Minnows

[Aundrea]

I am wondering where everyone keeps their minnows in? What size tank and do i have to buy a pump and filter for them? Im thinking of buying 20 Minnows.

[Garter_Gertie]

I think you'd be better served keeping guppies. Minnows have that thaiminze or whatever going and guppies don't. Thaiminze prohibits the uptake of thaimin, an important vitamin.

And you could keep a bazillion guppies in a 5.5 gal tank! Heck! I kept 4-6 in a 3X5" take-your-leftovers-to-work thingy for six weeks! All I did was top off the water with water I'd let sit so the chlorine evaporated.

[infernalis]

MK that statement is species specific.

Rosie reds, Catfish, Carp, Goldfish and fatheads are all big NO NO's.

However that leaves hundreds of other minnow species to feed without a problem.

Yes Guppies are sure fire safe, but please don't condemn all minnow species as food.

I keep a 10 gallon tank, a small air stone and filter, Right now it is stocked with Blacknose Dace minnows

In the end, a 10 is cheaper, I can find 10 gallon tanks for under 11 dollars. They have all you need at wal mart.

[Garter_Gertie]

But, Dekay, you haul yours outta your 'crik.' Please don't lead someone to think Blacknose Dace, memembers of the minnow family, are common, easily found fish in pet stores.

The only minnows I know available to the hobbiest - *unless* they live near a bait store and know specifics about minnows and know what they're doing - are rosy reds at Petco, PetSmart, et al.

You with your Dace [minnows] are more the exception than the rule because you are so dang lucky and that wonderful wonderful world of your outside your back door.

But the *only* place I've yet even found feeder guppies is at Twin Cities Reptiles. I gotta laugh! Before I found them at TCR, I asked the Fish Department Dufus-Bobo-Head at Petco if they had feeder guppies and the FDDBH said, "I've never heard of them. What are they?" I bet he would have answered, "I don't know," to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?"

But if one did buy xpensive guppies and they breed like, well... Like guppies! The cost should be minimal.

Maybe one can only get feeder guppies at reptile kind'a places???????????

[GartersRock]

But, Dekay, you haul yours outta your 'crik.' Please don't lead someone to think Blacknose Dace, memembers of the minnow family, are common, easily found fish in pet stores.

The only minnows I know available to the hobbiest - *unless* they live near a bait store and know specifics about minnows and know what they're doing - are rosy reds at Petco, PetSmart, et al.

You with your Dace [minnows] are more the exception than the rule because you are so dang lucky and that wonderful wonderful world of your outside your back door.

But the *only* place I've yet even found feeder guppies is at Twin Cities Reptiles. I gotta laugh! Before I found them at TCR, I asked the Fish Department Dufus-Bobo-Head at Petco if they had feeder guppies and the FDDBH said, "I've never heard of them. What are they?" I bet he would have answered, "I don't know," to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?"

But if one did buy xpensive guppies and they breed like, well... Like guppies! The cost should be minimal.

Maybe one can only get feeder guppies at reptile kind'a places???????????

But it does help to know the species Wayne is using cause I get my minnows out of the super amazing San Marcos river.

[Aundrea]

Ohhh ok "whew" I do plan on feeding him different stuff. Im gonna try to feed him the minnows with a pinky in the water and see if he will eat the pinky also. If he starts eating pinkies also how often do I feed him pinkies?

[reptile3]

Gertie, OMG!!! The petco guy didn't know what they were?? & he works there? LOL that is just too hilarious!!

And sooo who is in Grant's tomb?? JUST KIDDING

I gotta laugh! Before I found them at TCR, I asked the Fish Department Dufus-Bobo-Head at Petco if they had feeder guppies and the FDDBH said, "I've never heard of them. What are they?" I bet he would have answered, "I don't know," to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?"

But if one did buy xpensive guppies and they breed like, well... Like guppies! The cost should be minimal.

Maybe one can only get feeder guppies at reptile kind'a places???????????

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

But, Dekay, you haul yours outta your 'crik.' Please don't lead someone to think Blacknose Dace, memembers of the minnow family, are common, easily found fish in pet stores.

The only minnows I know available to the hobbiest - *unless* they live near a bait store and know specifics about minnows and know what they're doing - are rosy reds at Petco, PetSmart, et al.

You with your Dace [minnows] are more the exception than the rule because you are so dang lucky and that wonderful wonderful world of your outside your back door.

But the *only* place I've yet even found feeder guppies is at Twin Cities Reptiles. I gotta laugh! Before I found them at TCR, I asked the Fish Department Dufus-Bobo-Head at Petco if they had feeder guppies and the FDDBH said, "I've never heard of them. What are they?" I bet he would have answered, "I don't know," to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?"

But if one did buy xpensive guppies and they breed like, well... Like guppies! The cost should be minimal.

Maybe one can only get feeder guppies at reptile kind'a places???????????

Feeder guppies are not EVERYWHERE>.. but a good number of stores have them. Also, many bait shops and fish stores offer for sale many other kinds of minnow... they are not that hard to find, you just have to look maybe where you are, everyone has rosies, but in many parts of the country, such os not the case, so it is defintely a bad idea to condemn feeding minnows. Minnows are in fact... one of the biggest make ups of a wild garter's diet!

you could also order boxes of already frozen bait minnows such as shiners, dace... offline..

[Garter_Gertie]

1. I said I felt I was lucky to find feeder guppies as it did take me sometime and I only did find them in a dedicated reptile store. I never mentioned they were common and could be found everywhere.

2. I agree bait shops offer for sale many other kinds of minnows. I acknowledged that but did warn if someone does not know their minnows from a dace or have a good handle on which minnows would be best, it could be tough.

3. I never condemmend feeding minnows - or condemned anyone that does - and even acknowledged rosie reds may have their use when needed. I stated my opinion that I was more comfortable with guppies and very happy I found them.

4. Actually, here in MN Dace are the preferred fish of the Easterns. Not minnows (same family, different fish). The majority of (if not all) the minnows in our waters are those that have been released by fishermen and are not native.

5. We've neighborhood bait stores. However, I'm not well versed in good vs. bad minnows/shiners/chubbs, etc., and don't really wish to become so since I found feeder guppies. I'm fairly sure there are no Dace in the bait stores here - not positive though - as they are a native fish, but not protected as they're not considered game fish.

Feeder guppies are not EVERYWHERE>.. but a good number of stores have them. Also, many bait shops and fish stores offer for sale many other kinds of minnow... they are not that hard to find, you just have to look maybe where you are, everyone has rosies, but in many parts of the country, such os not the case, so it is defintely a bad idea to condemn feeding minnows. Minnows are in fact... one of the biggest make ups of a wild garter's diet!

you could also order boxes of already frozen bait minnows such as shiners, dace... offline..

[jitami]

I think only really really lucky people can even find them at reptile kind'a places

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, though. Aundrea's were probably rosy reds from Petco/Petsmart/etc and just fine for getting a reluctant eater going, but should be moved away from as soon as possible. I still give them to my guys every once in a while and Sly did live for quite a while... maybe even a year(?) on only rosy reds before I knew any better and switched him to pinkies.