Fish for a 45 Gal. barrel

Originally posted by wetmanNY
Most rainbarrels have lids. Few fish will thrive for long in pure rainwater. The pH will crash for one thing.
Click to expand...
These barrels don't have lids and this is why I want to keep fish in them; to eat the mosquitoe larvae. Wetman, how will the pH crash? I understand that the pH of rain will differ somewhat depending on where it comes from. Rain water is also quite soft. Do all Labyrinth fish prefer soft water?
BTW, the barrels are in the shade all day, but will recieve ambient light. I don't think the highest barrel temp will reach 85°, maybe 80° and then only for a brief period.
 
If you obtain gambusia, make sure there is no way they can make it to a open water source. These buggers are well known for wiping out amphibians.
 
Matak was I was saying is you catch a few small shellcrackers or bluegills use them in the barrels and then let them go at the end of the summer and then next spring catch a few more. That way they don't get super huge in the barrels and you release them so they can grow and live still. Maybe a few pearl gouramis might work as well. Good Luck with your choice.
 
Originally posted by OrionGirl
If you obtain gambusia, make sure there is no way they can make it to a open water source. These buggers are well known for wiping out amphibians.
Click to expand...
I'm curious, do they eat them or is it something they carry?
 
Originally posted by FishmasteR2002
Matak was I was saying is you catch a few small shellcrackers or bluegills use them in the barrels and then let them go at the end of the summer and then next spring catch a few more. That way they don't get super huge in the barrels and you release them so they can grow and live still. Maybe a few pearl gouramis might work as well. Good Luck with your choice.
Click to expand...
There is some goldfish at a local pond but I think they are a bit big for a 45G barrel. I think I will go with the mosquitoe fish and keep the 5 of them in a 30G over winter.
 
Originally posted by OrionGirl
Gambusia eat tadpoles and amphibian eggs.
Click to expand...

They also out-compete many of the native fishes - they are less likely to eat 'skeeters' than they are fish fry.

In fact, many areas of the world are now facing higher levels of mosquitos since introducing the gambusia - the gambusia eliminated the natives that were eating the mosquitos...

Either a pair of gourami or very hardy killies (maybe flagfish) would be my first thought. Due to the water softness, rainforest fishes would also work well - maybe some of the dwarf cichlids that inhabit highly variable environs ...


As to why the rainwater will have pH problems -- soft rainwater has little or no buffering capacity, so it can suffer severe pH swings (whether from dissolved gases, nitrification, or other causes...) very quickly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom