Speckled Dace In The Aquarium; Captive Care
Speckled dace are widespread throughout most of North America. They are found in slow moving streams and ditches, to riffles, they are even found in still ponds and lakes! They get there common name from the pattern on their body. They have a gray base color, with several darker speckles throughout the body.they can easily be confused by there close cousins, the leopard dace.
Where can I find speckled dace?
You will probably have a hard time finding them at your local fish store, or even at a U.S. native fish specialty store. If you are looking to get some for your aquarium, you may have to catch them yourself. They live in a variety of habitats so there is a good chance you will be able to find some near you. A good way to catch them is to set out a fish trap. They seem to find bread and cheese irresistible! If you are collected them yourself, check your local regulations to see if you need any permits to collect fish.
What size tank do they need?
They enjoy the company of their own kind, so it would be best to provide them with 20 gallons. A 20 long would be better than a 20 high because they generally like to stay near the bottom of the aquarium. I rarely see them leave the bottom. I wouldn't recommend a 10 gallon aquarium because a group of 4 inch fish is a bit much for a tank that small. But remember, bigger is always better.
What do they eat?
When they are first collected they may not accept anything other than live foods, although they are easy to train to eat frozen and dry foods. If you starve them for a few days after collecting they should accept frozen foods. After they get used to eating frozen foods you can starve them again, maybe for even longer this time. They should be hungry enough to try out the dry foods. Once they try it, they should continue to accept it. They also like to graze on algae, so you can provide them with algae from time to time. Although I find frozen bloodworms to be there favorite food!
The Substrate!
As far as decorations and substrate, they really aren't too picky! In the wild they are found in silt, sand, and gravel. Gravel is my personal favorite, so that is what I like to use, but it is really up to you! Natural or black colored substrate would be best though, especially if they are wild caught.
Decorations!
They really enjoy having lots of hiding places, so there tank should be heavily planted or decorated. Believe it or not, the more hiding places you have the more they will be swimming out and about! This is because having lots of places to retreat to if they spot danger makes them more comfortable and bold. They will do ok with plants although they may nibble on thinner leaved plants such as wisteria and the like. They are commonly found in rocky areas so rocks would make a great addition to the decor.
Tank Mates!
They are very peaceful fish so they will do fine with a variety of other peaceful fish. Since they are mainly bottom dwellers, it is recommended that you add fish that swim higher up in the water column. Make sure that tank mates are not so small that they will fit in their mouths or large enough that the dace themselves may be eaten. Some great native fish to be with them are fathead minnows, many species of topminnows, red side dace in a larger tank and so forth. Although if you don't have more of there kind to swim with, they will be extremely nippy. I would recommend having a minimum of five to keep nipping to a minimum.
The Water Itself!
Speckled dace are very hardy and adaptive, so water parameters are not really that important as long as they are properly acclimated. You could add a power head to produce a current, replicating their habitat, but it is not required, as they will adjust to still water in a week or so since added to the aquarium. They water temperature can be as low as 45* Fahrenheit or as high as 75*, with temps in the mid 60's to room temperature being ideal.
Breeding!
Speckled dace are relatively easy to breed. They don't need special food to be brought into breeding condition, although that may help. If your tank temp is around 59*, then slowly raise it to 72-74* in the period of a month or so. This will induce them to spawn. During spawning, several males will chase a large female until she releases her eggs. They will fertilize them as they fall. It is best to remove the parent as both sexes will eat the eggs.
Raising The Eggs And Fry!
The eggs should hatch in about 8-12 days. The fry can be fed small foods when the yolk sack is completely consumed. They should be large enough to eat micro worm by then. You can then continue feeding them the micro worms along with baby brine shrimp and other small foods. They will also graze on algae. As they grow large enough you can feed them like you feed the parents.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how to care for speckled dace! They truly are a great fish to keep and hopefully they will become more popular with time. Make sure to spread the word to your friends, and keep on tanking!
