i've been toying with the idea of doing either or both in a 20g long. anyone have experience keeping them. i'd like to see your setups and how it has been keeping them. they're pretty common here in GA so i'd prolly collect my own. i know they prefer faster waters so would a AC70 and a power head be good filtration on the tank?
anyone keeping darters or sculpins?
- Thread starter HiImSean
- Start date
I've kept several darter species and am about to set up a 40 and a 75 for them. I've kept sculpins too and don't recommend them; you'll have trouble keeping them alive without a specialized setup, and they will eat fish nearly their own size.
An AC 70 and powerhead should be fine. Most darters like crevices, so be sure to add plenty of stacked rocks and other hardscaping. A lot of species are pretty territorial with their own kind. I like to keep just one male of each species in a tank to minimize aggression.
They're not hard to get onto frozen food. Bloodworms and krill always go over well. Flakes and pellets are a little more iffy, as some individuals take to them and others don't.
An AC 70 and powerhead should be fine. Most darters like crevices, so be sure to add plenty of stacked rocks and other hardscaping. A lot of species are pretty territorial with their own kind. I like to keep just one male of each species in a tank to minimize aggression.
They're not hard to get onto frozen food. Bloodworms and krill always go over well. Flakes and pellets are a little more iffy, as some individuals take to them and others don't.
Ive been keeping darters for about 3 months now. i have 3 or 4 kinds in one tank with no problems so far. The set up is a 15 gal breeder, river gravel and sand mix substrate. small driftwood, larger flat stones in a couple places, and a plastic old dead lookin tree stump,which they use to perch on. I use an aqua-flo filter with 2 sponge filters in it, and a small power head, positioned low in the tank with venturi-air injection. There are probably as many variations on this as there are pebbles in the bottom, but this has worked for me. They take frozen and freeze dried bloodworms, and spirulina brine.They get a 20% water change weekly, and i wash out the sponges every other water change.
HiImSean;2734447; said:
I just ordered Darters . Imagine within 7 days will post pic as should have them by than.
The tank was originally going to be for cichlids but the current was so great with filter on side of glass that opted to go with darters and took tank apart and moved tank/stand to cold ac room in house lol.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204166
I added more driftwood but kept same pebbles for tank bottom.
Either way I had darters yrs ago in 20 gallon long had variegated darters they did very well for yrs but never bred
.If your hang on filter moves enough water than no need for powerhead which can raise water temp a bit and you may not want that.
Some darters dont need current or very little .
Louie;2760631; said:I just ordered Darters . Imagine within 7 days will post pic as should have them by than.
The tank was originally going to be for cichlids but the current was so great with filter on side of glass that opted to go with darters and took tank apart and moved tank/stand to cold ac room in house lol.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204166
I added more driftwood but kept same pebbles for tank bottom.
Either way I had darters yrs ago in 20 gallon long had variegated darters they did very well for yrs but never bred
If your hang on filter moves enough water than no need for powerhead which can raise water temp a bit and you may not want that.
Some darters dont need current or very little .
My fish room stays 70 year round, nothing there but natives, no heaters. Tanks stay at 70. I just added the small power-head with venturi air to simulate water going across rapids, and the darters seem to enjoy it, they spend a lot of time swimming against the surrent and playing in the air bubbles, also injecting 70 degree air bubbles constantly must offset any heat generated, Tank never varies in temp. Your mileage may vary
---------------jimv8673;2760649; said:My fish room stays 70 year round, nothing there but natives, no heaters. Tanks stay at 70. I just added the small power-head with venturi air to simulate water going across rapids, and the darters seem to enjoy it, they spend a lot of time swimming against the surrent and playing in the air bubbles, also injecting 70 degree air bubbles constantly must offset any heat generated, Tank never varies in temp. Your mileage may vary
"also injecting 70 degree air bubbles constantly must offset any heat generated"
That is true. My fish room /reptile room is way to warm 78 to 84 thus put tank in den .
Its 72 to 74 there all yr long with ac. I was going to go with orange throat darters but felt bit to warm thus went with brown darters.
No basements in Florida lol