Are These Green Darters?
- Thread starter meepster
- Start date
What exactly is a green darter? I'm not familiar with this one.
This is definitely a swamp darter, which is a very frequent contaminant with ghost shrimp.
This is definitely a swamp darter, which is a very frequent contaminant with ghost shrimp.
I agree that they are swamp darters.
I thought they were green sided darters because when washed out, they looked like they had green bars.
I thought they were green sided darters because when washed out, they looked like they had green bars.
E. fusiforme. They're pretty neat. Since I can't go collecting for these things I pick them up frequently out of ghost shrimp tanks along with other eastern US natives.
The largest I've found and kept was about 2.5" (TL), didn't grow any bigger in the few months I had him and was short-lived after I purchased him (presumably quite old for it's species).
Males are the larger/longer of the sexes, females having a fuller belly and smaller head. The first dorsal of the male darkens when in spawning condition. Not much to getting them into spawning conditions. Clean water and plenty of good food. Changes in temp seem to be the triggers. I keep mine in unheated aquariums and the males develop the dark first dorsals when the weather cools down around fall and through winter, with plenty of live foods the females ripen with eggs quickly and can be noted by the stransluscent peachy color of the eggs inside their bellies. I haven't yet paid much attention to spawning detail or bothered to rear eggs or fry.
It's not hard to get them to eat in captivity. Aside from live foods like bloodworm, whiteworm, brine shrimp and grindals they will greedily accept any frozen foods and may even accept flake or small pellet.
They're territorial with eachother but don't cause any damage. Keeping them in larger groups is most rewarding as they are constantly interacting with eachother and always up to something. Besides hopping along the substrate they can hover mid-water while trying to acess a certain situation and consider the higher-up perches best for observational purposes so competition may develop over certain "hot spot" perches.
They don't disturb plants, get along great with other small fish and aren't picky of water parameters so long as extremes are avoided. They can take sub-topical temperatures very well and even tolerate high temperatures so long as the water is well oxygenated.
The largest I've found and kept was about 2.5" (TL), didn't grow any bigger in the few months I had him and was short-lived after I purchased him (presumably quite old for it's species).
Males are the larger/longer of the sexes, females having a fuller belly and smaller head. The first dorsal of the male darkens when in spawning condition. Not much to getting them into spawning conditions. Clean water and plenty of good food. Changes in temp seem to be the triggers. I keep mine in unheated aquariums and the males develop the dark first dorsals when the weather cools down around fall and through winter, with plenty of live foods the females ripen with eggs quickly and can be noted by the stransluscent peachy color of the eggs inside their bellies. I haven't yet paid much attention to spawning detail or bothered to rear eggs or fry.
It's not hard to get them to eat in captivity. Aside from live foods like bloodworm, whiteworm, brine shrimp and grindals they will greedily accept any frozen foods and may even accept flake or small pellet.
They're territorial with eachother but don't cause any damage. Keeping them in larger groups is most rewarding as they are constantly interacting with eachother and always up to something. Besides hopping along the substrate they can hover mid-water while trying to acess a certain situation and consider the higher-up perches best for observational purposes so competition may develop over certain "hot spot" perches.
They don't disturb plants, get along great with other small fish and aren't picky of water parameters so long as extremes are avoided. They can take sub-topical temperatures very well and even tolerate high temperatures so long as the water is well oxygenated.
!!! I think that htey are E. fusiforme! That looks EXACTLY like what I have. they have settled into their new tank. But their colors have not changed and they are not eating flake foods. I will have to try some frozen later.
The tank has half gravel and half polished stones as substrate. The gravel is sloped so in the middle there is a mix of the large polished stones then it transitions to just stones. The stones are good for the because there are crevices for hising spots. They do swim in the middle of the water column from time to time.
The tank has half gravel and half polished stones as substrate. The gravel is sloped so in the middle there is a mix of the large polished stones then it transitions to just stones. The stones are good for the because there are crevices for hising spots. They do swim in the middle of the water column from time to time.
As you know they're suited to life in the bottom strata but they will hover around mid-water for short times when they feel like it or if they think food's coming in from above. 
finally...i know what "it" is ... i bought some ghostshrimps a couple months ago and got one of those and i had no clue what it was it drove me crazy,now i kno what "it" is....hes still in my 10g btw
