Sterlet Tankmates?

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O

Ozarker

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2011
71
7
38
NW Arkansas
I've recently set up a 250g tank with plans 4 or 5 sterlets as my flagship species. I'm looking for compatible tankmates and I'm hoping someone might have suggestions.

The tank is 72" x 24" x 31"t with a sand base and some live plants, mostly floating. It is in my attached greenhouse and temps will range seasonally from probably 50 - 70 F. though typically will be 55-65.

I plan to stock with 4-5, 5" sterlets. Other tankmates I'm considering are 4-5 Chinese Highfin Sharks, and perhaps a shoal of White Clouds for mid-water. (I have a 1,000g tank for those which outgrow the 250)

I read elsewhere on MFK that Odessa barbs (Puntius ticto) can tolerate cool water. Will they thrive/survive at 50F? I raise and spawn them in a heated plant tank and they're one of my favorites but I never considered them for an unheated tank. Anyone know if Puntius denesoni is cold hardy? Will smaller fish eventually become sturgeon food?

I welcome any thoughts are suggestions others might have on these choices or others to consider. My main criteria is that they not out-compete or be aggressive towards , and ideally accentuate, my sterlets.

TIA,
Gordon
 
Anyone?? Surely someone here is keeping sterlets. What tankmates have you found compatible?

TIAA,
Gordon
 
I keep Odessas with my natives - minnows and sunfish - in an unheated aquarium in a drafty old apartment. They are one of my favorite non-natives. I think my lowest tank temp has been around 59 or 60 and they don't have a problem with that at all. Colder than that, you'd just have to experiment and see. I suspect that as long as the temp change is gradual, they will be fine.

I can't help with the rest of your questions, but hopefully someone else can.
 
Have you considered going warmer?
Sturgeon can accept a wide range of temps according to what I've found on them.
I'm keeping my 7" shovelnose sturgeon in an 80degree tank with Clown knife, rainbow shark, syntadonis cat, and a few cichlids.
My endilicheri bicher ignores him completely, but I removed the senegal bicher 7" when I found him clamped down on the tail of the sturgeon.
The senegal is in my 65G until the sturgeon gets bigger.
 
Thanks for the responses and sorry for taking so long to get back to this thread.

I now have this 250g stocked with 2- 5" Diamond sturgeons and 3- 5" sterlets. What beautiful (in their own primeval way) and fascinating fish! I have added a couple of Odessa barb fingerlings which spawned in my plant tank and they are doing well at the lower temps. In fact, they may be even more colorful than in my heated tank. I also have a dozen bloodfins and a dozen white clouds which are also doing well and add some action to the upper levels of the tank. I also plan to add 3 Chinese high fin sharks in the future.

I'm now looking for larger, mid-water species and am interested in any suggestions folks have to offer. Something along the lines of redhooks (Myleus argentus) but of course they require warmer temps. Does anyone know of any schooling, flashy, mild-mannered, mid-water species which will tolerate 55-65 degree temps? Maybe a barb? Has anyone kept Tinfoils in cool temps?

To meBNme, this tank, along with a 125g with fancy goldfish, is located in my passive solar aquaponic greenhouse and, while I could heat it, I prefer to avoid the added cost. I have 4 other heated tanks with tropical species and am particularly interested in experimenting with cool water fish in this tank.
 
I've kept several species of sunfish over the years and for their size they are some of the feistiest fish around. I think they would be too territorial and would out-compete the sturgeons and would definitely make quick snacks of my bloodfins and white clouds. I've never kept yellow perch but aren't they of similar disposition?
 
The mahseers look interesting and it sounds like they like cooler water. When they outgrow my 250 they could go into my 1,000 gallon tank. Sounds like they're good eating too! The only drawback could be that as carps I assume they are primarily bottom feeders and might outcompete the sturgeons. The sturgeons are really pretty dumb feeders and it takes them some time to locate food.

I have several P. denisonii in another tank (heated) and they're one of my favs. I mentioned them as a possibility in my original posting, asking if they would tolerate cooler temps. Will they? Has anyone kept them in unheated 55-65 degree conditions?
 
Ozarker said:
The mahseers look interesting and it sounds like they like cooler water. When they outgrow my 250 they could go into my 1,000 gallon tank. Sounds like they're good eating too! The only drawback could be that as carps I assume they are primarily bottom feeders and might outcompete the sturgeons. The sturgeons are really pretty dumb feeders and it takes them some time to locate food.

I have several P. denisonii in another tank (heated) and they're one of my favs. I mentioned them as a possibility in my original posting, asking if they would tolerate cooler temps. Will they? Has anyone kept them in unheated 55-65 degree conditions?
Click to expand...

They're originally from mid china and actually prefer water around 60-65 degrees.
 
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