US biotopes?? - Page 2 - Local Biotopes

crw.npt · 12-07-2011, 09:20 AM

And lets keep this going. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to see more native biotopes. And I promise, as soon as mine gets up and running I'll have pics.

asukawashere · 12-07-2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crw.npt

Great looking tank Asukawashere! thats exactly what I was looking for, people keeping natives. Don't get me wrong, I love angels and tetras as much as the next guy, but I wanna see more natives.

I'm going to set up a nice little native biotope as soon as we get our our own place. Thinking Pygmy Sunfish, probably Okefenokees, but not too sure.

I love pygmy sunnies! But they're so difficult to find - do you have a locality where you can collect them yourself? (And if so, can you put a couple in a box and mail them my way... maybe throw some cool Florida plants in there for good measure?) Also, isn't E. okefenokee the one that's really endangered?

DonaldmBoyer · 12-07-2011, 06:35 PM

Nice Asukawashere! Looks very clean and energetic; must be nice to watch!

And a little algae never hurt anything, right?

I would like a better picture of that pumpkinseed, though, if it is possible someday!

asukawashere · 12-08-2011, 07:36 AM

Thanks!

I don't know about clean; my tanks are rarely clean LOL, but it's definitely energetic and fun to watch. Best part is when the male mollies extend their sailfins all the way and do silly courtship dances. They look utterly ridiculous, but I guess the girly mollies like it, because we've got a gazillion mini-mollies.

I'll see if I can get Slim to cooperate for another photoshoot sometime. Probably I'll have to bait him with something yummy and get someone else to snap the photo while his attention is elsewhere.

As for the algae... truthfully, I'd rather let it bind up any excess nutrients in the tank into a stringy form that I can grab handfuls of and yank out of the tank. But it's definitely not very attractive. :P So if I could get something to eat the algae, it'd probably look a lot better.

crw.npt · 12-08-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asukawashere

I love pygmy sunnies! But they're so difficult to find - do you have a locality where you can collect them yourself? (And if so, can you put a couple in a box and mail them my way... maybe throw some cool Florida plants in there for good measure?) Also, isn't E. okefenokee the one that's really endangered?

I'm not sure if the Okefenokees are endangered or not. I should look into that! There are a few places online that sell them though. I haven't found any collection spots yet as Ive only been here for about three months, but I'm sure I will.

http://www.zimmermansfish.com/ These guys usually have them, but they don't have them right now.

http://www.aquaculturestore.com/fwverts.html These guys have them now.

crw.npt · 12-08-2011, 08:39 AM

According to this article, its the Blackbanded Pygmy that is endangered, not the Okefenokee.

http://research.myfwc.com/engine/dow...pe=publication

At least here in Florida.

Krystal907 · 12-09-2011, 11:06 AM

Is there any chance to have a west coast biotope? Or even just fish that could be housed in a tank from the westcoast? I feel like the catchable fish are a lot bigger over here and you would need a ginormous tank to hold anything.

asukawashere · 12-09-2011, 02:53 PM

The west coast certainly isn't an area of expertise for me, but there are fish out west that are small enough to keep in a home aquarium (after all, those big ol' lunkers have to have something to eat!)

Depending on what part of the west you want to emulate, you might want to look into killifish (genus Fundulus), pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.), sculpins (genus Cottus and close relatives), 3-spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus sp.), and so on. Plant-wise, some native species with a broad range extending to the west coast include hornwort (Ceratophyllum spp.), Ludwigia palustris, Vallisneria americana, Elodea canadensis, and Echinodorus berteroi (among many, many others). A little research and, if possible, a field trip or two, should help you figure out which fish and plants overlap in the wild.

If brackish setups are of interest, there are a couple of goby species, both native and introduced, that can be found along the coast. A couple of the plants mentioned above (i.e. Vallisneria and Ceratophyllum) are tolerant of slightly brackish water, so a planted brackish tank is possible.

The best way to catch aquarium fish is not with a fishing pole, so the size of the gamefish doesn't much matter (though, if you think the Pacific has a monopoly on big trophy fish, you should see some of the things people 'round here haul out of Long Is. Sound). Rather, the best aquarium fish are obtained through baitfishing methods - seines, minnow traps, and even dip nets are the best. What method you use depends on what's available and what the state's baitfishing laws are.

Krystal907 · 12-09-2011, 10:50 PM

Thanks for the info. I did some research on Alaskan fish (home) and came up with sculpins and the 3 spine sticklebacks as well. I'm pretty sure its illegal to catch fish in the wild up there and then put them in a tank, but I think I'd have a hard time finding them in the first place let alone catching them! But plant species is more what I'd be interested in, so I'll have to do some field trips this summer!

Zapins · 12-10-2011, 05:35 AM

Why would it be illegal?