Sturgeon / Sterlet info - different types, names, etc.
- Thread starter fwprawn
- Start date
Again - IF, and only IF, I decide I want to do this - they will go into tanks first, and then ponds - since obviously the Wels will need ponds as well.
I had it for about 6 months and in that time it grew from 2"-7". It died most likely cuz I didn't research and it was in a warm water environment. It was with peaceful fish so I'm guessing that the warm water eventually stressed it out enough to kill it. I have no clue though.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Well, they aren't invertebrates - that's for sure 
Good to know about the potential for getting tangled. I don't use plants in ponds other than the occasional water hyacinth or water lettuce, which would be fine in this respect.
Good to know about the potential for getting tangled. I don't use plants in ponds other than the occasional water hyacinth or water lettuce, which would be fine in this respect.
I have 2 sturgeon, exact species unknown, but they are definitely NOT Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)! They are currently residing in a 1500 gallon tank in my garage turned fish house. I had been wanting Sterlet ever since I visited a buddy in Germany and saw them in a pet shop there, one was an awesome albino!!!! That was over 20 years ago and 2 years ago my dream came true, sort of! A friend had noticed some for sale on an online classified site. Between the 2 of us we bought them all. I started of with 3 and in the first hour lost 2!!! Even though the aeration was on in the tank before the fish were introduced, we shut it off to observe them. We walked away to look at the rest of our setup and when we returned 20 minutes later they were struggling! My own stupid fault, I knew they required a lot of O2, but did not realize they were that sensitive! 3 tiny less than 6" sturgeon in a 200 gallon tank and they ran out of O2! I revived them by bagging them with O2 and that brought 2 of them around the 3rd one couldn't be saved, and the second one died about an hour later. My friend's fish didn't survive despite his best efforts. We don't think they were very well cared for or properly handled by the seller before we got them so that may have figured into their deaths as well. My survivor is doing awesome now though!! I also added a second sturgeon this year through another bunch we bought and shipped to a friend in BC Canada. We bought 7, one was weak and died about a week after their purchase. It was a Diamond Surgeon. The remaining 6 have all done well as far as I know. I kept one of the bunch for myself and it is doing wonderfully!! The tank we have for them is double walled fiberglass over wood frame, with a EPDM liner. It is 8' X 8' X 3.5' and ranges from 10C (50F) over winter and up to 20C to 25C (68F to 77F) and they are growing and thriving. The oldest one is close to 24" and will be 2 years old in April, the younger one is over 12" and will be 1 year old sometime this spring. They eat sinking sturgeon pellets now but as babies we gave them bloodworms. I currently have no plans to move them to an outdoor pond as we have had mink hit our Koi grow-out ponds and even our retail tanks in our greenhouse!! I am so afraid they would fall victim to the furry little terrorists and I just can't bear the thought!!! The largest of our 2 could be a hybrid, possibly beluga/sterlet cross. (apparently it is a common cross for caviar production!) If so it is possible that it could grow quite large and then it could go into an outdoor pond... I would then pity the poor mink that ventured into that pond!! LOL My hopes are to finally get an albino Sterlet!! One drawback to mixing sturgeon and other fish in a pond where they are to winter over in temps below freezing, sturgeon can and should continue to be fed after Koi and goldfish should not and you can't convince the Koi that it is too cold to eat the yummy sturgeon pellets!! All in all I think they are worth the effort I have taken to keep them. I am currently working with a licensed sturgeon farm that raise Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) they are like a North American "Sterlet" in that they do not grow much over 3' so they would be a good possible "ornamental" sturgeon. At least I would be certain of the species I was dealing with!!
