer and now they are big and happy. These are
roughly 30 inch deep plus ponds that have a ice melter to keep the surface open.
<Good idea... Fishbase still lists the species as subtropical with a lower temp.
range of 15 C...
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12304&genusname=Myxocyprinus&speciesname=asiaticus
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Breeding Sarcocheilichthys sinensis sinensis - 10/21/2006
Dear Sir/s,
<Or a madam, in this case. Sabrina with you.>
There seems to be lack of info re. the breeding of Sarcocheilichthys sinensis
sinensis (Amur Sucker / Scarlet Carp / Chinese Lake Gudgeon). Literature found
state that this fish has never been bred in captivity.
<Indeed, this is all I can find, as well.>
This peaceful species is an unusual addition to any coldwater aquarium.
<And quite attractive, in my opinion.>
I have introduced 6 specimens (approx 10cm) in my pond and was lucky enough to
collect 24 young Amur Suckers this summer.
<Wonderful!>
Apart from Hornwort, the pond is occupied by freshwater mussels. I cannot really
tell whether the mussels played an important role in the breeding since the pond
is a bit deep.
<Were you able to observe any spawning behaviour? Take note of temperature and
water chemistry during their spawning season?>
I have experienced many species for these last 40 years but the breeding of S.
sinensis sinensis is still a mystery to me.
<To me (and seemingly all of us at WWM) as well.>
I would surely appreciate any info / advice / expert reference.
<I do wish I had more to tell you - but I believe you are probably more
experienced with this now than many/most other folks in the aquarium hobby.>
Best regards from Malta.
<Best regards to you from California, USA.>
John Farrugia
<-Sabrina Fullhart>
What to feed newly caught lake fishies? NANFA.org - 4/24/2006
Hi there...
I did an internet wide search and came up empty handed on what to feed the fish
we caught out of our local lake.
We'd love to be able to keep them in an indoor aquarium or our outdoor 90 gallon
pond; but I have yet to find what to feed them...
We caught 10 spot-tail minnows, and 1 brim. (bream?)
<Can likely be easily trained onto pelleted "pond" or aquarium foods... do seek
out high/er quality of these... as some do a good deal of polluting>
Also.. could you tell me possibly whether they would survive better indoors or
out?
<Mmmm>
We live in Alabama.. and the pond is made of black plastic with very little
shading right now (newly installed)...
<Well, best to be where conditions are more like their natural habitat... but
stability is very key. If your house isn't too warm... versus the pond being too
small and/or shallow... I'd keep them indoors>
Anything else you might be able to add (or point me in the right direction) as
to water temp/food/plants...
<Do look up the website NANFA (.org) A treasure of useful information on
natives, their captive care>
for our new fishies would be wonderful!
Thanks so much for your time and attention regarding our newbies!
~Jennifer Darnell
<Welcome to the wonderful world of aquatic life keeping. Bob Fenner>
Title: CNN.com - Scientists discover world's smallest fish - Jan
26, 2006
CNN.com will expire this article on 02/25/2006.
Copy and paste the following into your Web browser to access the
sent link:
http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1877029984&pt=Y
Bob & Crew
Thought I'd pass this along. Interesting stuff!
-Ray
<Thank you for this. Bob Fenner>
<Now that's a small minnow. BobF> 1/25/06
And it was this big ...
Dear Robert Fenner,
Luke wants you to know about this story on
http://www.smh.com.au.
Personal Message:
Hi Bob,
Just to keep you up to date with the fish literature.
Cheers,
Luke.
And it was this big ...
January 25, 2006 - 11:56AM
URL:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/01/25/1138066832112.html
The online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald brings you updated local and
world news, sports results, entertainment news and reviews and the latest
technology information.
Overstocked? - 07/16/2005
Okay, I know I write you guys all the time but I need to find out if my
aquarium is over stocked if so how much?
I have: 4 mollies [2 male ,2 female], 2 minnows
<"Minnows".... best find out what, exactly, these are. Some "minnows" turn
into quite large, substantial fish.>
2 African dwarf frogs, 3 neons, 2 harlequins and one bottom feeder that I do not
know the name for( it is very long and skinny w/ a pointy nose.)
