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considering sunfish for new aquarium

Started by Guest_Tuco_* , Aug 25 2011 01:52 AM

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30 replies to this topic

#21 Guest_Tuco_*

Guests

Posted 30 August 2011 - 11:41 AM

I'm thinking about ordering fish online instead of catching them. The Zimmerman Fish guy said he'll have more sunfish available soon.
How are longears on aggression? Can the smaller northern variety hang with bluegills and pumpkinseeds?
The only online vendors with larger Lepomis that I can find are Zimmerman and this site: http://aquaculturest...om/fwverts.html (I'm not sure if this place will ship to me, read the description for Florida Bass).
I don't think I want Green Sunfish or anything with a large mouth because I was reading a thread in the sunfish forum that was talking about using smaller fish to catch the uneaten food.

#22 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 30 August 2011 - 01:56 PM

I have a lot of the big american valsinaria in my big 200 gallon sunfish tank. I have no soil in this tank and this plant grows like crazy. I think the reason why it works is I chose to use rather fine gravel/course sand out of a local river and planted the plants along the back of the tank. I do not siphon the gravel in the back half of the tank allowing some waste from the fish to build up in this area. That seems to be all it takes for these plants. I probably can send you a few plants as a bonus if you order some sunfish...

#23 Guest_Tuco_*

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Posted 30 August 2011 - 03:22 PM

I have a lot of the big american valsinaria in my big 200 gallon sunfish tank. I have no soil in this tank and this plant grows like crazy. I think the reason why it works is I chose to use rather fine gravel/course sand out of a local river and planted the plants along the back of the tank. I do not siphon the gravel in the back half of the tank allowing some waste from the fish to build up in this area. That seems to be all it takes for these plants. I probably can send you a few plants as a bonus if you order some sunfish...

I've never heard of that plant before but it might be just what I'm looking for, thanks. I'll email you in a week or two regarding the fish.

#24 Guest_Tuco_*

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Posted 04 September 2011 - 03:31 PM

I'll probably be moving the aquarium to my place sometime this week. My current plan for stocking is 4 blugill, 4 pumpkinseed, 6 LA longear, and a yellow bullhead (all juvies, I plan on taking some loss as they grow into the tank). Should I go with a higher number of species? I can get green and warmouth easily too. Could I have more than one type of longear? These fish aren't going to spawn as often as my african cichlids (I hope) so I guess hybridization really wouldn't be an issue.

As far as plants, I think I might go with some soil under the gravel in the back only so I could get a bigger variety of plants.

#25 Guest_Yeahson421_*

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Posted 04 September 2011 - 04:35 PM

I would reccomend cutting out the bluegill. They get too big, especially if you have 4.

#26 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 05 September 2011 - 12:50 PM

You would have to remove the fry from the tank if your wanted to try to keep them alive, so there is no reason you can't keep more than one type of longear together unless you plan to actually raise some young.

#27 Guest_Tuco_*

Guests

Posted 05 September 2011 - 05:26 PM

I was just looking at your website, and the blackspotted sunfish caught my eye. Would this fish do alright with the others?

#28 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 05 September 2011 - 05:42 PM

Yes they do fine with longears, they are similar in aggression but are a little larger than the longears. I may be out of them though I just had someone ask about the last 6 f them I have.

#29 Guest_Tuco_*

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Posted 15 September 2011 - 03:49 AM

I got the tank last week. But I think doing the planted thing right would be more money than I need to be spending on a hobby right now. I've decided to just build on what I already have and do a huge mbuna tank.
Thanks for all the information though. Native fishkeeping was very interesting to research and I hope to get into it some day.

#30 Guest_EricaWieser_*

Guests

Posted 15 September 2011 - 07:49 AM

I got the tank last week. But I think doing the planted thing right would be more money than I need to be spending on a hobby right now.

Home Depot sells a 4 ft long Lithonia shop light for $20 and one of the types of bulbs sold for it are full spectrum T8's that cost $8 for two (enough to fill the light fixture). Add Special Kitty® brand kitty litter ($4 for 25 pounds, it's pure ground clay), and you're done. Complete planted tank.
Picture: http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1

Plants are cheap on aquabid.com. I stocked my whole 55 gallon tank with a dozen species for $32. Just buy from all the same seller so they combine shipping. My seller was sweetaquatics.com, link: http://www.sweetaqua...f5dc613e7c0b143

Total cost: $34 without plants, $50-$70 including plants.
$20 for light
$8 for full spectrum bulbs
$4 for 50 pounds of ground clay (kitty litter)
$20-$40 order plants online

Edit:
Oh yes, and plants pay for themselves over time. I sell the trimmings of my plants every few weeks, and actually have an auction posted on aquabid right now.

Edited by EricaWieser, 15 September 2011 - 07:58 AM.

#31 Guest_khudgins_*

Guests

Posted 13 January 2012 - 11:22 PM

Just to add to the plant substrate discussion: I have two favorite substrates for planted tanks. Dirt, and gravel. Like Wolfe, I agree that a shovelful of my backyard dirt works pretty well, although it can get cloudy when you're digging around planting or the fish get happy.

Gravel is a surprisingly great substrate for plants. Yup, zero nutrient supply to your plants in it.. but if you supplement a mineral additive like plain Flourish, and your bio load is high enough, the mulm and nitrogen generated will work wonders on growing plants. If you're doing some crazy thing like pumping extra CO2 into your tank, and light it up like Yankee Stadium, this may not work. But for a 55 gallon tank with a regular old shop light next to a south facing window, it's not half bad. ;P

*edit* Okay, maybe I should read dates on this thing better. Sorry for the really old thread bump.

Edited by khudgins, 13 January 2012 - 11:25 PM.