Prickly Sculpin Tank

**Kaosu** · 11-01-2010, 6:31 PM

they are beautiful and i must say a very interesting looking fish! now you've made me go google, lol.

bwahaha try googling salt water sculpin....if you want to see some amazing colors ^_^ though some of the fresh water get amazing as well

Sculpin are awesome fish, wish i had a tank for them, I loved cave sculpin.

they are! my favorite fish by far ....

Amazing fish, amazing pictures!

thank you ^_^ i have more there just stuck on the camera atm i love taking pics of my fish!..and ill have a new addition to the tank this week...i hope to add a paradise fish to see if my beast can play well with something she cant fit in her mouth...^_^*fingers crossed*

**RiVerfishgirl** · 11-02-2010, 1:21 AM

Nice pics

.

I posted in one of your threads on MFK awhile back (my name over there is ShadowBass), and I've noticed after reading about the pricklies they'll turn a dark brown or green with little to no pattern when showing breeding coloration (this also goes for some other species). So keep watching the dark green one to see if he ever changes colors and we might be able to identify him. He may just be another prickly sculpin, but in breeding color.
I'm not sure whether you're keeping him with other prickly sculpin, but if not you may want to move him/her and see if you can get any fry.

**Kaosu** · 11-02-2010, 6:35 AM

Originally Posted by RiVerfishgirl

Nice pics

.

I posted in one of your threads on MFK awhile back (my name over there is ShadowBass), and I've noticed after reading about the pricklies they'll turn a dark brown or green with little to no pattern when showing breeding coloration (this also goes for some other species). So keep watching the dark green one to see if he ever changes colors and we might be able to identify him. He may just be another prickly sculpin, but in breeding color.
I'm not sure whether you're keeping him with other prickly sculpin, but if not you may want to move him/her and see if you can get any fry.

^_^ yup remember you

the dark one is in the tank with all of them, its only about an inch and a half..so...got some growing before i can try breeding.
Another two years maybe...seeing as the large one..that im sure due to body shape so far is a female is about a year ahead of him being 4 1/2 inches and hes at 1 1/2..so they got some catching up to do before attempting that.

But!!! i did net him out a few days ago and got a closer shot of him.

**RiVerfishgirl** · 11-03-2010, 10:30 PM

First I looked I thought the pectoral fins were ovelapping the ventral fins, but now I see that's a pretty clear shot. So I should be able to get an I.D.

**RiVerfishgirl** · 11-03-2010, 10:57 PM

Mottled sculpin. Not enough anal fin rays for a prickly, and all other characteristics match.

**Kaosu** · 11-03-2010, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by RiVerfishgirl

Mottled sculpin. Not enough anal fin rays for a prickly, and all other characteristics match.

yay!!! so glad that pic helped it was a pin trying to catch it and get that shot, im guessing the other dark 'unknown' sculpin would probably be a mottled as well..might be a while still till i can get shots for that one as well..its just a little more colored, then this dark one.....hmm we shall see

thank you thank you thank you for the ID

more pics to come soon ^_^

**aquacutlure** · 11-03-2010, 11:25 PM

AWeSOME !

**Kaosu** · 11-03-2010, 11:27 PM

ok so got a good shot of her changing colors, first her hiding in a small hole..then she sees me and moves..then changes in to her light color ^_^ the last pic is the other 'unknown' baby

**RiVerfishgirl** · 11-04-2010, 7:41 PM

I think the other one is probably a mottled too from the characteristics, but if you get could an anal fin shot of that one too it would definitely help.

Sculpin are one of my favorite fish, but I have not had a tank for awhile where they would not get eaten (in fact that's what happened to my last one. Had him for a long time until my other native fish grew large enough to consume him

. Either my bullhead or largemouth bass had a nice snack I guess.)

Now I have a 29g with natives (topminnows, mosquitofish, darters, baby green sunfish and chubs), but all of those fish would get eaten by a sculpin. So I guess I'll just have to set up another tank.

**Kaosu** · 11-09-2010, 4:09 PM

ok! so cold water tank takes some cooling....but no fancy chillers for me! oh no im much to poor for that...so here it is a pic of my top of the line cooling system!!!

that is right..its a mesh reptile lid..perched on both of my filters...with two bar lights....and a window fan....

im so cheap^_^ but it works and my tank stays around 70o and is ....65 currently.
Enjoy!