Re: NANFA-- wintering fish

Jim Graham (jimbob54_at_voyager.net)
Thu, 1 Jan 2004 14:01:33 -0500

young of year
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steffen Hellner" <steffen_at_hellner.biz>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- wintering fish

> What does YOY mean?
>
> 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
> > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
> > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> > / Association"
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http://www.nanfa.org

--
> /"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
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"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