Harelip sucker

Where they come from

Quick reality check up front: the harelip sucker (Moxostoma lacerum) is generally considered extinct in the wild and there is no legitimate hobby supply chain for it. If you see one for sale, it is almost certainly a different redhorse sucker being misidentified (or somebody is being shady).

Historically, this fish was from clear, medium-to-large rivers in the eastern US. Think flowing water, clean gravel, and lots of oxygen. That river-fish DNA is what drives everything about how you would keep any Moxostoma-type redhorse in an aquarium.

Setting up their tank

These are river fish. They do best in a long footprint tank where they can cruise and hold in the flow, not a tall show tank. If you are used to tropical community setups, this is a different game.

Plan for big filtration and big water changes. Redhorse suckers are messy in that slow, steady way: lots of grazing, lots of fine waste, and they hate dirty, low-oxygen water. I run oversized canisters plus strong circulation, and I point the returns so there is a defined current lane across the tank.

• Tank size: as large and long as you can manage. For an adult redhorse-type sucker, think 6 ft+ tanks as the realistic starting point.
• Flow: strong, consistent flow with calmer eddies so they can rest.
• Oxygen: heavy surface agitation and/or supplemental aeration.
• Substrate: rounded gravel, small cobble, and patches of sand. Avoid sharp crushed rock - mouths get beat up.
• Decor: smooth river stones and driftwood placed to create current breaks. Keep the center open for swimming.
• Temp: cool to temperate. Most setups land best in the 60s to low 70s F depending on the actual species and seasonality.

What to feed them

Redhorse suckers are not algae-eaters in the pleco sense. They are bottom foragers that sift and pick at invertebrates and organic bits. In a tank, they do best with a varied, meaty-leaning diet that actually gets to the bottom.

• Sinking pellets that hold together (koi/goldfish sticks broken up, coldwater predator pellets, quality shrimp pellets)
• Frozen foods: bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis, chopped prawn, daphnia (rotate)
• Live foods if you can: blackworms, earthworm pieces (great conditioning food)
• Occasional veg-based sinking foods are fine, but do not rely on them as the main diet

I feed smaller portions more often rather than dumping a big meal once a day. They graze, so two to three feedings with some lights-on foraging time matches their vibe and keeps aggression down around food.

How they behave and who they get along with

Temperament-wise, they are usually peaceful and surprisingly personable once settled. The main issues are size, speed, and food competition. They are strong swimmers and they can bulldoze lighter fish without meaning to.

Tankmates that work are other coolwater, current-loving fish that are not delicate and can handle the same big-water routine. You want fish that eat from the water column or can hold their own at feeding time.

• Good matches: larger dace/shiners, some native sunfish with caution, robust minnows, hillstream-type setups (not tiny species that get outcompeted)
• Avoid: slow fancy goldfish, long-finned fish, tiny bottom dwellers, and anything that needs warm tropical temps
• Multiple suckers: doable in big tanks, but give them room and more than one feeding spot

Breeding tips

For the actual harelip sucker, captive breeding is basically not a hobby topic because the species is (as far as we know) gone. For other Moxostoma redhorses, spawning behavior is seasonal and tied to temperature swings, day length, and strong flow over clean gravel.

If you are trying to condition and possibly spawn a redhorse-type sucker, the closest thing to a recipe is a big group, big current, clean gravel, and a spring-style warm-up after a cooler winter period. Even then, eggs and fry are a whole separate challenge and usually not worth attempting unless you are set up like a small hatchery.

Common problems to watch for

Most issues with redhorse suckers come down to three things: not enough oxygen/flow, not enough room, and food that does not reach them (or gets stolen before they can forage). If you solve those, they are pretty tough fish.

• Mouth and barbels getting raw: usually sharp substrate, fighting current against rough decor, or poor water quality
• Weight loss: food competition, feeding only floating foods, or internal parasites on wild-caught fish
• Fungus on scrapes: happens after panicked dashes into rocks or glass, often worsened by low oxygen
• Ich and other parasites: common if wild-caught or housed with new arrivals, and treatment can be tricky in coolwater systems
• Nitrate creep and mulm buildup: looks harmless until the fish starts hanging in the highest-flow area gasping