rainbow darters, pumpkinseeds

[Michael Zebrowski]

Thanks for the great info, Mike.

Do all of these require live foods (particularly the darters) or can they be weaned onto cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, or frozen foods as a staple?

All sunfish adapt quickly to pellets and other dried foods, just don't feed them for the first week or two so they're good & hungry.

Darters are best maintained on high-protein live/frozen foods.  All are snail-eaters, especially the Green-Sideds, who can clear a tank of Maylasian live-bearing snails.  Black worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, glass worms are all good; Black worms being favored.  If you load the tank with good-quality black worms at night, the darters will seek them out all day long. 

Note that all darters have a very high metabolism and must be fed often, or they'll waste away.

[linuxrulesusa]

Thanks for the great info, Mike.

Do all of these require live foods (particularly the darters) or can they be weaned onto cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, or frozen foods as a staple?

All sunfish adapt quickly to pellets and other dried foods, just don't feed them for the first week or two so they're good & hungry.

Darters are best maintained on high-protein live/frozen foods.  All are snail-eaters, especially the Green-Sideds, who can clear a tank of Maylasian live-bearing snails.  Black worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, glass worms are all good; Black worms being favored.  If you load the tank with good-quality black worms at night, the darters will seek them out all day long. 

Note that all darters have a very high metabolism and must be fed often, or they'll waste away.

Very helpful.  One followup - what do you mean by often for feeding the darters?  Daily?  Twice a day?  Just thinking for like a weekend if I were gone as to whether they would not make it.

[Ron]

All these darters are fine at room temperatures but the Rainbows, Green-Sided, and fantails require sufficient oxygenation.  Power heads or outside power filters are good alternatives.  A chiller isn't necessary.

I was hoping to see you on this thread Mike! Can you give a temperature range that is suitable? In the winter my general room temperature is sometimes 58F, while in the summer it can run 90F.

[linuxrulesusa]

I was talking to Dale of Fins the other say and he said under 75F or forget it.  What reading I've done so far shows many of these won't brees above mid 70s and some will die.