I have an 80 gallon tank with 6 ~2" sunfish, 3 Louisiana and 3 western dollar. I was thinking of adding a newt to the mix by lowering the water level by about 4-6 inches and adding some dry platforms.I would also rig the lighting to have a mild basking spot too. I can't think of a reason not to, but I just wanted to get a second opinion first. The newt will probably be 6" max.
In addition to the newt someday I hope to add rainbow or orangethroat darters, plains kilis and red bellied darters.
Let me know what you think.
Sunfish tank with Newt
Started by
Guest_ja586_*
, Apr 07 2013 06:22 PM
12 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Subrosa_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:07 PM
I think the Sunfish will pick a Newt apart in short order.
#3
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:13 PM
I've seen the two in the same waters in the wild. Sunfish don't like the taste of newts, and newts don't fear sunfish. They'll swim right together with one another, mutually ignoring the other.I think the Sunfish will pick a Newt apart in short order.
I'm not sure about in captivity. Some fish just like to rip things apart.
#4
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:15 PM
I've seen a lion and a zebra together in the wild, but I wouldn't put them both in my garage.
I see bass in the same habitat with shiners and darters and have never seem them eat one in the wild, but they sure do in a tank.
I see bass in the same habitat with shiners and darters and have never seem them eat one in the wild, but they sure do in a tank.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#5
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:21 PM
That's true. Sometimes sticking things in a tiny box together makes them very aggressive.I've seen a lion and a zebra together in the wild, but I wouldn't put them both in my garage.
I see bass in the same habitat with shiners and darters and have never seem them eat one in the wild, but they sure do in a tank.
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:27 PM
Predators like bass and sunfish are "programmed" to eat whenever they can... you don't get the opportunity everyday in the wild to sneak up on something. In a small enclosure you just have so many more interactions and so many fewer hiding spaces. The eater, will sooner rather than later, make a meal of his roommate. Its just who they are.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_ja586_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:44 PM
I mean are sunfish immune to the skin toxins of the newt? I figured that they wouldn't like the eat him for this reason. In some ways I am afraid what the newt will try to do to them if he decides a hidey hole is his.
In addition these are captive raised sunfish and from previous experience I don't think they have the concept of eating things that are larger than them down yet. Also I figured the newt would know to go onto land for safety if he was being attacked.
Anyway if everybody seems to think more of my sunfish than I do, I guess I will set up a new tank for my newt dreams.
In addition these are captive raised sunfish and from previous experience I don't think they have the concept of eating things that are larger than them down yet. Also I figured the newt would know to go onto land for safety if he was being attacked.
Anyway if everybody seems to think more of my sunfish than I do, I guess I will set up a new tank for my newt dreams.
Edited by ja586, 07 April 2013 - 07:46 PM.
#8
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 07:47 PM
Newts taste like crap! Try it, you are only out a newt. Many amphibians will only lay eggs in vernal pools, because of the lack of predators. Eastern Newts seem to happily hang out in fish infested waters.
#9
Guest_Ken_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 08:17 PM
Can't say either way on the newt but I really wouldn't be adding the darters you mentioned to a sunfish tank....
#10
Guest_keepnatives_*
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 09:31 PM
Anyway you look at it the newt will die if not directly due to the sunfish then indirectly due to sunfish eating so aggressively that the newt will slowly starve.
#11
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Posted 07 April 2013 - 09:56 PM
Anyway you look at it the newt will die if not directly due to the sunfish then indirectly due to sunfish eating so aggressively that the newt will slowly starve.
Yep.
#12
Guest_ja586_*
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Posted 08 April 2013 - 01:41 AM
Meh. I can observe and see if he gets food. I'm not concerned for that. The sunfish do poorly enough when eating that the pleco gets a meal too. And for darters I had them before, and they did well (2-3 months?) until I added a large crayfish like an idiot...
In all reality, I am just a total dork and have fallen in love with a north american newt I found in a pet store a few days ago and want to take him home. I feel like I am totally underestimating my sunfish, and perhaps I am. I'll let you all know how it goes.
(Note: I meant red bellied daces in the first post, not red bellied darters..., I don't know where my mind went today...)
In all reality, I am just a total dork and have fallen in love with a north american newt I found in a pet store a few days ago and want to take him home. I feel like I am totally underestimating my sunfish, and perhaps I am. I'll let you all know how it goes.
(Note: I meant red bellied daces in the first post, not red bellied darters..., I don't know where my mind went today...)
#13
Guest_EBParks_*
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Posted 08 April 2013 - 11:57 PM
The newt toxins are usually enough to deter a fish attack after the first one. You should be cautious and observe them though. If the newt gets really stressed it can release a LOT of toxins in the water and kill the fish. I had this happen in a tank that had two different species of newts. One of them got stressed and released enough toxins that it killed one of the other species. We took the others out fast enough to only have the one casualty.
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