Popular Post Fish Folk Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 (edited) Many of us have gotten into keeping fish thanks to the breadth of Tropical species in the hobby. Over the last few years, I have found Temperate climate fish species most intriguing. These live in local waterways around the USA. These photos are from our tanks… Banded Darters (Etheostoma zonale) Behavior is similar to goby species. Appreciates green plants in the tank. Males vary their brilliant green color depending on the season. Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma spectabile) Very friendly and non aggressive. Cold water is best. Cold, unheated basements are perfect. Eats frozen bloodworms. Rainbow Shiners (Notropis chrosomus) More beautiful than many tropical species once mature, these Georgia and Alabama natives are my favorite Temperate species to keep and breed. They eat flake food just fine. Mountain Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus oreas) These are very nice in native river-stream setups. I have been able to breed… around a thousand by now. Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma gilberti) Very shy, these guys need live foods to thrive. Their courting dance moves are spectacular! Oh my… there’s so, so many more Edited January 17 by Fish Folk 4 2 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 On 1/16/2024 at 9:49 PM, Fish Folk said: Many of us have gotten into keeping fish thanks to the breadth of Tropical species in the hobby. Over the last few years, I have found Temperate climate fish species most intriguing. These live in local waterways around the USA. These photos are from our tanks… Banded Darters (Etheostoma zonale) Behavior is similar to goby species. Appreciates green plants in the tank. Males vary their brilliant green color depending on the season. Orangethroat Darters (Etheostoma spectabile) Very friendly and non aggressive. Cold water is best. Cold, unheated basements are perfect. Eats frozen bloodworms. Rainbow Shiners (Notropis chrosomus) More beautiful than many tropical species once mature, these Georgia and Alabama natives are my favorite Temperate species to keep and breed. They eat flake food just fine. Mountain Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus oreas) These are very nice in native river-stream setups. I have been able to breed… around a thousand by now. Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma gilberti) Very shy, these guys need live foods to thrive. Their courting dance moves are spectacular! Oh my… there’s so, so many more @Fish Folk I've personally kept Rainbow Darter and agree some native species can look just beautiful as tropical aquarium fish species. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 On 1/17/2024 at 12:02 AM, Tlindsey said: @Fish Folk I've personally kept Rainbow Darter and agree some native species can look just beautiful as tropical aquarium fish species. Rainbow Darters are excellent, hardy species in home aquaria. My males have died, but I still have one female. I never quite got the setup right when they were in my care, but I have found a stream locally where they are native. I can try them again any time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Man, some of that coloration would give their marine counterparts a run for their money! Those Pygmy Sunfish are dope. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 On 1/17/2024 at 12:06 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said: Man, some of that coloration would give their marine counterparts a run for their money! Those Pygmy Sunfish are dope. Yeah, they’re really special. I raised these from summer tubbing. Here’s another shot of a male I just snapped… 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I purchased these from Jonas aquarium https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/johnas-aquarium.702565/post-7919291 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Rainbow Shiners with those Pygmy Sunfish would be a RAD tank. I know nothing about their husbandry/parameters/compatibility but from their looks alone it would be a super fun tank. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 (edited) On 1/17/2024 at 12:10 AM, Tlindsey said: I purchased these from Jonas aquarium https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/johnas-aquarium.702565/post-7919291 Nice! He’s the best guy. Most all of these came from him. We met up and caught Catawba Greenheads together last March before NANFA Con. He has forgotten more about native fish than I’ll ever begin learn. Edited January 17 by Fish Folk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 On 1/17/2024 at 12:17 AM, Fish Folk said: Nice! He’s the best guy. Most all of these cane from him. We met up and caught Catawba Greenheads together last March before NANFA Con. He has forgotten more about native fish than I’ll ever begin learn. Wow that's so cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 On 1/17/2024 at 12:14 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said: Rainbow Shiners with those Pygmy Sunfish would be a RAD tank. I know nothing about their husbandry/parameters/compatibility but from their looks alone it would be a super fun tank. So, the Pygmy Sunfish just hide when bigger, faster fish are around. You’d almost never see the Sunfish. They’d do a little better with a smaller species like the Bluefin Killifish… Rainbow Shiners could enjoy a tank with many species of Darters. There are so many beautiful Darter species. These aren’t in my tanks, but here’s a Stipled Darter in brilliant display… And here’s an electric green Missouri strain of the Banded Darter… Just unbelievably beautiful. There’s another species I’ve kept — Saffron Shiner — but never successfully got them to color up… 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 (edited) It’s a shame the Sunfish are so shy. The staggering color of the Shiners next to the dark black with electric blue highlights of the Sunfish would be awesome. Edited January 17 by AllFishNoBrakes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnebuns Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 I feel like people often forget that many corydoras species thrive well in temperate tanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 On 1/18/2024 at 12:49 PM, Cinnebuns said: I feel like people often forget that many corydoras species thrive well in temperate tanks. That's a great point! I've seen amazing Corydoras setups for those big, fat Green ones (formerly... Broochis splendens). I'm sure this tank is warm, but I love how big and hardy they get, and how well they do with the shoaling Geophagus... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnebuns Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 I've been planning a temperate tank for about a year now and am finally getting to it. 20 long with cherry barbs, paleatus cories and trapdoor snails. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mache Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 I have kept Notropis chrosomus for a long time and succeed breeding. Btw I am a new member, it is my first post and hello to all 🙂 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 On 1/21/2024 at 7:31 AM, Mache said: Btw I am a new member, it is my first post and hello to all 🙂 Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 Like I said before, we get Rainbow Shiners here in all our tributaries. Being from Alabama does have its perks. I am actually going to be in their actual native streams this weekend when I head up to the mountain rivers/streams of Georgia for my bday weekend. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 On 1/21/2024 at 7:31 AM, Mache said: I have kept Notropis chrosomus for a long time and succeed breeding. Btw I am a new member, it is my first post and hello to all 🙂 Welcome! Awesome to have another NANF keeper onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mache Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 On 1/21/2024 at 5:06 PM, Guppysnail said: Welcome to the forum. Thank you :) On 1/21/2024 at 9:37 PM, Fish Folk said: Welcome! Awesome to have another NANF keeper onboard. Thank you. My next tank will be Saffron Shiner habitat. They are just gorgeous. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 On 1/22/2024 at 4:33 AM, Mache said: Thank you 🙂 Thank you. My next tank will be Saffron Shiner habitat. They are just gorgeous. They are beautiful… however, they very rarely color up in home aquaria. I kept some for awhile but they never colored up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 On 1/16/2024 at 6:49 PM, Fish Folk said: Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma gilberti) It's always crazy to me how much they look like Aphanius Mentos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 On 1/22/2024 at 12:33 PM, Schuyler said: It's always crazy to me how much they look like Aphanius Mentos Here is a side-by-side of three fish doppelgängers. The Elassoma is from Florida. The Aphanius mentos is from Turkey. As named, the Astrolebius is from Argentina. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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