Tropical Fish Forums

[don clark]

I caught several small fish here in fl. less than 2" I need help id ing them but I can't see how to attach photos they are bottom dwellers, very thin, stand up on their fins on bottom resemble online description of cypress darter, possibly threatened though common in this lake, if so I guess I need to bring them back
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don clark

[UncleWillie]

First, don't take anything home that you don't know what it is.

Second, don't put said fish back where you got them from. You've stressed them, they are more vulnerable to infections, you've exposed them to aquaria which may come with a suite of potential pathogens that the fish has never been exposed to. Putting them back where they came from only puts those still in their natural environment at risk. If the species is threatened, then you are doing way more harm than good by putting them back.

Third, look halfway down this http://www.aquahobby.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1217 and you'll see you need to use a image-hosting website to post pictures here.

Fourth, if this fish is as common as you say, it is likely a swamp darter. Although there are freshwater gobies as well, swamp darters are abundant where present. They do make good aquarium specimens. I've kept about 4 in the past. Less picky than most other darters from coolwater stream and, take frozen bloodworms immediately. Getting them to prepared foods is like most other darters. It is possible that they may nibble on a flake or two (but this is rare), and they won't get the quantity or quality of food that frozen foods will give them.

[don clark]

thanks , looked up swampdarter, pictures and habitat seem to be my fish, you are very kind to answer all these questions. I will be more careful about what I collect, I guess I will probably need to learn to hatch some daphnia, they are obviously too small for shrimp, now I am trying to get a couple more flagfish( I have1 male) and a couple more top minnows(I have a pair), I have a good school of bluefin killis, 4 female lesser livebearers, my hogchoker sole, and 4 mosquito fish, a friend has promised me a 45gal high tank.
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don clark

[UncleWillie]

I think all those fish would do well together minus the mosquitofish. They tend to be nasty nippers and can get quite violent towards themselves and even fish of larger sizes. IME, flagfish and the topminnows did very well together, with the males of each species getting a little more territorial once mature and breeding conditions seem right (but nothing to worry worry about).

Those swamp darters stay very small (2-3'') and relatively dull. But once adults, they can become a beautiful deep green color and blend in to the plants. They are quite fun to watch, gracefully floating from one perch to the next, observing every little thing that goes on, and always on the hunt. Very cool fish. Mine ate bloodworms only, but a friend of mine down the road has about 7 (all LFS feeder tank rescues) and they will all eat flake food that he feeds his yellowfin shiners and rosyface chubs. So they CAN be trained to eat flakes, but just know they darters can emaciate very quickly and are a bit more prone to having internal parasites. So feed a lot and feed often! Best of luck. If you get a chance, let's see those fishies!

[don clark]

I now have4 darters, they are not very pretty but they are interesting, I have 4 pregnant gambusias which I have moved to a separate tank , but not before they tore up the fins of the only fish I bought ,a male guppy, I am trying to get pictures but it may take afew days to figure it out. its easier taking pictures while diving than tiny fish in an aquarium
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don clark

[don clark]

well I've been sitting here all afternoon trying to include pix on this forum, I keep coming up oversize, and by the time I get it fixed I have a page error and lose everything . pix to follow some time. I'm a little distressed with my collection attempt fri. went out on cloudy cool day with dipnet and 5 gallon bucket filled with filtered tap water(chlorine free, cool, neutral pH)and a bubbler, collected some floating plants, afew shrimp, and a smallfemale flagfish, and a marbled male gambusia. took 2 hrs, collecting is harder on cool and cloudy days it seems. Got home to find my fish in bad shape , very inactive, fins clamped, hanging on bottom, gambusia swimming slowly vertically out of control. Put them in outside quarantine tank added stress/conditioner, warm water , by morning they were dead . what am I doing wrong.?
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don clark

[don clark]

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don clark

[don clark]

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don clark

[don clark]

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don clark

[diademhill]

Read about cycling, nitrogen cycle & new tank syndrome <<<<<