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Harvesting from the wild +food question

3K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  fish monger 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok, by my house is this ditch for collecting flood water, and this ditch dries up every summer. (it is already starting to rapidly shrink) In this water are countless minnows, tadpoles, and snails. I harvested some plants the other day (with a bunch of Malaysian trumpet snails and Mystery snails) attached to them. Since the water will dry up (they are trapped in a large pond right now) I decided I'd like to collect some of the younger fish to rescue. I'm guessing that the parameters are similar to mine because of the snails' shell health, general location, and a dead crayfish I found (that resembled mine that is doing well in captivity).
-I have studied these fish and have found these observations:
~Schooling and fast
~lives in harder water
~often clear in color
~some had a gold gleam that looked like someone coated them with powder
~no bigger than 2 in (largest was ~1.5 inches)
~somewhat curious and observed my hand when I held still
~friendly in demeanor towards other fish
~some that I observed (I had them captured in a lid from one of those critter keepers so I could control the water line easily and release quickly) looked exactly like the Cold Mountain Minnows that I have in my 75 gal (down to the coloration and fin shapes. The only difference is that mine come towards me rather than run away)

If I were to collect some of the fish, how long should they be under quarantine before they are added to the main tank? (and what should I treat them with?)
-this question also goes for the plants and snails

Also, I found this weird plant that looks like a four-leaf clover and floats on the top of the water. It is anchored to the substrate and maintains its shape on land. Is this some kind of semi-aquatic/aquatic plant? (it is green with the feel of a slimyish underwater plant) If so I want to harvest this as well. :D

And for the food question. We have watermelon often in the Summer and I was wondering if I could feed some of the "meat" from the rye to my fish. :D Also, what kind of bugs would be best as snacks? (They already ate a mosquito hawk that entered the tank; well the abdomen at least. :p)
 
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#2 ·
First of all you should check with your local authorities as to whether it is legal to take wild caught fish, some areas carry large fines if you remove wild caught fish.

If it is legal to take them, then quarantine for 3-4 weeks, no treatment should be given unless the fish is showing signs of a disease, treating for anything which is not present, is both stressful to the fish and a waste of money for you. If the fish are showing obvious signs of disease such as ick, then appropriate treatment should be given, same goes for any other disease.

If the plant you are talking about is doing well in the pond, then chances are it is an aquatic plant, I would be cautious about using it in your aquarium without a quarantine period for it as well.

Watermelon has virtually no nutritional value as is almost entirely water (hence the name), it would be better off feeding them a good diet of flakes or a diet appropriate to what fish it is.
 
#3 ·
Even if they are going to die in a few days/weeks anyways? :/ (because they are simply trapped there to die. :/) I'll look it up though. (I've found a list of invasive plants that my area hates so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind if a took some of these from the water. :p)

Yeah, I want to have the plant be quarantined with the fish. I looked it up and it is a type of water clover. :3

As for the watermelon, I was thinking more of a little treat rather than a meal. :3 I guess I'll just continue giving them to my rat. (I was just curious if it would be safe for them)
 
#4 ·
Ah, I looked into regulations but I was only able to find them for game fish such as salmon and rules for parks/lakes/rivers. I found no banning for rules for bait fish (that aren't in parks) and fish found in ditches. :3 I'm beginning to think that my minnows are wild caught because they are so similar in looks (and the type I thought they are aren't naturally found here)... Hm... I know what I'm asking the store next time I visit. ;D
 
#5 ·
My only comment is not to mix the wild fish with any tropical aquarium fish. Either can carry pathogens foreign to the other without your knowing it until it is too late.

On their own (separate tank), the wild fish are fine. I've kept some sunfish many years ago. But again, never mix them in with purchased fish. Same with snails, etc.

Even something like bird droppings--I know ducks are bad for this--will mean probable pathogens in the water, and these can get into your other tanks and wipe everything out.
 
#7 ·
What if they were in quarantine long enough for those to die off? After a couple/several months I'm pretty sure it can die off. :/ If not I can probably just keep them in the 10 gal and set up another one as a hospital tank. Grrrr.

...I guess they can have the 10 gal. :p (a school of 10 is fine right?)

As for the plants, one person said to use a bleach solution to destroy anything. (plus lots of water changes in the tub, ect.)
 
#6 ·
+1
In most of Canada (where I'm from) unless it's a protected area then you are pretty much free to do what you wish with fish.. Some fish are protected, but our government would not let you NOT know that they are, warnings and diagrams at every lake about ecosystem safety, what to leave, what to kill (invasive gobies here), etc. People here are pretty much free to harvest bait fish (minnows) as they please from the wild, they are not regulated. In short, if it's not an endangered species/in a protected area, I'm sure you can take them.
Most governments are more uptight about mammals and reptiles being harvested. With fish it's more of what not to put in the water.
 
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