Azahara

Anyone have an idea on how to keep a pet Sturgeon? I think they're adorable, but I can't find one, and I don't know much about what they need other than food stuffs.

MagpieTear

I saw someone had three on Aquabid last night, but I wondered about the practicality of keeping one... I thought they got enormous (as in will capsize a row boat if hooked, 1,000 pound huge)

Dino

Unless you plan on a swimming pool sized tank, I would pass on that fish.

Azahara

I'm not saying now, I'm saying later on when I can afford a house and such. X3 I just think they're adorable.

Nyquist05

OzzyFan

Yeah, I think it'd be cool to have a pet sturgeon, but they do get to be huge. I'd keep it in the size of aquarium you see at Marine Land or something, haha.

Chiqui2008

I purchased Hector from a Chinese fish store in the early 90's. Here is video of him in my 28-gallon tank: http://media.putfile.com/Hector-My-Sturgeon

Hector was fun to watch, quite well-behaved and did well for the several weeks that I had him. Unfortunately, I read somewhere that he would eventually outgrow the tank rapidly, so I panicked and gave him to a friend. He met his demise at the hands (fins?) of a gang of African cichlids that my friend introduced him to.

As you can see from the video, he was an interesting addition to the tank. I think that if there was some place I could put one after it had outgrown my tank - maybe a local aquarium or something - I'd like to have another sturgeon, even for just a little while.

suer

Be sure before you get one you can keep there water as cold as they need it to be. i tryed to keep sturgeon but could not keep the water cold enough for them to live. You might need to buy a chiller for your tank to be able to provide cold enough water for them. I hate to see you buy them & have them die because the water wasn't cold enough. If you can manage there water there very fun to watch as they play , as in PLAY in ther tank. Swim upside down & side ways & just have a good time in there tanks.

Zer0sk8er

you will need a huge tank if you plan on keeping them for long.

joy613

I think a surgeon would out grow a swimming pool too. I know I have seen a few caught when I lived in North Dakota and they were monsters. I think they might even be on the the endangered list now.

sirdarksol

Yeah, the smaller of these species needs a large pond or small lake (nothing like the little things most people put in their back yards). I think that Dino's statement of "swimming pool sized tank" is pretty good.
And please don't get one "for a little bit" as Chiqui suggested, unless you have a very reliable source (like a local aquarium) that tells you they are fully prepared to take it before you buy it. This is the kind of setup that often results in a fish dying in a far-too-small tank because the owner can't find a new home for it.

Shawnie

or released in the wild then all kinds of stuff (not the word i wanted) breaks loose!

sirdarksol

Yes, although, thankfully, sturgeons are not generally what one would call an invasive species. Still, it is possible that they would overpopulate a particular waterway. Every once in awhile, a fragile or slow-growing species does this.

petersewchok

true sterlets (acipenser ruthenus) are aquarium compatible, but only in larger well footprinted systems. they are indeed a true sturgeon, native to parts of eastern europe and the caspian sea. something around a 200 with a strong current, and few / no other residents will work. i currently have one. they are highly nocturnal...some specimens are motionless during the day until some type of food is detected. they cruise around constantly all night. because of this, they need lots of fresh, high quality food, and very clean water...think shark / stingray quality. a sandy bottom is essential. if you try a glass bottom, your fish will probably not feed because it feels exposed and and is confused by the lack of sand. sterlets feed by injecting a tube type mouth into the sand and feeling around for protein in the substrate. live blackworms are a very good choice if you have a supplier. they might eat live brine shrimps and high quality protein pellets, but it's a crap shoot. try wrapping a pellet or two in a clump of black worms....mmmm. here is a link: http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...33&pcatid=2533

this is where my sturgeon originated. definitely my favorite current fish. utterly fascinating to watch at night. keep in mind that these aren't a good beginner fish. they are tricky to keep - probably neck to neck with freshwater rays. they can get tangled up in plants, stuck to filter intakes, and they hate nitrates and nitrites. they are also somewhat "prey item" paranoid when small : they know that they are prey, and you leering in at them might cause fatal stress. i've seen this with sturgeon, small catsharks, and most rays. write me if you guys have some questions.

petersewchok

sturgeons will also appreciate some type of cave / shell to hide in. this helps lower their prey stress level. remember to arrange the cave or shell in such a way that the fish can't get trapped / stuck. sturgeons can't swim backwards, they have to wriggle out of bad situations (like getting lodged behind the filter for example). make sure that you have a current that is not too strong for a small fish, and not too weak for a large one. these guys also need TONS of oxygen in the water. and if you put a large shell in your tank as a "cave", keep an eye on your pH, because a dissolving shell can really muck up your PH. try to get a 3-4 incher to start with, because the tiny ones (as cute as they are) are really, really hard to keep alive without tons of attention.

Wilhelm Joshua Tan

Yes, I saw it in Animal Scene October 2008. You can even keep one. But I don't keep a sturgeon.

DarkRevoultions

Well I don't know about that..

They are pretty old I believe that they are as old as a cœlacanthe.

Angela_96

You may want to make sure it is legal in your state, right now they are a protected fish in our state where they are re-introducing them to our water-ways.