Wallace Fish Farms brought me 250 2-3" RES about a week ago. Put half of them in the old renovated pond and half to supplement the small population that were stocked this spring in the new pond.
I kept 4 of the smallest ones back and put them in an aquarium here in the house. First few days was pretty hard to get them to eat anything but they would take a little crushed up dry shrimp. Now they are voracious little things coming out of the structure I provided and looking at me to be fed. They are readily and competitively going after crushed up floating catfish feed (that sinks after it is crushed into small pieces with pliers).
Also put about 50 snails in with them out of the pond. Some are too large for them to eat but they have decimated the tiny ones and are working their way up in snail size. Need to collect some more for them and put in there.
Only have one that is kind of timid and only eating enough to sustain itself. The other three are go getters but only one will hit stuff on the surface occasionally. The other three will only hit stuff mid water or near the bottom. They seem to much prefer to hit something moving and aggressively get the crushed feed as it is sinking. Once it hits the bottom they loose interest but I noticed that later they will stare at something on the bottom for a while then pick it up. Sometimes a snail, sometimes a piece of the feed.
Had company last week, one of which was an eleven year old boy so thought it might be fun for him to trap some additional small fish out of the pond and put in the aquarium to watch along with the RES. Water is cold so not a lot went into the minnow trap but ended up with 4 very small BG ranging from one and a quarter inch to about an inch and a half. I was a little worried the RES would badger or eat the small BG but so far everything copacetic. The most aggressive RES once in a while will chase the smallest BG just a little like the smaller fish might be a meal but so far all 8 fish are still alive and doing well.
The RES are interesting to watch. More so than the BG. They definitely prefer subdued light as opposed to bright light. I leave the aquarium light off most of the time because with it on the RES spend time in the shadows of the structure (concrete cap block with three holes - they like sitting inside the holes when the light is on).
It appears to me they will abruptly swim to a spot on the bottom, stop and remain motionless except for fin movement to keep them in place in the current, and stare at something to see if there is movement. If it moves (as in a snail) they make a quick strike and pick it up, crunching it around in their mouth either till they spit it back out or end up crunching it up enough to eat it.
Interesting fish. I like them.
