rainbow darters, pumpkinseeds

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

 it just happened that i was on the interweb looking up fish when i came across a missouri long eared sunfish. its really stunning and its found in the US! i thought that was pretty cool has anyone kept these? i am going to look into tank requirements for native species but i think i might start planning for some rainbow darters. has anyone kept these? i have a 55 that i may setup for the darters (once i learn a lot more about them) but i was also going to look for some suitable tank mates since the darters only get about 3" or so. does anyone have suggestions for tankmates or some coldwater plants. how many will go comfortably into a 55? if anyone has experience with some native species that would be great, the info i found so far is a bit vague.

[Marty]

Zchallenger will be able to answer your questions.

[RichE]

not to hi-jack the thread but is it ok to keep native species in a Home aquarium?

Like bluegill crappie etc?

[linuxrulesusa]

Some you have to get permits, only keep part of the year,  etc.  If zchallenger doesn't get a chance to answer for a bit you can always call up DNR.  I did this for crayfish and they were quite helpful.  Dept of Ag oversees tropical or ornamental fish, FYI.  While DNR does the native species.  Their big concern is fish not going from place to place (e.g. introducing them to new locations) or from your tank back to the wild (spreading diseases).

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

i was looking around on the dnr website and i couldnt find the information exactly but i am going to call tomorrow and find out if any permits are required. so far all i found is about collecting muskellunge eggs and other game fish, nongame fish have way less info on the website. im hoping its cool to collect my own darters, there are so many different kinds in michigan, if not there are places to order them online for around $4 a piece. i personally think it would be more enjoyable to get my own.

list of darters in michigan:
Western sand darter Ammocrypta clara
Easterm sand darter (Threatened) Ammocrypta pellucida
Greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides
Rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum
Iowa darter Etheostoma exile
Fantail darter Etheostoma flabellare
Barred fantail darter E. f. flabellare
Striped fantail darter E. f. lineolatum
Least darter Etheostoma microperca
Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum
Orangethroat darter (Special Concern) Etheostoma spectabile
Banded darter Etheostoma zonale
Channel darter (Endangered) Percina copelandi
Blackside darter Percina maculata
River darter (Endangered) Percina shumardi

i had no idea there were that many.

[Sean]

I did keep a bluegill once, but only for a few days. We lost power and I lost all my fish then. I had him in a 55 gallon and he seemed to be doing fine until we lost power

[Ron]

FWIW the rainbow darters would need cooler water with a high O2 content to do well. Things not necessarily easy to replicate in a home aquarium IMO.

[Marty]

I would imagine that with sunfish/bluegill you would only need a fishing license if you're catching them from a lake or river.  I know they're available domestically, because my parents have stocked their pond from hatcheries before without any type of permit needed.

[linuxrulesusa]

FWIW the rainbow darters would need cooler water with a high O2 content to do well. Things not necessarily easy to replicate in a home aquarium IMO.

Basically you'd need a chiller potentially?  Unless you did it in a basement that stayed under 70?

[Ron]

FWIW the rainbow darters would need cooler water with a high O2 content to do well. Things not necessarily easy to replicate in a home aquarium IMO.

Basically you'd need a chiller potentially?  Unless you did it in a basement that stayed under 70?

Yeah, a basement with a lot of water disturbance and/or airstones would be the easiest way to do it. I know my basement stays cool typically, but even late in the summer it still gets warm from time to time. A chiller would be the most consistent solution, but then you have another appliance to plumb/run/pay electricity for.

I've thought about rainbow darters since they are in a river that runs near my house, but based on brief past experiences trying to keep coolwater fish, it's not necessarily easy (sunfish/blue gill would be easier and possible).

[fishmagnet]

There was a really good article in amazonas magazine a couple months back written by a gentleman from west michigan that has successfully caught kept and bred rainbow darters.
His name is Ken and he is heavily involved with the Grand Valley Aquarium Club...He usually sets up a table with info and literature on catching and keeping these beautiful fish at the winter swap meet for the GVAC.
You do need a permit from the DNR to collect these fish from our native waters.

[jimbob]

Bob Muller from GDAS has kept and bred rainbow darters for five generations.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

i am still waiting for a response from the dnr about a cultural or scientific collectors permit and what the requirements are specifically. if its going to be way easier to keep some game fish i will probably go that route. my end goal was to try and get a native tank up and running at home and work out any kinks then i was going to set one up in my families bait shop. i was leaning towards game fish originally until i came across these little gems. if its way easier for some blue gill and sunfish i wouldnt mind going that route for the bait shop tank. i would like to eventually try keep a few of these darters down the road. chillers can get pricey

[Michael Zebrowski]

A MI fishing license is necessary to collect legally.  Non-game and non-protected fish may be kept in home aquaria.  Game fish may be kept if caught legally and are legal size.

Northern Long-Ear Sunfish can be caught in the lakes within Bald Mountain park in Oakland county.  While not as colorful as Centrals, they are still very nice.  Pumpkinseeds are another good choice as they stay small.  Both species adapt quickly to aquarium life.  Green sunfish are good for tanks if you prefer something more aggressive.

Rainbow, Green-Sided, and Fantail darters are easily collected in riffles of clean local creeks.  Rainbows habitate rocky/cobble, and Green-Sided will be in plants/algae growth.  Black-Sided darters can sometimes be found in the backwaters of the same creeks.  Johnnys are found in slower creeks, sometimes on mud/clay bottoms.  Leasts are found in shallow, weedy areas of still lakes.  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.

[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?