# I would love to see some natives!



## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I would like if you could post some pics here of your natives. I know what I have and I know there are lots of you that keep them and I would like to see as many as possible. Here are some of the natives that I currently keep.
E. okefenokee - Pygmy Sunfish
















E.gloriosus - Blue Spotted Sunfish
















Cichlid Ocellaris Peacock Bass
























Lucania goodei - Bluefin Killifish
























H.formosa - Least Killifish
























Etheostoma fusiforme - Swamp Darter
















Jordanella floridae - American(Florida) Flag-fish
























Micropterus salmoides - Largemouth Bass
















Sunfish and Blue gill
































Poecilia latipinna - Wild Sailfin Mollies
















Fundulus chrysotus - Golden topminnow


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

All I have are 6 H. Formosas. No babies yet that I can tell, but they are rather good looking really, but also don't distract from the scaping.
















I believe this male is one of the "golden" variety








two hunting in the moss


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Some more pics....
















after feeding


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Have but one at this time but actually am expecting delivery of second one today. Banded Pigmy sunfish.
[Aquarium Gallery - First bio built in tank fish. http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=16251&size=1&filefix=.jpg]


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=16251&size=1&filefix=.jpg] 
Only one now but actually expecting the second today in mail.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Dutch that is quite an impressive native tank! Thanks for sharring!


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I have grown fond of my pygmy sunfish. I have around 16 E. okefenokee.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

The tap water here is high Ph and they have many wells to get water from but they match the tap. I did however find a stream fed pond
which is/was a drainoff that was dammed up to make a water supply for a grain mill. Has cypress trees and so the Ph is 6.4 in it.
I get water from it and daphia/cepopods /amphepods etc from there for my tanks instead of R/O to lower the Ph. One day just after I'd put
a trio of Marble Mollies in there I saw some babies. I removed the Mollies due to size/ten gal but kept the babies. As they grew I noticed
one staying hidden and not growing as fast a the rest. Turns out I had sucked him into a gallon bottle I was getting in from the pond.
That was almost three years ago and he still doing fair though obviously aged. (the one pictured).
Just ordered one from Sachs Systems Aquaculture was tempted to get the Oky but thought this one deserved a friend.
Have a 55 planned for a family of them plus perhaps a few formosa's and a pair of Brown Darters.
Hope that link is useful for you. Where do you get your PSF from ? The banded's are native to where I live but the net cost $45 so I
bought one fish for now. W/shipping $17


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I catch mine locally, Orlando. I found a real nice spot that I can get the pygmy, flag-fish, H. formosa, blufin killi, sand darters, sailfin mollies, madtom catfish, golden top minnows. Its a great spot and took me 2 years to find it. all of these fish thrive there and reproduce consistantly, seems everytime I go back there are more of all of them. I use a net that cost me $13 bucks at walmart


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

If you decide to invest in a net check these out if you have not seen them.....Jonah's Aquarium... The Perfect Dip Net


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

The Walmarts here don't have fine mesh nets at all. Been to Orlando twice for the reptile convention.
When I was 20 I used to catch a darter that had three dorsal fins in Pearl River(Honey Island Swamp) Game management aria La. I'm 61 now.
All the same size so I have no idea as to how big they get but the ones I caught were all from 1.25" to 1.5". Have never found them in a book.
They also had a brim/perch that seemed purple. Very shy and liked dark places. Would only eat live food but would eat earthworms.
I like it here in Hot Springs Ar. but jealous of where you live for the fish. Nothing much exotic here except for the PSF and large darters. I think
they may have matdoms though.
You have a real nice tank there. I hope to get a 55 for the little fish but we'll see. Did I mention it, I do have one live freshwater clam growing in
one of my 10 gallon tanks...and they say you need a very large tank for that and lots of experience and luck...bah humbug.
Undecided between a 45L and the 55 as they both present a challenge to decorate. Picture the 55 as having dead space between the top
and bottom spaces but picture the 45L as not being tall enough for a particular planned deco part. Again...we'll see.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

That is the one I was talking about but after I purchase the handle it will end up at $45 at least.
When 15-17 had 30L tank which had live worms growing in the gravel. They would stick out about 5/16th inch and when a fish
would pass they ducked back into the gravel. Have no idea as to what kind they were but got them by the method I then used
to set up my tanks. I'd put a 5 gal bucket in the water a foot from shore and tilt it towards shore so it would suck up some
of the bottom/w it. Also had Hydra's in that tank and can't find them yet either. Suspect the worms to be tubiflex.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

just an update pic of 2 of my female Het. Formosas


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Super nice!!


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Banded Pigmy sunfish arrived 5:30P. but had to go to work so have not really watched her yet. Now home from short work day at 4:43A Fri. and will
get to look at her about four hrs from now as I will not light the tank till the normal time I usually do. Will try to add photos to gallery and here then.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

My latest tank was a chore, I was going to go with something tall and long but ended up with an 80 gal that once I got it setup realized that I love the width of it, so many more options. I had that issue in my 55 with the the space going up and down, and in my 20 long the plants grew up out of the water or lay across the surface. I love the darters, they have great personalities, little puppies when I walk up to the tank swimming up and down begging for food. I have some black worms that I see every now and then poking their heads up from the gravel, about 4 months ago I put around 4 oz in the tank and thought the fish finished them but they are still alive. I have come across fresh water clams in the lakes here and have thrown a couple in the tank and they would disappear for weeks and then resurface. Also my tank is extremely low tech, sponge filter and bubble stone for water agitation only and I use led lighting which is ok but probably not as bright as it could be(still love it) along with an old fixture that I only use sporadically. So all planted tank keepers would say that my tank is under the needed light requirements, but plants seem to thrive for me and remain brightly colored and lush.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Kehy said:


> just an update pic of 2 of my female Het. Formosas


Are they dropping babies yet? The one looks ready to drop unless that is the way the pic makes her look.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

They've actually been like that for a couple months, and no sign of fry :/ I'm not entirely sure what's stopping them, but I've tried changing their diet, I've tried changing the water temp, more water changes, less water changes....and nothing.


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## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

I enjoy my formosa and have some in every tank I own including with my Bettas and I have a tendency to leave my natives go through a period of little to no feedings, let the water level drop and after about a month or so do a quick WC with colder water and they seem to just start going at it like crazy. The fry I have are almost impossible to spot for a couple months because they are almost always hiding in the mosses or floating plant roots. But they are instinctual to breed so they will know when the right time is. Thanks for sharing.

I feed mine a varied diet of flake, frozen blood worms and bbs, as well as black worms, micro, banana, and walter worms.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Oh the boys know what they're doing all right, LOL. I could be that the fry are just really good at hiding and I've simply never seen any. There's a ton of hiding spots in my tank, so it's entirely possible. I feed algae wafers, barley pellets, zucchini (those three mostly for shrimp, but the fish like them too), along with a general tropical staple flake, banana worms, and sometimes some betta flakes. Oh, and sometimes baby shrimp too


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## Mossybottom (Jul 28, 2013)

GORGEOUS! Love the natives!


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