Sturgeons!!!

[How Koi]

I got Goliath in 2012 when he was about 5" long. We measured both Goliath and Arthur in November last fall when they came in from the greenhouse tanks to the garage tanks where I keep them over winter. I will not take a chance that they will get eaten by something over winter when I am not out in the greenhouse all day!!!!!! Goliath was 26" and Arthur was 18". I got Arthur in 2013 when he was 5" as well! Both fish were obtained through ads on Kijiji!! They were all sold as Sterlet. Whether the seller knew if they were or not they would not admit and they would not reveal where they came from. The person we got Goliath from said his brother had pet sturgeon in his pond and they just spontaneously spawned and one day and they had 1000s of babies but only a few of them survived!!!!????? LOL

The research I have done on Shortnose is that they are making a bit of a comeback in their Canadian habitats. Because they rarely ever grow large enough for them to be legally caught and kept they always get released!

I will have to go back and do some measuring of the photos and see what I come up with!!! Thanks for the info!!!

 

[jakessvx1]

Hi all!!

It has been a long time since I have had a moment to post!! Any sturgeon keepers out there?? I am in Ontario Canada and have been keeping a couple of Sturgeon for about 3 years now. Love them!! Still looking for an albino Sterlet!! I will be getting a bunch of Shortnose babies this May! Can't wait!!! I am so excited!!!!

Would love to hear from anyone keeping sturgeon!!! Anyone else out there in Canada??

Laura

Looks like there is a guy on eBay selling Siberian sturgeon. He has adds up for gold sterlets that will be coming soon. Never bought anything from him so I can't vouch for him. He responds quickly to messages though. Just thought you might like to know.

 

[spotfin]

I got Goliath in 2012 when he was about 5" long. We measured both Goliath and Arthur in November last fall when they came in from the greenhouse tanks to the garage tanks where I keep them over winter. I will not take a chance that they will get eaten by something over winter when I am not out in the greenhouse all day!!!!!! Goliath was 26" and Arthur was 18". I got Arthur in 2013 when he was 5" as well! Both fish were obtained through ads on Kijiji!! They were all sold as Sterlet. Whether the seller knew if they were or not they would not admit and they would not reveal where they came from. The person we got Goliath from said his brother had pet sturgeon in his pond and they just spontaneously spawned and one day and they had 1000s of babies but only a few of them survived!!!!????? LOL

The research I have done on Shortnose is that they are making a bit of a comeback in their Canadian habitats. Because they rarely ever grow large enough for them to be legally caught and kept they always get released!

I will have to go back and do some measuring of the photos and see what I come up with!!! Thanks for the info!!!

That's good growth rate! Young sturgeon typically grow really fast for the first couple years, and then slow down. We have caught some shortnose that had been tagged 10+ years ago that had only grown a couple of centimeters.
Any idea what species Arthur is? Sterlet? That's really interesting that Goliath came from a spawn in someone's pond. Shortnose spawn in rivers (flowing water) unless under lab/aquaculture conditions.
Yes, they are making a slow comeback. especially for fish that take a long time to mature and don't spawn every year.

 

[divemaster99]

Those are some great photos of your fish! Do you keep them in actual glass tanks or something like Rubbermaid bins?

 

[How Koi]

No we are fish breeders, we have over 100,000 gallon facility of various sized tanks, indoor and outdoor, in-ground and above ground ranging in size from as small as 400 gallons to 25,000 gallons. We do have a few smaller glass aquariums and poly tubs and tanks that we set up from time to time as well. We moved in 2011 and we are still getting our containment systems reestablished.

 

[How Koi]

I am very doubtful that the fish spawned in the guys pond. That is what he said. I am sure he got them from somewhere that he shouldn't have. They were probably smuggled into the country without CITES permits as tropical fish. Likely brought in as pet aquarium fish for private keeping. They guy knew he would get them sold. We negotiated the seller down from $100.00 a piece to $80.00 each if we bought all 6 that he had. Goliath was the largest of the 3 and he was the sole survivor of my 3. The 3 that my friend bought all died eventually over a period a few weeks.

 

[Moontanman]

Are you refering to a different species? I am getting Shortnose.

Yes, shovelnose is a small species of sturgeon native to the mississippi river system Scaphirhynchus platorynchus. It is the smallest of the NA sturgeon, doesn't migrate to the sea or brackish water, The shovelnose is also more tolerant of warm water and confined spaces than other NA sturgeon. The shovelnose was the first sturgeon bred in captivity (I think) and it was suggested by the US fish game as a good candidate for the aquarium trade but other than a few specimens that turned up in pets stores more than two decades ago the pet trade went in favor of larger less desirable sturgeon like the white, shortnose, and european sterlet as well and the truly gigantic siberian sturgeon.

They are still being bred but the more commercially viable larger species seem to be the only game in town for the pet trade. I have been told that most of the current stock is being used to repatriate this fish to some of its former range and large numbers are also being shipped to southeast asia for reason I have no clue about...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shovelnose_sturgeon

 

[Moontanman]

I am very doubtful that the fish spawned in the guys pond. That is what he said. I am sure he got them from somewhere that he shouldn't have. They were probably smuggled into the country without CITES permits as tropical fish. Likely brought in as pet aquarium fish for private keeping. They guy knew he would get them sold. We negotiated the seller down from $100.00 a piece to $80.00 each if we bought all 6 that he had. Goliath was the largest of the 3 and he was the sole survivor of my 3. The 3 that my friend bought all died eventually over a period a few weeks.

Yeah, I am sceptical of the pond spawning as well...

 

[How Koi]

Looks like there is a guy on eBay selling Siberian sturgeon. He has adds up for gold sterlets that will be coming soon. Never bought anything from him so I can't vouch for him. He responds quickly to messages though. Just thought you might like to know.

Wow! I did find the ad on Ebay.com but they are from the UK and said they cannot ship to the US. Is that the same ad you were referring to?? Did I miss a different ad? That would be my ultimate fish.... an albino Sterlet!!! Be still my heart!!! LOL

 

[How Koi]

Yes, shovelnose is a small species of sturgeon native to the mississippi river system Scaphirhynchus platorynchus. It is the smallest of the NA sturgeon, doesn't migrate to the sea or brackish water, The shovelnose is also more tolerant of warm water and confined spaces than other NA sturgeon. The shovelnose was the first sturgeon bred in captivity (I think) and it was suggested by the US fish game as a good candidate for the aquarium trade but other than a few specimens that turned up in pets stores more than two decades ago the pet trade went in favor of larger less desirable sturgeon like the white, shortnose, and european sterlet as well and the truly gigantic siberian sturgeon.

Yup Shovelnose are cool!!! I just wasn't sure if you made a type-o and didn't realise I am getting SHORTnose! LOL My purpose for the sturgeon I want to deal with is for ornamental ponds, which by legal definition in our fishing regs in Ontario is considered an "aquarium" .

You are so correct about their biology making them a much better aquarium or pond choice. They are just not available to me. I would not be adverse to getting a few if it became a possibility!!!

My concerns would be them getting through our long cold Canadian winters!!!