Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Stocking 150 suggestions

Started by Guest_OfARepublic_* , Jun 13 2013 07:30 PM

Reply to this topic

12 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_OfARepublic_*

Guests

Posted 13 June 2013 - 07:30 PM

Totally new to natives and not even convinced Im going native but I want to know what more knowledgeable folks thought.

If someone gave you a 150 gallon what native fish/plants would you put in it and why? It will have sand as the substrate.

#2 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 14 June 2013 - 07:14 AM

I would turn it into a stream tank and recreate some of my favorite snorkeling experiences. This would include something like:

4 Nocomis chubs (whatever species is in your area I have blueheads here)
12-18 Notropis shiners (a smaller colorful species like yellowfins)
12 colorful Etheostoma darters (maybe something like rainbows or bluebreast... this could be a mix say 3 each of 4 different species... and could be all male since you would be unlikely to ever breed darters in such a community tank)
4 less colorful Percina darters (something like a blackbanded that has a very different swimming behavior)
2 Logperch (great size, personality and behavior)
1 Hogsucker (this is an advanced fish, but I have kept a few other suckers in the past and think it could be maintained in a large sand bottomed tank.

There are other things that could also be added here as I do not believe the above is totally over stocked, but these would be my favorite stream inhabitants, If you really like some other species or group of fish they could also be added. For example, I like topminnows even in a stream tank (there is always some slack water that they can find). I might also try a couple individuals of a smaller sized Cyprinella species (maybe bannerfins as they are not too rambunctious or large). Some people (not me really) like sunfish and you could maybe get a long ear in there, I see them in the streams we snorkel. A 150 is a good sized tank and allows you room to work out several issues. But I like recreating streams... you will certainly get other answers here.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#3 Guest_EricaWieser_*

Guests

Posted 14 June 2013 - 08:06 PM

I like breeding fish, so if it were me I'd make sure whatever species I put in there would breed. Here are some links where you can learn how to spawn various native species.

Notropis: http://forum.nanfa.o...-chromosus-fry/
Lepomis: http://www.nanfa.org...acpumpkin.shtml
Elassoma: http://www.nanfa.org...Egilberti.shtml
Lucania: http://forum.nanfa.o...lucania-goodei/
Etheostoma: http://forum.nanfa.o...edare-spawning/
Noturus: http://www.jonahsaqu...tnotstanaul.htm
Fundulus: http://www.nanfa.org...eroclitus.shtml

Baby fish are really cute. And profitable. And cute

win-win.

Edit: And also, I've thought about it, and I think the real reason I like to breed fish is because I get bored easily. When you've got fry you're rearing, every day you see a change. They're bigger today! Ooh, today they're getting color! Like that. If you're good enough at it, you can select over time for traits you like in your adults and make your own entirely novel-looking strain. Longear sunfish. If I had a 150 gallon tank, I would try to spawn some longear sunfish. They're just gorgeous. Or orangespotted, but people have a notoriously hard time raising the fry. *sighs*

Edited by EricaWieser, 14 June 2013 - 08:13 PM.

#4 Guest_OfARepublic_*

Guests

Posted 14 June 2013 - 09:08 PM

The more I look around, I really think I will like Sunfish. I was thinking of getting four Bluespotted, four Banded or blackbanded and two bullhead catfish. Does this sound like it would work. I think these Sunfish look amazing and arent as aggresive from what Ive researched. Thoughts and comments always appreciated. How many Sunfish could fit comfortably? Also, it is okay to put two species of Sunfish together right?

#5 Guest_OfARepublic_*

Guests

Posted 14 June 2013 - 09:09 PM

Thank you Michael and Erica for your responses.

#6 Guest_EricaWieser_*

Guests

Posted 14 June 2013 - 09:40 PM

I was thinking of getting four Bluespotted, four Banded or blackbanded and two bullhead catfish. Does this sound like it would work.

You might want to try madtoms instead of bullheads. I haven't ever kept a bullhead myself but I'd imagine a three inch long sunfish might find its way into a ten inch long bullhead's mouth.

#7 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 14 June 2013 - 10:27 PM

if you put 2 bullheads in a 150 you can add as many other fish as you want!

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#8 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guests

Posted 14 June 2013 - 10:29 PM

Honestly, I couldn't reccomend any kind of cat to be with an Enneacanthus of any kind, whether it is Blackbanded, Bluespotted, or Banded. If you would like sunfish with catfish, I think a 150 with a dirt bottom, covered by a deep sand bed, with a lot of plants, driftwood, and some caves stocked with Orangspotted Sunfish, Checkered Madtoms or a similar colorful Madtom, and maybe some Studfish and a large Shiner, maybe a school of Common Shiners, which have stayed colored up year round for me in similar systems, would make for a beatiful display tank.

Edited by Yeahson421, 14 June 2013 - 10:30 PM.

#9 Guest_AMcCaleb_*

Guests

Posted 16 June 2013 - 09:59 AM

I just turned my 75 into a native sunfish tank. I have 7 longear sunfish, 1 green sunfish, and 1 baby bluegill (he won't be staying for very long) in there right now and as long as you have cover in the form of driftwood and plants the aggression isn't bad. It's mainly to establish and maintain a hierarchy and they don't really bother other fish. I have a couple of shiners in there and a couple creek chubs as well. You need to keep them in groups. A group of six longears would be good, then you could put another group of 6 orange spotted or blue spotted in there as well. Put a checkered madtom in the bottom and a school of shiners in there and you would have an awesome display tank.

#10 Guest_OfARepublic_*

Guests

Posted 17 June 2013 - 06:43 PM

Should I do three species numbering four or 2 species numbering 6?

#11 Guest_Kazoank_*

Guests

Posted 22 June 2013 - 02:23 PM

This is a very interesting conversation, and I have questions of my own that are somewhat like OfARep.'s but I think some fish like:
two creek chub Semotilus Atromaculatus
2 blue-head chub Nocomis leptocephalus
a small school 10-30 of Tennessee or mountain redbelly Dace Chrosomus Tennesseensis /Oreas
5 pygmy sunfish Elassoma
10 mottled sculpins Cottus Bairdii
and some of your local shiners and suckers
In a very well vegetated tank with a dirt below and then sand this could be a very nice display tank.