What Sturgeon Want

Without doubt, sturgeon are the most over-sold fish on the planet. A bold statement, but I have heard they cure everything from blanket weed to being vacuum cleaners. Well, as most of you have noticed, sturgeon are not any of these.

This page is a basic guide to sturgeon. I would suggest you read the rest of the Sturgeon-Web site and the sturgeon section of the Pond Life site for more detailed covering of the subjects. You may also join in with the many discussions about sturgeons on the Pond Life Forums

Sturgeons like

• Sturgeons need proper food (not wheat germ or Cereal based foods).
• Well-oxygenated water. Use an air pump through out the summer months to back up the main pump.
• Filtered water (unless in a lake)
• A large pond minimum 1000 gallons (5000 litres) for Sterlets.
• For other species, a minimum 2000 gallons.
• A back up pump in case of main pump failure.

Sturgeons dislike

• Strong chemicals, formalin, BKC, (These can be used at a lower dose than you would for Koi, except Formalin with Diamond sturgeon as they generally die a week after treatment).
• Low oxygen, they will die long before other fish, so no ' the other fish are OK' this does not work with sturgeon.
• Lack of food, they bend in half and either lie on the bottom or sometimes float. If they have got this far it's to late.
• Warm weather, this lowers the oxygen level.
• Direct sun light, they are dusk till dawn creatures and like the dark best. So have some shade for the fish to shelter under.

Problems

Nearly all problems are either food or oxygen related, so rather obviously:

• Always make sure the oxygen levels are good. Buy a test kit, they are not expensive.
• Use the correct food.

Malnutrition

The tell-tale signs are:

• Fish bends in half. Lack of food, too late - time to start digging a grave.
• Fish spends all its time bobbing up and down around the edge of the pond. It's starving.
• Fish follows other fish and tries to suck mucus of the fish. It's Starving.

Oxygen

This is rather easy; the sturgeons become lethargic and die! Buy an air pump!

How to feed your sturgeon

• Spring: Sturgeon like any fish become more active in spring as the temperature rises and will need an increase in food, feed a little and often. Best times are dawn and dusk.
• Summer: Sturgeon will be feeding very well in summer so make sure the food is available and the rest of the fish are well fed.
• Autumn: Sturgeon will be fattening up for the winter so keep the food going in but watch out and remove uneaten food.
• Winter: Feed a few pellets at a time and wait until eaten, before adding more. Sturgeon will feed down to 4C it is very important that you feed them in winter, most sturgeon die due to starvation in winter.

Pellet to Sturgeon size

• 2mm pellet - sturgeon size 10-20cm (4-8in)
• 3mm pellet - sturgeon size 20-36cm (8-14in)
• 6mm pellet - sturgeon size 36-61cm (14-24in)
• 8mm pellet - sturgeon size over 61cm (24in)

Sturgeon and the Cold. Will sturgeon survive our winters?

With names like Siberian Sturgeon and Russian Sturgeon this should give it away. Cold is not a problem they will tolerate much colder weather than we will ever get.

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Feel free to print this off and give it to all the retailers who are so keen to take your money but are unable to offer the correct advice.

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