33 replies to this topic

[gcsnelling]

Gambusia are as easy if not easier than guppys, they will eat any thing and are very tolerant of all sorts of water conditions. they should take flake with no trouble.

[Vendayn]

They are definitely Gambusia. I definitely remember hearing that they released fish down here at the river and pond to deal with a mosquito problem the apartments and surrounding neighborhoods used to have (there are barely any mosquitoes anymore). I kind of forgot about that at first, but yeah. Though there are other fish in the big pond at the river, I saw one fish that was about a foot long. I don't really remember what it looked like though, but the water is probably 7-10 feet deep (I'm 6'1 and it is still too deep for me). People go fishing down there I guess, and even go swimming. 

 

Even though we know what they are now, I'll still take pictures. They are cute.

 

Most of the ones I got look like the ones in the picture, one is smaller and a bluish/black color and looks kind of unique of the bunch. But, I think I saw the same color variance in one of the pictures on Google. Maybe there is color variety among them, don't really know much about fish.

 

Also, guppies weren't easy at all for me. I and my dad tried raising them, and they died in a couple days. Tried farm raised ones, tried pet store ones...they always died. They made babies, but died. We did TONS of reading, the environment was right and we did everything we could think of to raise them and what people said through google search. But, nope, no guppies for us.

 

These fish are pretty easy though, no sign of stress or anything like I kind of expected there might be. 

Also, I even got two little tiny new-born Gambusia. They are really tiny, but they are definitely little tiny baby fish. There might be more down at the river, but heh, I don't want to get anymore as they are needed to eat mosquitoes. 

Edited by Vendayn, August 1 2015 - 3:06 PM.

[Vendayn]

I got a medium sized fish that is silver colored on the stomach, and kind of tan I guess on the body. It is really see through and very shiny. It is quite a bit larger than the mosquito fish, probably about 4 inches long. It has big eyes. I'll take pictures of them. It looks kinda fat, and it was rather easy to catch. It likes being held too for some reason lol. Its like it is already tame.

 

I also saw a yellow/orange fish with the same body size as the silver one I got.

 

I also saw quite a bit larger purplish black fish that I'm not sure exact size, but it is quite a bit bigger than the silver one and It looked really pretty.

 

I then saw a rather big foot long fish, it was kind of thin looking from what I saw of it...no idea what it was. It was purplish black as well.

 

I'm going to try and get up early so I can get one of the ones I didn't get. I'm going to try and get one of the medium sized ones. I don't think a foot long fish would like a 10 gallon tank

 

All found in a river, in a rather kind of tiny pond (it isn't that deep) that dries out every summer. There is a pond below that one that never dries out, I've seen some huge fish in that one.

 

I may just end up sticking with what I have. But, I kind of feel like I should find the silver one a mate so it isn't all alone lol.

Edited by Vendayn, August 17 2015 - 2:58 PM.

[Vendayn]

Also, I'm not sure if the original fish I have are mosquito fish. Or maybe the new ones I got today are different. They are always schooling together. They are much smaller though, probably really young. I don't know if they got their color yet, but right now they are light tan. They are definitely a schooling fish like tetras or other similar ones.

 

The original fish I got, are always very territorial and hiding in the rocks. They each have their own territory they live in. They never school at all and never did when I first got them. They aren't very active to be honest.

 

Maybe their behavior changes when they get bigger or something?

 

Or maybe the fish I got today that are a schooling kind of fish are a different species. I dunno lol. Maybe there is just a bunch of species in the river here.

Edited by Vendayn, August 17 2015 - 3:09 PM.

[Vendayn]

I think my tan/silver/clear fish is a molly, looks kind of like one. I don't really know much about fish though, do we get mollies in the rivers around here?

Also, it has a gravid spot, so guess "it" is a she and is pregnant.

[William. T]

I think my tan/silver/clear fish is a molly, looks kind of like one. I don't really know much about fish though, do we get mollies in the rivers around here?

Also, it has a gravid spot, so guess "it" is a she and is pregnant.

Mollies are found in the South East. 

[Vendayn]

Ah, wonder what it is then. And dad thinks the spot is just a spot, he has seen similar looking ones and thinks its just a baby. He saw some that were a foot long that looked like the tan, clear fish like mine is down there. He doesn't know much about fish either though.

