natives keep dying

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
id10t said:
lizardfishman - if you can find a #14 or #16 light wire hook you can catch gambusia and wild guppies on 'em. If you want to get microscopic, check with a fly tying supply place.

Guppy -
Where do you get circle hooks that small?
They aren't that small, I use #4s that I press the barb down on, I got a pack of a couple dozen for about $2 at Fred Meyers, I hand line with them, worms, 6lb test mono and a 1/16oz split shot. The bigger hook keeps them from swallowing it so they are lip hooked, I used to use egg hooks or #14s snelled hooks but it killed to many. it takes a delicate touch.
 
check the water they came from it is probably low ph if there are many plants also small predators such as bass do fine at almost 90 degrees but need alot of live food. natives usually also have parasites wich easily kill it if they become stressed.
 
sucessfully aclimated two small cichlids from a lake near my house. i figured out why i wasnt succeding before. i would take them from the lake a dump them in to the tank without acclimating them
 
I've found some wild native fish are rather sensitive to temperature shock. Temperature acclimation is very important when placing fish in higher tempereatures. Once fish have adjusted to the tank (temperature fluctuations) they seem to handle great swings in temperature with ease (depending on species).

I've also found that fish caught on hooks heal and eat very quickly. I recently caught several orangespotted sunfish (with #16 barbless) and this fish ate frozen food in two days.
 
Has anyone asked what size tank he is keeping these fish in? Or if there is any kind of filtration? Perhaps I missed it scanning through all the posts, but it seems to me that may be a major source of the problem.
 
blacktip said:
Has anyone asked what size tank he is keeping these fish in? Or if there is any kind of filtration? Perhaps I missed it scanning through all the posts, but it seems to me that may be a major source of the problem.
He did not mention these but as he says in post #13 he wa s not acclimating them at all.
 
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