<Very many possibilities here, as well - again, try to find out what it is.>
My tank is a 10 gallon but I also have a little 3 gallon I could use.
<I would not recommend stocking a ten gallon tank this heavily.>
I'm pretty sure I have too many but ammonia and everything else seems fine.
<If by "fine" you mean ammonia and nitrite are ZERO and nitrate less than 20ppm,
you're probably okay for now. Remember, though, as these fish grow, you'll
probably need a larger tank, and more frequent water changes. Test nitrate
often to see how often you will need to be changing water. Keep it as close to
zero as possible.>
most of these fish were just given to me and would have been flushed had I not
taken them, so you might understand my dilemma.
<Indeed. I would also urge you to explain to the would-be flusher of the fish
that he/she could have returned them to the fish store and possibly even
received store credit for them. Flushing a fish is NOT acceptable, and quite
possibly causes a great deal of pain and suffering before the animal finally
dies.... A quick trip to the fish store with a container of fish ensures that
the animals at least have a chance at a healthy, happy life.... Additionally,
if you fear your tank is overstocked, you might consider which fish you are most
inclined to keep and then return some to the fish store yourself.>
I also want you to know that I really appreciate your website and have learned a
lot from it.
<I'm glad to hear this, thank you very much for your kind words.>
Thanks, Angy
<Wishing you and your fishes well, -Sabrina>
Strange behaviour in Golden Orfe
I have a medium size pond (5.2 cu metres). I have just noticed that two out
of my three Golden Orfe are flipping onto their side and rubbing against a
raised crease in the pond liner. This is a very quick movement in exactly the
same area of the pond. The fish appear to be healthy and in fact have recently
produced their second lot of young. The pond also contains rudd, goldfish and
shubunkins.
Please advise!!
<Sounds like there may be something awry with your water quality... perhaps an
incident of over-spray for pests from somewhere nearby... or a change through
warming of the water seasonally? In any length, I would execute a series of
large/r water changes, add some salt (a few cups), closely examine the fish for
marks, parasites, and test your water quality... for ammonia, nitrite, pH... Bob
Fenner>
New Fish, What Kind To Get?
What if i were to forget about the Betta Fish and just do tetras? Is there a
fish that will go well in a 5 gallon tank that will do well tetras? All i want
is to have sum pretty fish in my tank that will do well! Also what are the
appropriate levels for he ammonia and nitrates or whatever and if there are high
how do i take care of that?
<<Hello. Good fish to keep with bettas would be white cloud mountain minnows.
Nice, red fins and pretty stripes. The appropriate levels for ammonia and
nitrites are zero. For nitrates, as low as possible, not higher than 50ppm. If
they are higher, you need to do more partial water changes until they are within
range. -Gwen>>
Fish Communities, II
Two things, firstly, I'd like to thank Sabrina for her wonderful words of
wisdom.
<Sure thing, I'm always willing to help.>
Second, I'd like to know what fish would work with tiger barbs and a rainbow
shark.
<Well, you said a "ten to twenty" gallon tank - provided the tank is large
enough to house the shark (or that you get rid of it as it grows too large),
there are tons of options. I'd suggest sticking with durable schooling nippers,
like Serpae tetras, skirted tetras, phantom tetras, other tetras of that nature,
zebra Danios, harlequin rasboras, *so* many colorful options for you. My two
personal favorite fish of this temperament are rosy barbs and Rummynose tetras,
very attractive little beasts. One interesting approach might be to do mainly
just tiger barbs, of the different color varieties, regular, green, and
gold. Perhaps some quick moving bottom dwellers, if the occasionally
territorial rainbow permits, like kuhli loaches or smaller Botias. You have
gobs of options available to you. Get a feel for what you like, research fish
you're interested in, observe the animals firsthand at stores and in others'
tanks. If you're in a metropolitan area, consider getting involved with the
local fish clubs (*never* too young for that!) I wish I'd known about them when
I was younger - folks to share my fish addiction with and learn from would've
been *divine*! And above all, learn, love, and respect the animals in your care
- and enjoy!>
Thanks Brenda
<You bet. -Sabrina>
Whirling Disease?
