Re: NANFA-- brook stickleback?

Bonnie Ullmann (ullmann_at_uoneuro.uoregon.edu)
Mon, 25 Sep 2000 16:40:13 -0700

I have a protocol for staining the bone in fish that clears the
tissue completely. When the tissue was cleared in our 3-spine
sticklebacks, I found the gut crammed full of undigested brine shrimp
cysts capsules! I have a feeling this a bad problem for these guys.
You can get decapsulated brine shrimp eggs or decapsulate them
yourself using bleach and sodium hydroxide. And, believe me, I don't
think I recommend this unless you have a fume hood at your house!!
I think it's a safe idea to stick to adult brine shrimp and/or make
sure brine shrimp you hatch yourself don't have any eggshells left
when you feed.
bonnie

>In a message dated 9/21/00 5:38:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>choupiqu_at_wctc.net writes:
>
><< I have noticed this when I used to keep brook sticklebacks, they always
> seemed to waste away. >>
>
>That's weird; I've had mysterious stickleback deaths but the bellies were
>always full, almost looking strained to the point of nearly bursting. I fed
>them a lot of live blackworms so I assumed that was the cause; 'cuz it's such
>a rich food. I now try to feed my stickleback live brine shrimp as well, to
>clean out his intestinal tract. Daphnia would work as good or better as a
>substute for brine shrimp in this regard I think. Perhaps all they need are a
>lot of fatty foods like live black worms or white worms, supplementing with
>live daphnia or brine shrimp to prevent them from dying from bloating out
>from too many worms by cleaning out the intestines (if that's the reason mine
>died and that is what will prevent that). I could be wrong; it's just a
>theory I'm in the process of trying out. Wasting away seems typically like an
>inadequate diet. That, or internal parasites.
>
><< Most small sunfish eat baby
>snails as well as killifish and mudminnows do. Furthering the Idea that
>this may be important staple for sticklebacks. it cant hurt, snails are
>important in my aquariums and ponds as scavengers and algae control. I
>cringe when I here about getting rid of snails in aquariums. >>
>
>Baby snails would be another good fulfilling food in this regard.Good example
>with the killies and sunfishes. Yeah, I think that's dumb when people get rid
>of snails ; they should only do it if it creates health problems. A lot of
>people don't like them because they consider them to be aesthetically
>displeasing.
>
>
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