Re: NANFA-- brook stickleback?
Bonnie Ullmann (ullmann_at_uoneuro.uoregon.edu)
Mon, 25 Sep 2000 16:30:39 -0700
I wonder if the critters with lots of bony plates and spines
appreciate the extra calcium they might get from snail shells? I
understand calcium is in short supply in many fish diets.
bonnie
>I have noticed this when I used to keep brook sticklebacks, they
always
>seemed to waste away. There must be something in the natural
water they are
>getting that they dont get in an aqurium. I think it would be
some kind of
>food, maybe baby snails, since they are found in all water conditions
in all
>habitats here, I doubt it is a trace element in the water. Thanks
to some
>help from Robert Goldstien, he turned me on to the fact that pygmy
sunfish
>relish baby snails. I would venture that sticklebacks living in
the same
>areas ( near shore shallow weeded areas) pygmies do, although in
different
>regions, would eat small fresh hatched snails. Most small sunfish
eat baby
>snails as well as killifish and mudminnows do. Furthering the
Idea that
>this may be important staple for sticklebacks. it cant hurt,
snails are
>important in my aquariums and ponds as scavengers and algae
control. I
>cringe when I here about getting rid of snails in aquariums. They
are
>helpful to me and my fish anyways.
>
>> The stickles are some of my favorites. They seem to
hard to keep wieght
>> on, even though the feed voraciously on a variety of frozen
foods and live
>> brine shrimp. The threespines color up in the spring
and show some nest
>> building behavior.
>Ray
>
>
>/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not
necessarily
>/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native
Fishes
>/ Association"
>/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
Association
>/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the
word
>/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email
to
>/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command
to
>/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not
necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the
word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email
to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command
to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.