Steffen
> Von: BR0630_at_aol.com
> Antworten an: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
> Datum: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 17:15:50 EST
> An: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
> Betreff: NANFA-- wintering fish
>
> I wrote about overwintering my fish a month or so ago and didn't see it on
> the elist, so I'm betting forgetful me closed my post without sending it. So,
> I'll try again. I have a couple dozen YOY dollar sunfish, a couple dozen
> YOYpumpkinseed sunfish, about 50 YOY pygmy sunfish, about 100 YOY tadpole
> madtoms
> and about 50 YOY golden topminnows that I keep in a building that has remained
> between 42-50F this winter. I also have similar numbers of the same kind of
> YOY fish I keep in aquariums in the daylight basement of my house where the
> temps remain 60-68F.
>
> I feed live foods only. I've been fortunate in finding quite a few midge
> larvae, glass worms and daphnia so far this winter along with a few small
> mayfly
> nymphs; pretty much on a weekly basis. The fish in my warmer setting
> [daylight basement] eat just as though it's summer - they will eat daily if I
> can
> collect enough live food. Because this isn't the case most weeks, they are
> exceedingly fat the day of feeding and usually somewhat fat-looking the day
> after I
> feed, but start looking gaunt after that time. The only exception being the
> madtoms, as they almost always look a little "chubby". I suspect they munch
> on
> the small snails and plants available to them on a continuous basis. For as
> much food as they consume, these YOY fish don't appear to be growing near as
> fast as they did in the summer. Maybe the temps still aren't optimum warm?
>
> Now, about overwintering the other YOY fish in the cold setting [42-50F].
> The dollars, pumpkinseeds, pygmy sunfish and tadpole madtoms all eat at these
> lower temps. Fact is, I don't notice any difference with the amount of
> activity
> and eating by the tadpole madtoms from those in the warm setting. However,
> the sunfish & pygmy sunfish seem to have some daphnia or a few glass worms or
> midge larvae left in their tanks all week long and I don't feed them nearly as
> many to start with. But, they all always look kinda "chubby" like they're
> doing really well and are getting as much to eat as they'd like. None of
> these
> fish look gaunt in the middle of the week like the sunfish in the warmer
> setting do and although these fish also aren't as active as the fish in the
> warmer
> setting, they are still actively feeding, albeit sporadically. These fish do
> not appear to be growing, inspite of their robust appearance.
>
> The exception on the YOY fish in the colder winter setting are the golden
> topminnows. These fish seldom eat, fact is, I've only observed them eating on
> a
> couple of ocassions since early November. These fish vary in their appearance
> from nearly gaunt looking to relatively robust and summertime normal looking.
> I do have daphnia in with them at all times and the daphnia population
> diminishes after a couple of weeks, so I'm guessing either the daphnia start
> to die
> off or some of the topminnows are eating. Just not enthusiastically and not
> all of the fish are consistently participating.
>
> The fish in the colder setting are easier to care for, espeically because
> they don't eat as much, but also because I haven't had to have aerators or
> filters in their tanks. I keep snails in all of my tanks as well as plants,
> so that
> also helps. I'm probably at the halfway point of my overwintering and I've
> only lost a couple of the golden topminnows, so I'm guessing everything will
> come thru the winter in pretty good shape.
>
> Does anyone else on this list have overwintering experiences in observable
> colder settings? This is the first time I've overwintered so many fish and
> especially so many YOY fish and I'm happy with the results -- so far.
>
> Bruce Scott
> Meridian, Idaho
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/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org