I'm setting up a 60-gallon cube (24"X24") for some friends, and they decided to go strictly with Florida natives. Flagfish are the "must have," and what led them to the decision. Possible tankmates that I'm pretty sure will be ok would be Fundulus chrysotus, Lucania goodei, and swamp darters. I've kept all these fish in the past, some long-term...but never together. Better choices? F. cingulatus, maybe? Other recommendations? Maybe the golden ears, the flags, and a few melanistic gambusia (flagfish and golden ears could handle them, or not?)instead of Lucania? Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Community tank recommendations
Started by
Guest_lampeye_*
, Jun 02 2010 01:05 PM
5 replies to this topic
#3
Guest_Dustin_*
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Posted 02 June 2010 - 01:35 PM
The flags can be nippy and a tad aggressive for timid species like Lucania and Elassoma. They should do well with the Fundulus(any of them) and swamp darters. I would avoid Gambusia simply because I would avoid Gambusia. I like the idea of adding some bluespotted or banded sunfish, both native to FL.
#4
Guest_lampeye_*
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Posted 02 June 2010 - 01:58 PM
The flags can be nippy and a tad aggressive for timid species like Lucania and Elassoma. They should do well with the Fundulus(any of them) and swamp darters. I would avoid Gambusia simply because I would avoid Gambusia. I like the idea of adding some bluespotted or banded sunfish, both native to FL.
Yeah, gambusia are rotten little SOB's. I did keep them with red shiners without any trouble(until a major heat wave cooked the shiners, that is), if you're ever moved to have a "they deserve each other" tank. I want to stay away from any of the dwarf sunnies for two reasons - these friends need largely "goof-proof" fish, and the water is HARD. If you think those things won't be an issue...hmmm. Wasn't sure if 24" was enough room for Lucania to stay out of the flags' way, so thanks for the input on that, too.
Edited by lampeye, 02 June 2010 - 01:59 PM.
#5
Guest_HeadshotZod_*
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Posted 02 June 2010 - 02:07 PM
The flag fish are funny. I've had a bunch of wildcaught ones for the past few weeks. The can be rather pugnacious though. They were fine with the bluefin killies. In fact both have been seen nibbling together at stuff caught in the sponge I use to cover the intake on my aquaclear hob filter. However...... they started going after my greenhead shiners.
I did some reading on the them and it seems that they are fine with fish that are smaller then them because they quickly disappear when the flag fish comes around. But they have some psychological need to go after the bigger fish. The article I read about them said that white cloud minnows are great because they school and run quickly when the flag fish approaches. Every other article says they are terrors when they are breeding.
I had been feeding everybody by dropping flakes into the output of the hob and letting the food scatter about the tank. This caused some issues between the fish. So what I did was put the flake on the surface and let the shiners eat and then drop some flakes into the output of the filter and the flag fish wouldn't bother anybody because they are generally pecking at the substrate and not seeing anything else. They do look funny when they grab a hold of frozen bloodworms. Rather then grab one out of the bunch they just try to steal the one that the other one has. I hope this helps.
I did some reading on the them and it seems that they are fine with fish that are smaller then them because they quickly disappear when the flag fish comes around. But they have some psychological need to go after the bigger fish. The article I read about them said that white cloud minnows are great because they school and run quickly when the flag fish approaches. Every other article says they are terrors when they are breeding.
I had been feeding everybody by dropping flakes into the output of the hob and letting the food scatter about the tank. This caused some issues between the fish. So what I did was put the flake on the surface and let the shiners eat and then drop some flakes into the output of the filter and the flag fish wouldn't bother anybody because they are generally pecking at the substrate and not seeing anything else. They do look funny when they grab a hold of frozen bloodworms. Rather then grab one out of the bunch they just try to steal the one that the other one has. I hope this helps.
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 02 June 2010 - 07:52 PM
I'm setting up a 60-gallon cube (24"X24") for some friends, and they decided to go strictly with Florida natives. Flagfish are the "must have," and what led them to the decision. Possible tankmates that I'm pretty sure will be ok would be Fundulus chrysotus, Lucania goodei, and swamp darters. I've kept all these fish in the past, some long-term...but never together. Better choices? F. cingulatus, maybe? Other recommendations? Maybe the golden ears, the flags, and a few melanistic gambusia (flagfish and golden ears could handle them, or not?)instead of Lucania? Thanks for taking the time to reply!
I am currently keeping some Pteronotropis metallicus with some flagfish in a 58 gallon show tank with no problems. I think they make a nice combination. I had some F.Chrysotus in there as well for a while, but moved them to another tank in hopes of breeding them. I think that those three species with some swamp darters on the botton (or brown darters if the tank is smaller owuld be nice as well).
I know everyone likes bluefins, but myself, not so much... I think that the pteronotropis, fundulus, ethostoma, would make for a lot of good diversity with you flags.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
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