Nanf regulations in TX

[BigJ]

I am wanting to get into some nanf specifically Ellesoma, however I have heard that there are more regulations on keeping native fish in captivity however everything I have found seems to be vaig and second or third hand. If anyone knows what the regulations are or where to find them that would be great 

[Fish Folk]

You definitely should get into some NANF!

We've kept two species of Elassoma: E. okefenokee and E. gilberti

Here's a fun little video I did with my middle boy a couple years ago...

Both species tend to hide a LOT. You'll do best if you have ca. 4x females and 2x males. The males will spar a bit, bringing them out. Then the dominant male will put on a dance show for females. You can easily keep that group in a 20 gal. long. I've got E. gilberti going outdoors in a water garden all summer . . . probably not a great idea in TX unless it's in total shade.

The main issue would probably be with any species becoming invasive. I recommend _buying_ NANF here. Antiquated website, but excellent product and experienced shippers. Loads of knowledge there too. Always keep NANF out of risk of getting loose into waterways.

If you're keen on catching them from the wild and keeping them in TX, that's a bit more of a State Fish & Game Law question. For example, here is a list of species that can be found in Texas (scroll down to fish, and click on the "fact sheet" link). But some lovely fish are actually _endangered_ (i.e. Comanche Springs Pupfish, Leon Springs Pupfish, Spring Darter, etc.)

My personal recommendation is to _buy_ F1s or F2s from breeders (i.e. fish that are tank-bred in captivity, not wild caught). This will help you skip over issues. Just keep them out of the wild in TX.

Hey, if you're patient, I can mail you a bunch. I filmed this the other week at night. You can see some tiny E. gilberti fry...

The greatest challenge is keeping up on _live foods_. Many species of NANF struggle without a regular supply of live foods. We hatch TONS of brine shrimp, seed the substrate with Black Worms, have tried loads of nematodes . . . it's a large challenge. If you can get them outdoors, then mosquito larvae, etc. really supplies a lot of what they'll need.

Look into Gianne over at Inglorious Bettas for some informational videos on Elassoma. 

[BigJ]

Maybe by the time I figure out how to culture live foods and get their tank ready your fry will be ready to ship