Just wanted to give you an update on the brook silversides I caught In KY
last month... For all the trouble they typically are to keep alive in
transit, they have been no trouble at all to keep. Apparently the extreme
care we took in transporting them paid off. So far, I haven't lost a single
fish. I placed them in a 20gal with the rest of the KY catch, otherwise
occupied by a few of the yellowfin shiners from Soque River. For the first
four days, I did a pre-emptive treatment with Furan2 as I normally do with
new arrivals. My main concern was the food. In all my tanks I feed flake
food in the morning and freeze-dried blood worms at night. I noticed right
away that the silversides were not aggressive feeders like the others in
their tank. While the other fish swarm the top of the water as soon as the
food arrives, the silversides remain placidly schooling in the middle of
the tank. Since this tank sits at eye level, it is much easier to observe
without spooking the fish. The silversides ignored the flake food at first
(no great surprise), but nibbled at the blood worms that drifted down to
their level. I always make sure that I put the food directly in the path of
the flow from the filter so that enough of it reaches the darters that live
on the bottom. Within a week, the silversides were also eating the flake
food, and now even venture up to the top once in awhile to get it. These
are truly graceful creatures to watch. I have really enjoyed keeping them,
but I realize as I watch them how little I know about them. If any of you
can point me toward any literature on them, I'd like to learn more.
All The Best,
Steven A. Ellis
Kennesaw, GA
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