Speckled dace are widespread throughout most of North America. They are found in slow moving streams and ditches, to riffles, they are even found in still ponds and lakes! They get there common name from the pattern on their body. They have a gray base color, with several darker speckles throughout the body.they can easily be confused by there close cousins, the leopard dace.
Where can I find speckled dace?
You will probably have a hard time finding them at your local fish store, or even at a U.S. native fish specialty store. If you are looking to get some for your aquarium, you may have to catch them yourself. They live in a variety of habitats so there is a good chance you will be able to find some near you. A good way to catch them is to set out a fish trap. They seem to find bread and cheese irresistible! If you are collected them yourself, check your local regulations to see if you need any permits to collect fish.
What size tank do they need?
They enjoy the company of their own kind, so it would be best to provide them with 20 gallons. A 20 long would be better than a 20 high because they generally like to stay near the bottom of the aquarium. I rarely see them leave the bottom. I wouldn't recommend a 10 gallon aquarium because a group of 4 inch fish is a bit much for a tank that small. But remember, bigger is always better.
What do they eat?
When they are first collected they may not accept anything other than live foods, although they are easy to train to eat frozen and dry foods. If you starve them for a few days after collecting they should accept frozen foods. After they get used to eating frozen foods you can starve them again, maybe for even longer this time. They should be hungry enough to try out the dry foods. Once they try it, they should continue to accept it. They also like to graze on algae, so you can provide them with algae from time to time. Although I find frozen bloodworms to be there favorite food!
The Substrate!
As far as decorations and substrate, they really aren't too picky! In the wild they are found in silt, sand, and gravel. Gravel is my personal favorite, so that is what I like to use, but it is really up to you! Natural or black colored substrate would be best though, especially if they are wild caught.
Decorations!
They really enjoy having lots of hiding places, so there tank should be heavily planted or decorated. Believe it or not, the more hiding places you have the more they will be swimming out and about! This is because having lots of places to retreat to if they spot danger makes them more comfortable and bold. They will do ok with plants although they may nibble on thinner leaved plants such as wisteria and the like. They are commonly found in rocky areas so rocks would make a great addition to the decor.
Tank Mates!
They are very peaceful fish so they will do fine with a variety of other peaceful fish. Since they are mainly bottom dwellers, it is recommended that you add fish that swim higher up in the water column. Make sure that tank mates are not so small that they will fit in their mouths or large enough that the dace themselves may be eaten. Some great native fish to be with them are fathead minnows, many species of topminnows, red side dace in a larger tank and so forth. Although if you don't have more of there kind to swim with, they will be extremely nippy. I would recommend having a minimum of five to keep nipping to a minimum.
The Water Itself!
Speckled dace are very hardy and adaptive, so water parameters are not really that important as long as they are properly acclimated. You could add a power head to produce a current, replicating their habitat, but it is not required, as they will adjust to still water in a week or so since added to the aquarium. They water temperature can be as low as 45* Fahrenheit or as high as 75*, with temps in the mid 60's to room temperature being ideal.
Breeding!
Speckled dace are relatively easy to breed. They don't need special food to be brought into breeding condition, although that may help. If your tank temp is around 59*, then slowly raise it to 72-74* in the period of a month or so. This will induce them to spawn. During spawning, several males will chase a large female until she releases her eggs. They will fertilize them as they fall. It is best to remove the parent as both sexes will eat the eggs.
Raising The Eggs And Fry!
The eggs should hatch in about 8-12 days. The fry can be fed small foods when the yolk sack is completely consumed. They should be large enough to eat micro worm by then. You can then continue feeding them the micro worms along with baby brine shrimp and other small foods. They will also graze on algae. As they grow large enough you can feed them like you feed the parents.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how to care for speckled dace! They truly are a great fish to keep and hopefully they will become more popular with time. Make sure to spread the word to your friends, and keep on tanking!