Keeping Needlefish?!

[Maximus]

Hey there everyone

I'm new to this forum, but not new to fishkeeping!

I've just got myself a new 5" 102g tank and I've got a load of ideas on what to put in it, one of them
being a small school of needlefish.

Does anyone have any experience of keeping these?
I carnt seem to find enough info on the net

Oh and are they FW or BW I've found different ideas on them lol

Any advice welcome!

 

[CFC]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41749


They are true freshwater fish but because of their marine ancestry they can handle a bit of salt quite well which is something that exporters take advantage of by shipping them in salted water as it helps prevent bacterial infections which these fish are quite subceptable to when stressed.

They are tricky to feed and in most cases will only accept small live fish or shrimp.

 

[Maximus]

Thanks for the reply

Have you ever had any experience with these little fellas?

 

[CFC]

Yeah i kept them for a while some years ago, they are very nervous fish that dont do well with large boisterous fish swimming below them as if they get spooked they will hurl themselves at the tank lid with full force and often breaking their beaks in the process, if this happens its a death sentance as they can no longer feed.

I found they needed to be in groups of 5 or more to really do well, in smaller numbers they bickered too much and recieved lots of injuries from biting each other, they seem to be especially prone to bacterial infections setting in on fresh wounds.

 

[cane76]

ive kept them too they are great fish BUT
feeding them is a royal pain in the butt
unless you have a constant supply of feeders or shrimp id say dont bother wth them

 

[Maximus]

ive kept them too they are great fish BUT
feeding them is a royal pain in the butt
unless you have a constant supply of feeders or shrimp id say dont bother wth them

Hey thanks guys

I work part time in my lfs (quite a big one) so i should be able to get feeders on the cheap!

The tank is a Jewel Rio 400, So will this be adequete for 5 of them?

Can anyone suggest a type of floating plant?

 

[prankster705]

I hope you are aware that many lfs feeder fish are full of disease and not a good food source unless quarantined...

 

[flamingonhot]

Hehe, probably my favorite fish! I used to study them in my aquariums, etc. still writing an article about them...

They don't have to be in schools to really thrive, but it does help out some. Of course, if you have the room and money, the more the better. Like said, they're more of a freshwater fish- but can go up to higher salinities. In the wild, they're known for swimming between different sg levels throughout different waterways (sometimes even being seen in close to saltwater like conditions).

And yes, they are prone to fungus- i've had around 3 die from it, jeez, even my 5 year old one did! 5 year old dominant male, almost went through with breeding around 4 times, and ended up dying to some simple disease like that.

I always hear of how hard it is with feeding, but in my experience, everyone i've had converted within a day to 2 weeks. Starving periods on a few of them worked, but mainly, just throw freeze-dried krill in during feeding and it will happen. Having one that eats, then adding others, will help out greatly. I purchased a small one to go along with my male- saw it was eating krill, ignored the feeders and ate shrimp, krill, etc. in the first 2 days. Get a few rosey reds on hand, quarantine, treat, and feed them good. Have a stock on hand for up to two weeks, your going to want to gut load them when they first get in, then try fazing in "dead foods"- of course, only after you've tried the dead food in the first place. I also suggest treating them internally for parasites, most are eating feeder fish when they get to you- and i've had a confirmed case of one having flukes attached between some flesh and the air bladder.

HTH, anymore questions?

 

[Maximus]

Hehe, probably my favorite fish! I used to study them in my aquariums, etc. still writing an article about them...

They don't have to be in schools to really thrive, but it does help out some. Of course, if you have the room and money, the more the better. Like said, they're more of a freshwater fish- but can go up to higher salinities. In the wild, they're known for swimming between different sg levels throughout different waterways (sometimes even being seen in close to saltwater like conditions).

And yes, they are prone to fungus- i've had around 3 die from it, jeez, even my 5 year old one did! 5 year old dominant male, almost went through with breeding around 4 times, and ended up dying to some simple disease like that.

I always hear of how hard it is with feeding, but in my experience, everyone i've had converted within a day to 2 weeks. Starving periods on a few of them worked, but mainly, just throw freeze-dried krill in during feeding and it will happen. Having one that eats, then adding others, will help out greatly. I purchased a small one to go along with my male- saw it was eating krill, ignored the feeders and ate shrimp, krill, etc. in the first 2 days. Get a few rosey reds on hand, quarantine, treat, and feed them good. Have a stock on hand for up to two weeks, your going to want to gut load them when they first get in, then try fazing in "dead foods"- of course, only after you've tried the dead food in the first place. I also suggest treating them internally for parasites, most are eating feeder fish when they get to you- and i've had a confirmed case of one having flukes attached between some flesh and the air bladder.

HTH, anymore questions?

Thanks alot mate

The tank is all set up and just ready waiting add fish!

I wanna have maybe 3 to start with?!

just wondering how would i make sure that all of them get an equal share of food?
And could i have a mixed diet of feeders and other prepared foods?

Oh yea can you reccomend some foods for me plz? Wot about small crickets and waxworms from the reptile dept.?

Thanks again!

 

[flamingonhot]

I'd say about three or four to start with. The more the better, but in some instances when you start out with more- they pick at eachother. I'd go with three like you suggested, and if you want more, add them later on (making sure they're similar in size).

Trust me, they'll all get an equal amount. They don't really "gorge" like other fish do, if they're on krill, they'll probably eat a few pieces at the most... and stop. My 10 inch one I had (the old one) even though it was that size, would only eat 2-3 pieces of krill per feeding, but it was also fed 2 times per day.

If you want food: get freeze-dried krill, crickets that have been gutloaded with fish food (making sure you never feed black ones), mealworms as an occasional snack if they'll take it, you can use feeders as a snack also, frozen shrimp, etc. Just make sure you never (or rarely) use something with a hard shell like beetles- mealworms can be used like said, but not often. I suggest freeze-dried krill as a staple diet, but be sure it's kind of soaked when they start eating it- krills hard to digest (good brand of it is made by Wardley, it's what i've always used for pred fish, etc.)

If you treat, I also recommend Gel-Tek brand internal meds. Just soak the krill in it (non soaked krill) and throw a few in. I also have fungus and parasite meds by Jungle Brand handy also.

 

[udg2177]

i would help with some advice but i unfortunately, i cant. i had 3 needles and all three of them got killed. lol. i came back home one day and they were only a pile of bones.