Very Cool vacation and New Fish....

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Summers here and that means I get to spend more time with my family here. Now you might think that means less time for the hobby right?... Well not exactly.;) But much as I nuts over Discus... My hobby goes a bit farther than just discus ..so a vacation trip can often mean more hobby time.

Every year we go to a friends house in NY for a little R&R ..Its a quiet place...not alot there culturally, but the farmers cows up the street do put on a summer evening concert and the crickets are always singing... Honestly, I love it...my cell phone doesn't work there, and half the time I can't get a signal for my laptop....Its pure heaven when you need some R and R.:)

This property has a small stream running thru it that never dries out and is usually less than a foot deep...its been a dry summer so it was real shallow... which helped us out with out explorations. My kids call this Rock River... for obvious reasons.

[DiscusKev]

Sounds like fun Al, but where's the new fish :D

Just wondering, what is R&R?

That 'rock river' sure seems very dry, for a river anyway.

[brewmaster15]

So we explored...Found the usual things... salamanders, dragon fly Larvae, snails, and even a lone crayfish.... and because of the low water we found something we could never really see before... a local Gilled Resident.. My best guest identification here ...a freshwater sculpin. It fits the ID for a Mottled Sculpin...Cottus bairdi....

I've always enjoyed hanging out at the ocean and catching sea robins....neat little creatures to watch....pain in the neck if you hook one when fishing... but these tiny freshwater sculpins reminded me of them....They were great to watch.. There were many 3/4"-1" long fry there, and we found a good number of adults too. Adults were only about 3" max.

[brewmaster15]

R & R = Rest and Relaxation!:)


and the adults fishes... This one had an old battle scar on its gill plate....Hope I can find him again next year!

[brewmaster15]

One of my interests lately has been keeping temperate fish and This one here is just perfect...So I decided to set up a tank for a couple and do some further observations and see if I Can breed them..have to wait until next year there...

I got to say....I love these little buggers... They come right up to the tank wall and look me in the eye...very inquisitive.. and The males really look stunning when they spread there fins....

-al

[brewmaster15]

and some more tank shots...

I tried to duplicate that streams... even the rocks are from it...

-al

[brewmaster15]

and my favorite shot so far... This fish has attitude!

-al

[DiscusKev]

That is so cool Al, you took the resources from the small river and done a mini bio-tope of it, the fish look also. The one posted on #4 look rather interesting, reminds me of a goby or rock fish, something alike.

[stephcps]

Really cool Al!! I saw a guy on aquariacentral do something similar...it was a really cool tank!! Those little fishies are something!!

I bet your kids had a blast!


Steph

[Discus-n00b]

Thats cool Al, very nice looking fish. Natives are ALWAYS so interesting, a lot of people pay no attention to them though. Its amazing what can come out of your own backyard.

Looks like you are bringing the kids up right haha, get them into all the fish!

[brewmaster15]

Steph they really did have a blast...My kids love the water.....they can't get enough of mucking around ponds, lakes and streams. ..and I have no idea where they got that from!;):D:D:D:D


-al

[Chad Hughes]

Welcome back Al!

Looks like you had an awesome time! I'm envious. :p

Best wishes!

[Ed13]

This thread doesn't dissapoint, very cool!

and my favorite shot so far... This fish has attitude!

-al
They look carnivorous and a bit agressive:confused:. Looks like a very fun, cool, little fish though.

[Jennie]

R & R = Rest and Relaxation!:)


and the adults fishes... This one had an old battle scar on its gill plate....Hope I can find him again next year!

that guy looks like a mudskipper. is it? Come to think of it they do battle over who get's the best digs, lol

[Eddie]

Looks like you guys had a great time Al! Those little fishes are cool. They look like a sort of goby. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Take care,

Eddie

[brewmaster15]

that guy looks like a mudskipper. is it? Come to think of it they do battle over who get's the best digs, lol


Not mudskippers...they belong to the Gobbie Family, these guys are members of the Sculpin family...though they do look a bit similar.



Chad, Its good to be back.;) ( yeah Right!):)

Ed,
They are a bit territorial, but I have them in a 30 gal with a 4 foot footprint...so their should be enough space...if not...I think I can scrounge up a tank or two.

I'm pretty sure I have both sexes here ...a little bummed to have to wait until next year for breeding but thats okay.....gives me time to research more...so far neat little critters.. the male make a nest under a rock usually and the female comes in lays the eggs and then pretty much leaves from what I gather...and multiple females may use the nest....The male stands guards...even after they hatch.


-al

[vera]

Those little fishes are cool. They look like a sort of goby.

thats what i thought lol
Al im so envy
so cool to go exploaring around - brings back so many childhood memories , im looking forward to my vacation
TC

[brewmaster15]

Thanks Vera and Eddie!:)

Heres a link with some general info on them...

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_AFC4E02050.aspx

-al

[Jennie]

Sounds like they are similiar in personallity. Should be fun to try something different. So did you bring water samples back with you aside from what they are in?


