Fieryblack Shiners

[AquaHobbyist123]

Wondering if anyone else here keeps Fieryblack Shiners? They are my personal favorite fish and I was able to catch some wild myself recently and acclimate them to my aquarium.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Wow, those are pretty! I've kept a few of the native shiners and minnows here in Wyoming, and I really enjoy them. They need a lot of space and a big school to feel good about life. What's your setup like?

 

[AlexT]

They have these at my LFS, stunning.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Mine right now are in a high flow Coldwater (with a fan chiller) 40 gallon breeder. I wouldn't put them in anything smaller, because of how active they are, though some keep em in 20s. These are the main focus.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Got a group of about 12, most are juveniles and I plan on moving some out to be breeders (gonna try tubbing). It's an unfinished biotope of my local river system.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

They have these at my LFS, stunning.

What type of LFS are you at? These are almost impossible to buy commercially. It's possible that it may be a different and more common species of shiner like red shiners, though if you have Fieryblacks at your LFS, then I'm jealous!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Mine right now are in a high flow Coldwater (with a fan chiller) 40 gallon breeder. I wouldn't put them in anything smaller, because of how active they are, though some keep em in 20s. These are the main focus.

I could see a 40g with high flow working pretty well. How does a fan chiller work? Just a fan blowing across the surface? The need for cold (not room temp) water is one of the things that has kept me from really delving into native fish.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

I could see a 40g with high flow working pretty well. How does a fan chiller work? Just a fan blowing across the surface? The need for cold (not room temp) water is one of the things that has kept me from really delving into native fish.

The fan chiller has 4 fans, and does just attach to the side of a tank and blows cold air onto the water. It works surprisingly well, lowering the temp several degrees. Also, for many natives, and even fieryblacks(which come from "trout streams"), a chilling device isn't needed but appreciated. Though these are Southern fish, and the water does get warmer than in Wyoming I'd imagine.

 

[AlexT]

What type of LFS are you at? These are almost impossible to buy commercially. It's possible that it may be a different and more common species of shiner like red shiners, though if you have Fieryblacks at your LFS, then I'm jealous!

Quite possibly, 90% was a different species if you say that. I didn't know there were different kinds. They had some kind for sure!

 

[Back in the fold]

Are they skittish at all ? I’ve heard that minnows freak out in aquariums .

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Most aren't that skittish, especially when captive bred. When captured from the wild though, they will be a little nervous at sudden movements near the tank for a few hours before becoming comfortable. These guys in particular are very showy and certainly don't hide. They are VERY active and aggressive feeders. When courting, the males get into spectacular battles and are a sight to behold. Mine are more brightly colored in real life than shows on the camera and they will still get much much brighter (they hold their color well and captivity). Here's a video of them in the wild:

And a video I took personally of mine, a day after they were caught:

I don't know why they aren't common in the Aquarium trade. They take regular flake food and will devour it readily, are beautiful, and don't need heaters or very large tanks. Their care is easy, and they are very hardy and robust fish.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Are they skittish at all ? I’ve heard that minnows freak out in aquariums .

To answer your question, no, this type doesn't freak out.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Once mine reach breeding age, I will try to begin my own breeding project for this species. There are only a handful of people who do. These need to be in the hobby more in my opinion.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Out of the ones I've kept, some are very nervous when first added to an aquarium, and they'll dash around and hurt themselves if you aren't careful. But after a day or two they adjust and seem to realize that you mean them no harm. It's really fun watching them eat: THAT is when they truly go crazy.

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Out of the ones I've kept, some are very nervous when first added to an aquarium, and they'll dash around and hurt themselves if you aren't careful. But after a day or two they adjust and seem to realize that you mean them no harm. It's really fun watching them eat: THAT is when they truly go crazy.

Now, that you mention it, I do know one in particular that is very skittish for a while after being to an aquarium, and those are Rosyside Dace. They will actually frequently give themselves a harmless nose infection because they are so nervous and will move at extreme speeds and hit the glass. They are also bigtime jumpers, so Rosysides can't be kept without a tight hood on the tank (I make the mistake of not having a hood once and 2 jumped out when scared). Most of the ones I've dealt with don't have that problem though.