I have a school of shiners from Mississippi River in my 10 gallon tank. Two
of the fish started to show signs of spinal deformations and they twist and
whirl when swimming.
<Yikes.... Not a good sign, at all. Use strong caution, here - do *not* return
any of these fish to the wild - if they have a contagious disease (and it sounds
like they do), it could impact other wild fish very negatively. As you describe
this, the first thing that pops into mind is "whirling disease". This illness
is caused by a myxosporidian parasite known as Myxobolus cerebralis. It's
usually seen in salmonids (like salmon and trout), but has been seen in other
fish as well, even goldfish and livebearers. The parasites infect the tissues
around the inner ear and the cartilage of the skull. It causes the fish to swim
in circles, sometimes frantically, or to swim nose-down tail-up, spinning like a
top. It is usually fatal, though some fish will survive and thereafter always
have spinal/skeletal deformities. It is also untreatable, I'm sorry to say. If
this is what your fish are exhibiting, I would strongly recommend euthanizing
the sick fish, or at the least remove them to a seperate tank to prevent spread
of the disease to your other fish. If the fish die in the tank of healthy fish,
the healthy fish run an *enormous* risk of catching the illness - hundreds of
thousands of M. cerebralis parasites may be released by an infected dead
fish. Also, if the fish die, do *not* flush them, for the same
reasons. Perhaps bury them at the roots of a favorite plant, so they can "live
on" as life given to the plant.... or maybe I'm just sappy and
sentimental. anyhow, I know this is a huge amount of bad news, and I am sorry
to be the bearer of it....>
Other fish (guppy, neon, danio and other four shiners) seem to be fine. The fish
had been in my tank since September and had been given general tropical fish
flakes.
<They may never catch it, either, if you act now and remove the infected fish.>
I also noticed that the shells of snails started turning whitish and have some
abbesses, just don't look healthy. do I have some nutrient deficiency in my
tank?
<Ahh, this is a much easier, and happier answer. You are probably lacking
calcium or some other mineral that the snails need for healthy shells. You can
buffer the water with a calcium carbonate solution, but this may increase your
pH, as well, so do so only with caution. I'd also like to mention, since dosing
my tanks with iodine for my freshwater shrimps, I have noticed AMAZING changes
in the snails, as well - the went from pitted, white, eroding shells to rich,
brown, faster-growing shells. The change is very obvious on the larger ones,
you can actually see the cutoff point where their shells began to grow
healthy. I use one drop of Kent Iodine (this is marketed for saltwater tanks)
per every ten gallons of water in all my freshwater tanks containing
shrimp. The snails get it by default.>
What to do?
<Just as above.... and do further research on "whirling disease", especially
here: http://www.fishdisease.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi?ps=10&q=whirling+disease&t=&Submit=Search
. Again, I'm sorry I don't have better news for you.>
Thanks for your help, Claudine
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Sarcocheilichthys sinensis
Hi. This message is for Bob. Some time ago I inquired information on
Sarcocheilichthys sinensis. The reply can be found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfishfaqs.htm
<Oh, yeah... see Anthony replied... re a "Chinese High Fin Shark/Gudgeon".>
Thanks for those replies. The guy who posted in the forums on fishprofiles.com
was me :). I have also written a profile for the site that should be in their
index soon. I do know that it comes from the Amour river which is the border
between china and Russia, and a few general pieces of information. Information
about this species is limited on the internet. Breeding info, or just finding
someone else who keeps this fish would be great. Can you help me? As far as I
know I am the only person in the states who keeps this fish.
<There are a few references (for information) listed on fishbase.org for this
species. Go there on the net and key in the scientific name, click on
references:
http://www.fishbase.org/References/SummaryRefList.cfm?ID=47349&GenusName=
Sarcocheilichthys&SpeciesName=sinensis%20sinensis
This is about all I know...
Bob Fenner>
Re: Sarcocheilichthys sinensis
Thanks for the link and the quick reply. Have a great weekend!
<Thank you James. Do consider keeping notes, writing up this fish, it's captive
husbandry... someone needs to! Bob Fenner>
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