Sturgeon...?

[swinters66]

Me and my husband went to Sunnys on Gear's this afternoon, and he bought a fish, called a sturgeon. Oddly shaped head, mouth underneath...gray on top, white underneath. Ive tried looking it up through google, but am coming up empty.

this guy is small....a few inches long. I have no idea what this fish eats. It constantly swims, sort of like a pictus cat, but not on the bottom of the tank.

Has anyone had one of these, or seen them or know anything about them? I wont be able to get a picture up today, as my stupid computer program quit working.

[Jose]

Re: Sturgeon...?

That fish grows well over 3'.

[armthehomeless]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Try looking up Platystomatichthys sturio ... maybe that is it?

[swinters66]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Jeez...leave it to my husband to find a baby monster to grow in his tank.  :crazy:

[jbicb3]

Re: Sturgeon...?

I saw them in Sunny's Friday night, and Mike confirmed that they are the Sturgeon that grows to 4' or larger. I believe they are the main source for caviar.

[MikeWhoTruong]

Re: Sturgeon...?

i feed them mysis and or brine...hope this helps

[swinters66]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Well we've already had to move him into a smaller tank...one of his gills is torn. Yep...I knew this was a bad idea. But he's swimming around, he's not acting affected by it. So...we'll see.

My husband has a habit of doing this...when he bought a red tail catfish...the thing grew MASSIVE, ate both his dempseys...and wound up choking on the second one and dying.

Ill tell him about the brine shrimp...thanks!

[Tiapan]

Re: Sturgeon...?

some types of sturgeon i know can grow 8 ft plus not sure if it is the same kind as that but related to.

[MikeWhoTruong]

Re: Sturgeon...?

i dont know why they didnt tell him it got that big, i always do.

[swinters66]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Oh I am sure they did tell him....however, the sturgeon didnt make it. It was dead when I got home from work  :(  I didnt feed him yesterday, I figured he needed to settle in first, then when we had to move him because his gill was torn. I guess that's what killed him,  I really don't know.

[jklntx]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Hi ,

What you describe sounds like a Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) which are quite common in western Great Lakes and tributaries.

[Ellen]

Re: Sturgeon...?

"Some species of sturgeon are the largest and most long-lived freshwater fishes. In 1953, a lake sturgeon was caught that was estimated to be 154 years old."  8O

IMO, it was best for the little guy to die while he was still a little guy. I don't think people should sell these types of fish to people. (Fish that they can't take care of.) I think that informing people about the nature of the fish is a step in the right direction, but the leap would be not to stock such creatures. Unless you run an aquarium (the kind where you charge admission), the majority of people don't have room for a sturgeon, or many of the other tank-busters that you find for sale when they're 2 inches long and oh-so-cute. If they do have room for them, and it's what they want, they can be special-ordered. I also think that painted fish shouldn't be sold, let them go elsewhere for that crap. I'm sure the chains will be more than happy to supply those poor, destined for death fish to the uneducated. I think a private owner would be surprised at how much respect he gets from people who are in the hobby for more than a month. A newbie might get all upset and stamp their feet, but many many more oldies will be knocking on your door because you know what you're doing by not selling creatures unfit for aquariums, and because oldies know other oldies and introduce newbies.

Again, purely my opinion.
Ellen

[JLawson]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Well said.

[swinters66]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Yep I agree Ellen! I felt bad for the little guy. Which is why I try and research any fish we buy or plan on buying. I looked up & read so much info on discus my eyes were crossing!!

If we had more room in this house for another tank, I wouldnt have minded the sturgeon. I would have tried to be more prepared.

My husband spoke with one of the fish guys about the sturgeon, and I know the guy told him the fish would be ok in our African tank. Whether that was inaccurate information I dont know. I dont like losing fish.

[Armadillo_Del_Rio]

Re: Sturgeon...?

Sturgeons can hold their own, and I think they would be safe in an african tank, but they need cold water, so as long as its a cool water tank. They need a pond (Bigger is better), is fit for them. They would do well with carp and other cold water fish.