jordan barnhart
Fish Crazy
I am sure you have all wondered about keeping the bait/tackle shop fish you see. I know I have. I have kept 15+ in a 55 gallon and they are really a favorite fish of mine. They are the most peaceful things I know and are so adaptive.
I have gathered a ton of ingformation on these from types to breeding and sexing etc...
I am plagarising a bit but I give all credit to the owners of the content and text.
The two types I know of and keep are the fathead minnows and the rosy red minnows.
rosy red minnows and fathead minnows ARE the exact same species, Pimephales promelas
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General Info
Common names: rosy red minnow, fathead minnow, rosy reds, rosey reds, rosies, tuffy, tuffies, blackhead minnow, tuffy minnow, rosy red feeders, ruby red feeders, red top minnows
Scientific/Latin name: Pimephales promelas
Maximum length: Males 2-3 inches, females 1-2 inches
Colors: Fatheads - natural brown with black, rosy reds - light orange, or any
combination thereof (spotted, splotched, etc.)
Breeding male attributes: Fatheads - black vertical stripes, fleshy head growths, and tubercules; rosy reds - fleshy head growths and tubercules
Breeding female attributes: Ovipositors, fatter and shorter bodies
Temperature preference: 50 to 75 degrees F, can survive 33 to 100 degrees F
pH preference: 7 to 8
Hardness preference: Moderate
Salinity preference: 1 Tablespoon per 10-30 gallons
Compatibility: Males may harass same species or other species when near the nest and will attack rival males without injury; otherwise, very peaceful
Life span: 1 to 3 years (average 1.5 to 2 years)
Ease of keeping: Easy
Ease of breeding: Easy if place to spawn is provided
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Why they are great
1. They will not harm any fish of which I know (except small fry when they are hungry).
2. They can be used to feed carnivorous fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
3. They only grow to about two inches on average.
4. They breed just like cichlids!
5. They are so prolific that almost anyone can soon have thousands and yet their
breeding is easy to control in an aquarium if you do not want fry. In a pond, natural predators (frogs, orfes, snakes, turtles) keep them in check while also distracting predators from eating your other species of fish.
6. They can survive from right above freezing to the 90's (degrees Fahrenheit).
7. They make excellent aquarium and/or pond fish!
8. They each have their own personalities.
9. They are beautiful in my opinion.
10. They are inexpensive, typically one US dollar for a dozen.
11. They eat mosquito and other insect larvae and some algae but do not harm higher plants.
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Treating from bait shops or caught
The only downside to these fish is that, since they are sold as "feeder fish" or "bait," they usually have parasites and other health problems due to overcrowding and poor care. Medications and good care can reverse this. Pick apparently healthy fish with which to begin. To treat a newly bought batch of rosy reds, I used Aquari-Sol by Aquarium Products, Inc. at half dose (I have soft water) for four or five days in a 5 gallon quarantine tank where they remained for two weeks. I vacuumed water off the bare bottom daily and used a corner filter. Salt levels of about 1 Tablespoon per 5 gallons were used initially but diluted with the daily water changes. Extend the quarantine if any fish die.
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Where to find them?
You can find them at LFS under feeder fish and at most Local tackle/bait shops
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Photos (Includes how to sex)
Here is a rosey red
Here is a fathead
Sexing Rosy Reds and fatheads
Females are typically shorter and more slender. Their oviposter becomes very visible at spawning.
Shown here are Rosy Reds
Developing Eggs
Fry (1 week)
Fry (2 week)
Fry (16 days)
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It would be nice to get this pinned.
I will soon have a Journal on mine. I will get many more as they at 1$ a dozen
I will show pics of my setups and breeding. If successful I will go into all the fry care and whatnot.
I have gathered a ton of ingformation on these from types to breeding and sexing etc...
I am plagarising a bit but I give all credit to the owners of the content and text.
The two types I know of and keep are the fathead minnows and the rosy red minnows.
rosy red minnows and fathead minnows ARE the exact same species, Pimephales promelas
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Info
Common names: rosy red minnow, fathead minnow, rosy reds, rosey reds, rosies, tuffy, tuffies, blackhead minnow, tuffy minnow, rosy red feeders, ruby red feeders, red top minnows
Scientific/Latin name: Pimephales promelas
Maximum length: Males 2-3 inches, females 1-2 inches
Colors: Fatheads - natural brown with black, rosy reds - light orange, or any
combination thereof (spotted, splotched, etc.)
Breeding male attributes: Fatheads - black vertical stripes, fleshy head growths, and tubercules; rosy reds - fleshy head growths and tubercules
Breeding female attributes: Ovipositors, fatter and shorter bodies
Temperature preference: 50 to 75 degrees F, can survive 33 to 100 degrees F
pH preference: 7 to 8
Hardness preference: Moderate
Salinity preference: 1 Tablespoon per 10-30 gallons
Compatibility: Males may harass same species or other species when near the nest and will attack rival males without injury; otherwise, very peaceful
Life span: 1 to 3 years (average 1.5 to 2 years)
Ease of keeping: Easy
Ease of breeding: Easy if place to spawn is provided
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why they are great
1. They will not harm any fish of which I know (except small fry when they are hungry).
2. They can be used to feed carnivorous fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
3. They only grow to about two inches on average.
4. They breed just like cichlids!
5. They are so prolific that almost anyone can soon have thousands and yet their
breeding is easy to control in an aquarium if you do not want fry. In a pond, natural predators (frogs, orfes, snakes, turtles) keep them in check while also distracting predators from eating your other species of fish.
6. They can survive from right above freezing to the 90's (degrees Fahrenheit).
7. They make excellent aquarium and/or pond fish!
8. They each have their own personalities.
9. They are beautiful in my opinion.
10. They are inexpensive, typically one US dollar for a dozen.
11. They eat mosquito and other insect larvae and some algae but do not harm higher plants.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Treating from bait shops or caught
The only downside to these fish is that, since they are sold as "feeder fish" or "bait," they usually have parasites and other health problems due to overcrowding and poor care. Medications and good care can reverse this. Pick apparently healthy fish with which to begin. To treat a newly bought batch of rosy reds, I used Aquari-Sol by Aquarium Products, Inc. at half dose (I have soft water) for four or five days in a 5 gallon quarantine tank where they remained for two weeks. I vacuumed water off the bare bottom daily and used a corner filter. Salt levels of about 1 Tablespoon per 5 gallons were used initially but diluted with the daily water changes. Extend the quarantine if any fish die.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where to find them?
You can find them at LFS under feeder fish and at most Local tackle/bait shops
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos (Includes how to sex)
Here is a rosey red
Here is a fathead
Sexing Rosy Reds and fatheads
Females are typically shorter and more slender. Their oviposter becomes very visible at spawning.
Shown here are Rosy Reds
Developing Eggs
Fry (1 week)
Fry (2 week)
Fry (16 days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It would be nice to get this pinned.
I will soon have a Journal on mine. I will get many more as they at 1$ a dozen
I will show pics of my setups and breeding. If successful I will go into all the fry care and whatnot.
