Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Sucker tank
From: John Knight (knighjr at auburn.edu)
Date: Tue Oct 26 2004 - 08:21:24 CDT
My two cents worth,
I have kept native tanks fo several years now, and for some reason have
had a nightmare of a time keeping suckers (both hypentelium and
Moxostoma). It's gotten to the point which I will not even attempt it
anymore.
I agree with previous posts that the do love flow, but you should make
sure you have excellent refuge areas, particularly YOY. This past fall
we targeted etowanum for a daily age study. The juvenile were
typically associated with flow but would school up in shallow sand bars
near flow areas, often d.s. of justicia beds.
Additional problems:
Sand will cause tons of problems for your filtration system, plus it's
quite difficult to clean. Make sure you clean (sieve it or maybe even
autoclave it) well really well otherwise you will constantly fight water
clarity issues, particularly with higher flow tanks...And whatever you
do, do not use store bought sand
Re: the species
the species will eat blood worms, but I always try to supplement live
macros as much as possible
Watch out, they are jumpers (particularly juvs). Make sure you have a
hood covering the whole tank. If there are holes they will find them. I
don't want to admit how many I have found on the floor
For some reason, they seem to be sensitive to WQ issues. Frequent
(really frequent )water changes are required. This point is counter
intuitive considering I have collected the species in some wretched
places in the wild .
I also agree with a previous post that you want to avoid certain
species. I have N. texanus and a couple of spp. of Cyprinella that mow
down food in the water column and make it tough for my benthics...
Overall I just think they are tough to tend to unless you have lots of
time to spend on the Aquarium. Catostomus or Minytrema, I think are
better options. My tanks are usually filled with darters, madtoms, and
minnows and do quite well. I have fish that are 3-4 years old right now
in my tanks....For what it's worth
JK
John R. Knight
Graduate Research Assistant
Alabama Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Unit
103 Swingle Hall
Auburn AL, 36849
Phone(cell): (706) 424-2495
Phone(work): (334) 844-9318
Fax: (334) 844-9208
Email: knighjr at acesag.auburn.edu
Alt email: inscriptum at hotmail.com
>>> fundulus at hotmail.com 10/25/04 6:39 PM >>>
I'll second Todd's opinion on strong current being important for
suckers.
Whenever I've found Alabama hog suckers around north 'bama, it's in
areas of
noticeable current. YOY Alabamas were a common bycatch in seining for
burrhead and silverstripe minnows in the upper Sipsey system this
season,
and almost always in riffle areas. I'd guess that in an aquarium they'd
prefer to take food coming at them in a current.
--Bruce Stallsmith
along the Tennessee, but not too far from the Sipsey/Black Warrior
Huntsville, AL, US of A
>The specimens I have been maintaing _love_ current, especially the hog
>suckers. They like to sit in the riffle area under the current of the
>spray bar... They'll shoot up into the current, roll around in it a
bit,
>and then let it snap them right back to the substrate.
>Todd
>The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, Ohio
>It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
>http://www.farmertodd.com
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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 11:27:53 CST