Johnny darter care guide

[Exotics lair]

Size:1.75-2.5 inches size tank:1.5-2.5 gallons I have successfully kept 6 of them in 10 gallon tank
Food: baby fairy shrimp pH levels:6-7.5
Hardness: 3 stars if there pH is off by 10% they will be ok but anymore and they will die they can also handle a little bit of pollution. Temperature:65-75°F
they are probably not for beginners and also if you have any more information please let me know so that I can update this care guide

 

[MaloK]

In Canada we leave them in the rivers... They are not that beautiful...

They are very difficult to keep in hot area without refrigeration. And have a very resilient resistance to dried food.

They love strong current, it's not necessary but... And must have still places to hide, a very small substrate, sturdy plants and dark water.

They eat snails and ghost shrimps, they will also eat frozen BS and BW.

 

[Exotics lair]

In Canada we leave them in the rivers... They are not that beautiful...

They are very difficult to keep in hot area without refrigeration. And have a very resilient resistance to dried food.

They love strong current, it's not necessary but... And must have still places to hide, a very small substrate, sturdy plants and dark water.

They eat snails and ghost shrimps, they will also eat frozen BS and BW.

Thanks for the extra information

 

[GaryE]

I'm in Canada, and didn't leave them in the rivers... I had those and E olmstedi for a while.

But I should have left them in the river. I don't count keeping a fish as successful unless it breeds in the tank, and I was never able to give them the winter they need.

They liked their live foods. I had 6 in a 36 inch tank with a current about equal to the habitat I caught them in. Sand on the bottom, a few rocks and some native plants. I watched for a long time before I caught them, and they didn't seem to like crowding. They would appear in groups of 3 or 4 when they weren't single pairs. So I kept them and 4 olmstedi together (I caught them as they arrived at the same small (3 foot by two foot) beach ledge underwater). They lived long enough and we interesting fish, but they never went back into breeding colour (the olmstedi didn't - nigrans were not colourful on their best day).

If I could get a tank down to 4 or 5 degrees celsius for a few weeks, I think I could have done much better as a keeper. I've never had a space that would allow that.

 

[MaloK]

In their natural habitat, they are crayfish food.

 

[GaryE]

In their natural habitat, they are crayfish food.

You're selling darters short though. With enough space (I completely disagree with the 1.5 to 2.5 gallon tank suggestion) they are really interesting to watch. They are very busy little fish.

I also kept rainbow and greenside darters at one point, and the entire Genus is full of very curious fish for a high flow tank with rounded rocks and pebbles, and plenty of territory. Rapids/riffle fish with reduced swim bladders, be they North American, South American or African are really interesting beasts.

 

[MaloK]

It's a very cool (cold) fish... Without the crayfish.