Not mudskippers...they belong to the Gobbie Family, these guys are members of the Sculpin family...though they do look a bit similar.



Chad, Its good to be back.;) ( yeah Right!):)

Ed,
They are a bit territorial, but I have them in a 30 gal with a 4 foot footprint...so their should be enough space...if not...I think I can scrounge up a tank or two.

I'm pretty sure I have both sexes here ...a little bummed to have to wait until next year for breeding but thats okay.....gives me time to research more...so far neat little critters.. the male make a nest under a rock usually and the female comes in lays the eggs and then pretty much leaves from what I gather...and multiple females may use the nest....The male stands guards...even after they hatch.


-al

[vera]

Al , this shot is priceless , good luck with yr pair for next may-june ?
another challenge on the way , u might have to replicate natural conditions for them to spawn


http://forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58774&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1279565796

[wadewc]

Looks like you had a great time AL. Real neat fish, Gobbie, you found. Good luck on breeding them! I amagine you being a bilogist you see things others don't.

I was razed in the City then I had to move to eastern Oklahoma. Lived in a small town called Hana. I been places where you would not see a home for miles in some parts I have been while hunting. It was like time stood still nothing was in a hurry.

Wade

[joanr]

Have you fed them your worms or BH mix? Are they carnivorious? Looks like the kids had a blast, and hope you really got some R&R.

[brewmaster15]

Have you fed them your worms or BH mix? Are they carnivorious? Looks like the kids had a blast, and hope you really got some R&R.

Hi Joan,

so far they have taken live earth worms..frzn Blood worms, and freeze dried blackworms...... They have quite a large mouth. I haven't tried my surf and turf mix yet...



Looks like you had a great time AL. Real neat fish, Gobbie, you found. Good luck on breeding them! I amagine you being a bilogist you see things others don't.

I was razed in the City then I had to move to eastern Oklahoma. Lived in a small town called Hana. I been places where you would not see a home for miles in some parts I have been while hunting. It was like time stood still nothing was in a hurry.

Wade

Wade, Thats the kind of place for me... I'm not one for city life... I feel most at home standing in the middle of a bog or the forrests with nothing around but me and the criitters.

-al

[ZX10R]

I had a buddy that had a big tank and he had white crappie, black crappie, large mouth bass, small mouth bass, and several different types of bluegill in it. For some reason I just always loved his tank. Guess maybe it was because they were native fish to our area that made it so interesting.

[DerekFF]

Those little fish like cold water from your link, how cool can you get their water in your hot fish room?

[brewmaster15]

yep...they do... but They aren't in my fishroom...that would be way too hot...I have an adjoining "cool water Temperate Room" which I am trying them in...Its worked well for sunfish and catfish and some minnows...but its tough with river fish.... Its been so hot here.....even the basement cool water room...aint as cool as I would like.....I have some ideas for the garage though, I have some aquatic amphibians in my future, which also will require "cool" More on that project latter.:)

-al

[Eddie]

Thanks Vera and Eddie!:)

Heres a link with some general info on them...

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_AFC4E02050.aspx

-al


Cool! Thanks for the link Al


Eddie

[Scribbles]

Very cool Al!

Chris

[srusso]

Looks like a good time Al! What makes you think you will have to wait till next year for breeding? I know that is what the site says however I think they are talking about in the wild. As there are no "seasons" in your house shouldn't they breed year round?

[brewmaster15]

Looks like a good time Al! What makes you think you will have to wait till next year for breeding? I know that is what the site says however I think they are talking about in the wild. As there are no "seasons" in your house shouldn't they breed year round? Some fish are hard wired for seasonal changes and the associated changes in light levels, water temp and food availibilty, The more I research these the more I see this as a challenge that could take some time......I've had a hard time keeping them alive...I 've only a small number to work with and I literally have had to float ice bottles in the tank to keep them cool or they stress.

-al

[srusso]

Some fish are hard wired for seasonal changes and the associated changes in light levels, water temp and food availibilty, The more I research these the more I see this as a challenge that could take some time......I've had a hard time keeping them alive...I 've only a small number to work with and I literally have had to float ice bottles in the tank to keep them cool or they stress.

-al

Sounds like a chiller is in order ;)
I didn't think keeping natives would be so hard!

[brewmaster15]

Sounds like a chiller is in order ;)
I didn't think keeping natives would be so hard!

I didn't either... I've had no problem keeping temperates in the basement before... I have sunfish and bullheads, I've even had trout in the past...but these little guys like it colder...Oh well..I have plans down the road for another room...one a bit more cool....necessary for the amphibians I plan to work with next.;)

-al

[richgrenfell]

I know the thread is old, but did anything ever happen with them? I have a bit of the native interest myself, and came across this thread while researching. I want to do sticklebacks!

[brewmaster15]

Rich,
No luck with them.....They declined over several months...my fishroom was just too hot...I'll be giving this a second try though latter this summer..I'm going to be needing a chiller though...which is okay...I need one for some amphibians I plan on working with.

hth,
al