In you are a member of PETA and/or don't believe in using minnows to catch fish i respect that so please respect the following and do not read on.
For those of you still with me:
I'm an avid fishermen, and use about half a dozen minnows per week.. sometimes 2 dozen, sometimes none, but I'd say half a dozen a week is about average. Sometimes I leave early enough in the morning that local baitshops are closed, and sometimes I just wish I could go straight to a local lake without going into town to get minnows. SOOO- I'm strongly considering trying to breed some on my own!
I've kept tropical fish for years and understand the nitrogen cycle and strict water parameters needed to keep them, but have been told (and seen in baitshops) that bait minnows don't require nearly as strict parameters. Basically, I've accumulated enough tanks, that I'd like to split the fish in my 55 gallon into smaller tanks, and use my 55 gallon to breed flathead and rosie minnows (a rosie is basically a red flathead) (as well as possibly some sucker minnows, crappie minnows, and shiners...but don't want to get ahead of myself) My thinking is that if I get 1 dozen minnows now and allow them to reproduce through natural selection for a year or so eventually I should end up with varying ages/size minnows in the tank. According to Aqadvisor.com, with 2 55 gallon filters, I'd be ok with 4 dozen fully grown rosy reds in the tank, although I'm thinking I'll probably be closer to 6 dozen at certain times of the year, they will not all be full grown.. so as long as this thinking is right, I should be ok... (or I may just get a 150+ gallon tub and use that?) Either way, assuming I have a large enough tank, and proper filtration, here is my tentative plan. My understanding is that I can stack PVC pipes to form caves for breeding I'm thinking end of the tank (about one third) and a triangle forming to top (see picture). The Pipes would be blocked in the middle, so their would be a cave on each side. I would then get a lot of java moss and grasses all over the bottom of the tank and over/into the PVC for the fry to hide out, as well as a couple banana plants or floating moss. I would do a 25% water change every two weeks or so (or as needed). Here in Wisconsin, I really only fish about 4 months in the summer and 2 months in the winter. Do you think this is the best set up to be successful, what size PVC pipe should I use? any other suggestions are welcome! Thanks for any the advice!
For those of you still with me:
I'm an avid fishermen, and use about half a dozen minnows per week.. sometimes 2 dozen, sometimes none, but I'd say half a dozen a week is about average. Sometimes I leave early enough in the morning that local baitshops are closed, and sometimes I just wish I could go straight to a local lake without going into town to get minnows. SOOO- I'm strongly considering trying to breed some on my own!
I've kept tropical fish for years and understand the nitrogen cycle and strict water parameters needed to keep them, but have been told (and seen in baitshops) that bait minnows don't require nearly as strict parameters. Basically, I've accumulated enough tanks, that I'd like to split the fish in my 55 gallon into smaller tanks, and use my 55 gallon to breed flathead and rosie minnows (a rosie is basically a red flathead) (as well as possibly some sucker minnows, crappie minnows, and shiners...but don't want to get ahead of myself) My thinking is that if I get 1 dozen minnows now and allow them to reproduce through natural selection for a year or so eventually I should end up with varying ages/size minnows in the tank. According to Aqadvisor.com, with 2 55 gallon filters, I'd be ok with 4 dozen fully grown rosy reds in the tank, although I'm thinking I'll probably be closer to 6 dozen at certain times of the year, they will not all be full grown.. so as long as this thinking is right, I should be ok... (or I may just get a 150+ gallon tub and use that?) Either way, assuming I have a large enough tank, and proper filtration, here is my tentative plan. My understanding is that I can stack PVC pipes to form caves for breeding I'm thinking end of the tank (about one third) and a triangle forming to top (see picture). The Pipes would be blocked in the middle, so their would be a cave on each side. I would then get a lot of java moss and grasses all over the bottom of the tank and over/into the PVC for the fry to hide out, as well as a couple banana plants or floating moss. I would do a 25% water change every two weeks or so (or as needed). Here in Wisconsin, I really only fish about 4 months in the summer and 2 months in the winter. Do you think this is the best set up to be successful, what size PVC pipe should I use? any other suggestions are welcome! Thanks for any the advice!
