Fish:
Lake Cochituate provides a habitat for Banded Killifish, Bluegill and Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Rusty Crayfish, Largemouth Bass, Brook, Tiger, and Brown Trout, and Carnivorous fish like Pike, Muskellunge, and Pickerel. From what I have seen, about 80% of the fish there seem so be made up of Bluegill Sunfish and Banded killifish, but that might only be due to the other fish on this list living mainly in deep water. I have only seen Carnivorous fish as carcasses on the shore before. I only plan on keeping banded killifish because they will stay small enough to live in an aquarium setting. I find that Killifish in the actual lake usually stay so shallow that they are the only fish there (2 feet deep at max.) this is to keep them safe from their natural predators which are basically every single fish named above as adults.
I also plan on changing the adult male to adult female ratio to be more male heavy. When there is more competition over females, the females will be more likely to spawn. The males would also encourage the females to spawn more. I also need to fatten up the females, with earthworms, insects, and whatever else i can find. They will produce more eggs, and more healthy eggs, the more protein and fat they have. Males will also court and encourage spawning more if the females are fat, because the males know this. As of the 6th, I noticed my two males were fighting, and one of them was following a larger female around everywhere, encouraging her to spawn. I did not see any eggs, but she may have already begun spawning.
Plants:
Lake Cochituate is overrun by Clasping Leafed Pondweed - Potamogeton perfoliatus. This plant is globally distributed (exept Antarctica.) I have also seen Eurasian watermilfoil (Invasive), and White Water Lily (Native). I have not seen Elodea yet in Cochituate, which is the dominant plant in my tank, but I have in some of it's surrounding water bodies, and in a lake in Maine, so I suspect it is somewhere in the lake. I am also planning to gather some Pondweed when it takes off later in the month. I am going to attempt to replicate the underwater forests of pondweed seen in Cochituate. I am almost certain this is the plant that Banded Killifish usually breed on, so this should help encourage breeding.
It is also clear that they use plants as shelter from predatory fish, because I trimmed back most of my plants on May 24th, and ever since the new lack of plants, they have been only leaving the tiny cracks in between rocks to feed, and then afterward they immediately retreat. I am not worried though, as the plants will grow back, and i plan on adding new pondweed soon. If only they understood that there were no predators in the aquarium to hide from.
On June 2nd, I finally went to the lake on my bike, and gathered some pondweed. I also found 1 of what i think is Potamogeton Obtusifolius. I can finally show a picture of the "Perfoliatus Forests" Mentioned above. As you can see below, These plants are everywhere. Also included picture of P. Obtusifolius. (Right Side) Both Species were added to my tank that night. As expected, the fish stopped hiding and felt sheltered by the plants.
