Keeping Shiners

[lectraplayer]

Has anyone tried keeping Eastern Shiners? After a disaster, I am using shiners to "check my tank" before I risk more costly fish (including my favorite: the neon tetra).

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[Crazyhermitcrab]

I need you to explain more.

 

[Plecolover18]

If you are catching these fish from the wild, no. Shiners are coldwater fish native to North America and Neons are Native to South America. Shiners need lots of DO to live as neon tetras can live in warm environments. If you are catching them from the wild, I would advise you don't use them in a warm water environment, wildcaught fish are a commitment and need special requirements to live in aquariums

 

[lectraplayer]

After an incident that wiped out my tank, I put some inexpensive baitfish in my tank to check it and keep it alive until I can get some "real" fish. While I intend to start moving them to a couple pools behind my house that breeds mosquitoes, I am wondering if I am the only one with this species of fish.

The incident: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310413 What a disaster...

I am not keeping shiners with other fish and all will be removed prior to the introduction of anything else.

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[Mebbid]

After an incident that wiped out my tank, I put some inexpensive baitfish in my tank to check it and keep it alive until I can get some "real" fish. While I intend to start moving them to a couple pools behind my house that breeds mosquitoes, I am wondering if I am the only one with this species of fish.

The incident: What a disaster... - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

I am not keeping shiners with other fish and all will be removed prior to the introduction of anything else.

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The problem with that is you don't know what type of diseases are being brought into your tank with bait fish. They are bred for quantity and definitely not quality. They are also kept in conditions that support disease and parasites.

 

[Fresh2o]

When I was much younger we'd go to the creek, net a few and place them into our aquariums. They slowly adapted to flake foods.
There is the off chance that by bringing them in from the wild you may have also inadvertently brought something with them. Something that they have an immunity to but not the future inhabitants of the tank.

 

[Fresh2o]

The problem with that is you don't know what type of diseases are being brought into your tank with bait fish. They are bred for quantity and definitely not quality. They are also kept in conditions that support disease and parasites.

I should refresh the page prior to posting. Still, this is a case where fishless may be a safer option. On the plus side you will be repurposing them for mosquito control but at what cost?

 

[lectraplayer]

Could these fish be immune to what caused my previous disaster?

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[jetajockey]

If you get any fish from the wild they need to be quarantined for a few weeks and treated with antibiotics/antiparasite meds. I don't know the specifics of that particular shiner but I do have a good bit of experience with the pteronotropis genus that is endemic to the southeast US. Just look into the care requirements of that particular species, and if there isn't much written about it, look at what area they are native to and whether or not your tank can have a similar temperature range.

 

[Mebbid]

Could these fish be immune to what caused my previous disaster?

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Unlikely. But like I said, you have no idea what you introduced by adding them.

 

[bettaowner]

It's unlikely. Most bait fish are kept in crowded and unsanitary conditions. If they do survive they will bring along a bunch of new problems.

 

[Lee315]

I have been feeding crappie minnows to my fish for years also various types of wild caught minnows with no problems.

 

[lectraplayer]

Shiners have now been dispersed in my mosquito holes.

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