SHINERS INSTEAD OF GOLD FISH FEEDERS

[polish]

I caught a few shiners in a river by my house, water temp of around 50-ish.

Dripped them for an hour-ish, bucket was 1/2 tank water and 1/2 river water so it warmed up a fair amount. However the second they hit the tank, DEAD. They don't do well with huge temp changes in short times it seems, well at least in my experience. Same with Rosys, I can only put them in as fast as the fish can eat them because they are dead less than 10 seconds after they hit the water from the heat.

 

[Mumtron]

I caught a few shiners in a river by my house, water temp of around 50-ish.

Dripped them for an hour-ish, bucket was 1/2 tank water and 1/2 river water so it warmed up a fair amount. However the second they hit the tank, DEAD. They don't do well with huge temp changes in short times it seems, well at least in my experience. Same with Rosys, I can only put them in as fast as the fish can eat them because they are dead less than 10 seconds after they hit the water from the heat.

The water from the river and the water from your tank are completely different. temperature and quality wise. theyre obviously going to die right away if they arent acclimated correctly. even then, why would you want them alive in your tank if theyre going to be eaten?

 

[ado124]

The water from the river and the water from your tank are completely different. temperature and quality wise. theyre obviously going to die right away if they arent acclimated correctly. even then, why would you want them alive in your tank if theyre going to be eaten?

Some fish are picky and won't accept dead food.

 

[polish]

The water from the river and the water from your tank are completely different. temperature and quality wise. theyre obviously going to die right away if they arent acclimated correctly. even then, why would you want them alive in your tank if theyre going to be eaten?

Really? You don't say... (Laughing hysterically)

Guess you missed the part about me dripping them. (acclimating by dripping water into a bucket from the tank for an extended period of time, unlike the bag float way)

And why would I want them alive? Simple, so they get eaten. My fish are still small and take live only, sucks but it's the way it is for now.

As for the rosys, I keep them in a separate tank because only about 1/10 will live in the Pbass tank if that, the heat kills them quick even if I try to acclimate. So I just toss them in one at a time and now it's working ok since they get eaten before they can die, that sounded mean - haha...

Some fish are picky and won't accept dead food.

Good call, you would be correct.

 

[Mumtron]

Some fish are picky and won't accept dead food.

Then use live Goldfish and gradually ween them off to frozen dead fish, pellets, or shrimp once they start trusting you........

This is a common method most people use for their picky or wild caught fish. it eventually works if you do it right......

 

[polish]

Trust me, I am trying. It's not as easy as you make it sound.

And no goldfish here, only guppies/rosies/zebra danios.

 

[Mumtron]

Really? You don't say... (Laughing hysterically)

Guess you missed the part about me dripping them. (acclimating by dripping water into a bucket from the tank for an extended period of time, unlike the bag float way)

And why would I want them alive? Simple, so they get eaten. My fish are still small and take live only, sucks but it's the way it is for now.

As for the rosys, I keep them in a separate tank because only about 1/10 will live in the Pbass tank if that, the heat kills them quick even if I try to acclimate. So I just toss them in one at a time and now it's working ok since they get eaten before they can die, that sounded mean - haha...



Good call, you would be correct.

Actually......... I didnt miss that part. i just ignored it because it was pointless. You'd be better off setting up a quarantine tank specifically for your feeders. dripping them using the water from your main tank will provide no results since you're trying to acclimate native bait fish that prefer cold water to your warm tropical water. The person who gave you that advice obviously pulled it straight out of his you know what.


That's like me trying to acclimate my peacock bass into a 50 degree chilled tank by using the "effective" drip method. Ironic? I agree.

 

[ado124]

Trust me, I am trying. It's not as easy as you make it sound.

And no goldfish here, only guppies/rosies/zebra danios.

I actually just bought 1000+ fat head minnows (rosies) from a local farm and they have done surprisingly well in my quarantine tank. It's kept at room temp and I've lost only 1 minnow in a whole week. They're a bit larger than the rosies you find at the LFS but seems to have a better survival rate. I just throw them in the main tanks one by one and they stay a live long enough to get eaten.

As you said, shiners are VERY sensitive to water temps. Try a local pond stocking company to see if they have larger fat head minnows or even shiners. Maybe the farm bred ones will be more tolerant of the cichla water parameters.

No expert, just my .02.

 

[polish]

Actually......... I didnt miss that part. i just ignored it because it was pointless. You'd be better off setting up a quarantine tank specifically for your feeders. dripping them using the water from your main tank will provide no results since you're trying to acclimate native bait fish that prefer cold water to your warm tropical water. The person who gave you that advice obviously pulled it straight out of his you know what.


That's like me trying to acclimate my peacock bass into a 50 degree chilled tank by using the "effective" drip method. Ironic? I agree.

Oh ya, I am with you on that one. I just thought you missed it and were thinking I was putting fish from 50* water into 87* water and wondering why they died.

No one really told me the drip method would work for that, I just tried it for the hell of it since they were in the bucket already. It was a first attempt with wild feeders, and a mighty failed one at that. A holding tank for them if definitely in order if I can catch some more.

 

[polish]

I actually just bought 1000+ fat head minnows (rosies) from a local farm and they have done surprisingly well in my quarantine tank. It's kept at room temp and I've lost only 1 minnow in a whole week. They're a bit larger than the rosies you find at the LFS but seems to have a better survival rate. I just throw them in the main tanks one by one and they stay a live long enough to get eaten.

As you said, shiners are VERY sensitive to water temps. Try a local pond stocking company to see if they have larger fat head minnows or even shiners. Maybe the farm bred ones will be more tolerant of the cichla water parameters.

No expert, just my .02.

Thanks for the input, I am going to try and source some locally eventually because buying 100 feeders at the LFS for $12-14 and having them gone the next day is getting really pricey. Well that along with trying to catch some more shiners, and keeping them alive this time. Because nothing beats free...