![]() ![]() Though Mountain Daces and Fathead Minnows are my favorites of the native minnows, there are other species worth looking into as well. I would feed them like Darters, however, focusing on live and frozen food and spot feeding when in the presence of active tankmates. While maybe not as colorful as the perch, they are immensely hardy and very peaceful, making them good choices for keeping with a wide variety of fishes. Though Darters are generally the bottom dweller of choice, Michigan has the Central Mudminnow as a native species which is also a very good choice for the home aquarium. Population, I would keep them on their own). Interesting tank (and in order to allow them to create a sustaining A group of 1 male and 4-5 females would make an Males are territorial and I would only keep one in a These fishĪre largely annuals, however, and don’t typically live long after Nests during spawning season out of algae, roots, and plants. At around 2 inches long on average, they are very interesting, building actual Though most of our native Sticklebacks are marine in origin, the freshwater Brook Sticklebacks are probably about the best for home keeping. Try to get a ratio of 1 male to 1 female if possible. Though most of Michigan’s minnows get too big for a 20 gallon tank, the Mimic Shiner is one species that doesn’t break 2 inches and thus would work in this configuration. Though I normally like combining Darters and Killifish, the only native species is the Western Banded Killifish, which does very poorly in captivity. Turkey baster, otherwise they might not catch enough food on their own. With other fishes, it’s highly recommended to spot feed them with a ![]() Pretty low energy except when chasing off tankmates. All of these max out around 2-2.5 inches and are typically There are four species of Darters native to Michigan: the Johnny Darter, Blackside Darter, Striped Fantail Darter,Īnd Iowa Darter. Keep in mind that there are several non-native species as well, which should be avoided if looking to keep a native biotope. spicatum is invasive)īesides the usual Pond Snails and Ramshorn Snails, Michigan also has a native Mystery Snail species,īrown mystery snail, 3 species of Valve Snails, and a few other spiral-shelled species worth noting. Water Milfoil ( Myriophyllum spp., though M.Pondweed ( Potamogeton spp., though P.These are all cool-to-cold water fish, so room temperature is fine for all species involved (unless you keep your house much much above 70F). ![]() It does have a small assortment of medium-sized fishes and luckily what is available is generally well suited for captive life. It’s lacking in very small fish for small biotopes and most of it’s more interesting and unique fish are very large and mostly unsuited for aquariums. Michigan is somewhat unfortunate when it comes to native biotopes. It has oval, wavy leaves with blunt ends and thin stems that grow underwater.Building a Michigan Native Biotope Aquarium It will keep growing until an entire pond is filled. Most abundant in the northern part of the United States, clasping-leaf pondweed is delicate yet invasive. Clasping-Leaf Pondweed Image Credit: Proshkin Aleksandr, Shutterstock Once established, they are extremely easy to care for.ġ3. Their leaves stretch out to meet the leaves and stems of other water hyacinth plants. It produces bright purple flowers that stand up above their stalks. If your pond does not house fish or other plants, water hyacinth can create a gorgeous water landscape to enjoy while spending time in the yard. Once it takes over, it can be tough to get rid of, so eradication at the first sign of growth is essential. This floating plant can add character and charm to a pond, but it can also completely take over the surface and stop the sun from entering the environment. Water Lettuce Image Credit: Lenyarts, Shutterstock ![]()
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