 

I hope it doesn't get that big! Might have to move it into with the Coy fish we have. But that would take up too much room I think, so I'd have to put it back in the river if it got too big.

 

Well, let me take some pics and post them.

[Vendayn]

I think the really young schooling fish is the same as the bigger fish I got, they are always together like they are the same breed.

 

 

there are actually two baby/young fish hiding alongside the big one

 

 

Not the biggest fish tank, but its the biggest one I can get...we don't have room for anything bigger. I think their setup is good though, and they have a lot to hide in. Also, I change the water out once to twice a week and change the filter every two weeks...the filter probably needs to be changed again since it sucked in seaweed. The waterfall has big holes that the mosquito fish can go in, so we rednecked it and "fixed" it by putting that blue stuff tied with rubber bands around it

 

[Vendayn]

I didn't take pictures of the other fish I got when I made the thread. They are hiding in the rocks. And, I guess mosquito fish are pretty territorial. The only thing I'll probably change in the tank is spruce up the right side of it so they can each have their territory.

[dspdrew]

Pictures

[Subverted]

Look at arroyo chub or fathead minnow as an ID for your new fish...but get photos so we arent just guessing blind anymore!

[Vendayn]

I did take pictures. Look a few posts up.

 

Both those don't really look like mine that I can tell.

 

Dad thinks its the species down here that gets 8-10 inches long, as he has seen the same ones down there and they get pretty big. He thinks mine is a baby, though I see even smaller ones that I got today, always swimming alongside him/her. The fish I got is definitely really friendly though.

 

(edit:

I guess it could be an Arroyo chub. I can't really tell by the pictures on google, but mine is the same shape (different color) and looks about the same.

 

If mine is pregnant, would I need to find a male for eggs to be fertilized? The fish does have a dark spot where the pictures show the gravid spot to be on fish and it looks the same. If I need a male and I can't find one, I might release the back into the deeper pond and try to get one of the other ones that I saw in the shallow pond.

No point in keeping a fish that lays eggs only for the eggs to never do anything, when the fish looks to be listed under the threatened species. That doesn't really help the environment at all. Unless I found a male if I get lucky. Though I do have all the younger ones, they could be the same species. They are always hanging out together, and usually fish of different species keep to their own thing.

 

If it a chub, I dunno.

Edited by Vendayn, August 17 2015 - 7:27 PM.

[Vendayn]

Since I only had a female, and since Arroyo chub are threatened. I dunno if I was legally allowed to actually raise them, but I put her into the deep pond where I've seen more of them.

 

I still have the mosquito fish

[Vendayn]

What do Arroyo chub fry look like? I can't find any pictures. Some of them look like the female I had. My wife said she thought she saw eggs in there on underneath the algae I got from the pond. And when she looked today, she noticed they'd all been opened.

 

Either that, or one of the Mosquito fish gave birth. But, the fry look a bit big for them. I'd imagine them looking smaller. They are about 2.5 MM or so long, which seems too big for Mosquito fish which are kind of small. The Arroyo chub is quite a bit bigger, and would fit the size more. Maybe I'll take more pictures later today (look up to see the bigger fish I got, I took pictures).

 

Also, yes I got fry! Such a weird and funny name to call baby fish lol. I have so far seen 5 of them, so not too many, but that is still a good amount. Pretty sure they are Arroyo chubs because of the size, and I never noticed eggs, but they would lay eggs on algae if I did indeed have an Arroyo chub fish. The little fry do jump a bit like the fish I took pictures of, the Mosquito fish never do that.

 

From my understanding on google, I don't think anyone has actually kept Arroyo chub fry in captivity. I'll have to release them when they get bigger. I don't see a single google image of them being kept, just them being released. I guess mine getting fry is a good thing, since they are "threatened". But, I don't want to keep a threatened species of fish, like I said, I don't really know the legal rules on that. But, I can't just let a bunch of tiny fish go into a big pond. I doubt they'd have much of a chance to live. Get eaten by much bigger fish or crawdads. Plus the stress of moving. I'd much rather wait till they are bigger.