Hey guys,
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about getting back into native fish keeping. It’s been a few years since I've had an aquarium up and running, my last native tank being a 29 gallon stocked with a Tadpole Madtom and a handful of Bluespotted Sunfish. I really enjoyed that setup and I kept the aquarium going for about two years until a mysterious fungal outbreak wiped out the entire tank. After that experience, I didn't have the motivation to get things started again so I sold the setup and moved on. Fast forward a few years and my interest in native fish has struck again. That and since my daughter seems to really like fish (she’s 18 months old) I figured what better way to introduce her to the amazing underwater world than by setting up a native tank full of fish from our own back yard. With that said, I live in Southwest Ohio (very close to the Little Miami River) and I’d like to setup an aquarium exclusively with fish native to the river and its tributaries . Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of room to dedicate to the aquarium so I purchased the largest tank I could which was a 55 gallon. I haven’t set it up yet as I still need to find a stand I like and I’m currently debating whether to set it up as a true stream tank or as a standard tank using a high turnover rate and maybe a power head to create somewhat of a “current”. I guess the final decision will be based on which fish I decide to keep in the aquarium. Right now all I know is that I’d like to collect two or three Orangespotted Sunfish but other than that, I’m up for suggestions. Based on the research I've done here and on a few other sites, I know there are plenty of smaller, more entertaining fish (Daces, Darters and Minnows) I can attempt to collect but I was hoping anyone familiar with the area or who had experience collecting in any of the SW Ohio rivers or streams could chime in with some advice or ideas. I’m not really in a hurry to decide as I know it’s going to take a while to get the tank setup and cycled. That and with the ridiculous winter weather we've been having so far this year I doubt I’ll be able to get out to the river to collect anytime soon. For now I figured I’d start this thread so I could begin brainstorming and planning. That and since it will require a little bit of extra effort up front, I’ll need to decide whether or not to setup the tank as a stream sooner rather than later. Anyway, I appreciate any input you guys may have. I’m excited to get back into native fish keeping and to learn as much as I can in the process.
Thanks.
- Nick
Setting up a Native SW Ohio (Little Miami River) Aquarium
Started by
Guest_nickag9_*
, Mar 04 2014 03:56 PM
14 replies to this topic
#2
mattknepley
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Posted 04 March 2014 - 09:10 PM
I'm partial to the darters, myself; though there are plenty of shiners and chubs that'd look good in there, too. My 55g has one oversized hob filter and an "Amazon special" current fan. It keeps my Notropis, Nocomis, Cyprinellas, Etheostomas, and Percina happy without being too fancy. They can find current if they want it and slack water if they want that. Can't speak to O-spots or SW Ohio, but am sure some here can.
Best of luck with it, and enjoy the planning!
Best of luck with it, and enjoy the planning!
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#5
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 05 March 2014 - 04:26 PM
Won't find your O-spots in the river, but you can get them at Stonelick lake. I see many near the boat ramp, and near the beach. Shoot me a PM, and we'll get out in some creeks.
Awesome man, sounds like a plan! I live very close to O'bannon Creek and I know there are plenty of others that drain into the LMR close by.
As for the O-spots, I was hoping to find them in some of the slack water pools off the river. I've fished the LMR for years now and I've seen all kinds of sunfish I've just never taken the time to inspect them closely. Besides, I'm usually there to catch Smallmouth Bass anyway. Would you have any idea if I'd find O-spots in Lake Isabella? How about any of the other small lakes or ponds in the Loveland/Milford area? I've actually got a good sized pond in my neighborhood that I'd be curious to investigate. Stonelick would work, but that's a bit of a hike for me.
Also, can the O-spots handle current or do I need to rethink my tank setup? I'm really warming up to the idea of a river/stream tank but I definitely want some O-spots. I don't know where I read it, but for some reason I thought they were river fish...
#6
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 05 March 2014 - 04:42 PM
Where on O'bannon. I am about 8 miles east of Loveland, so 8 miles from the LMR O'bannon creek confluence.
O-spots do occur in rivers, but are not common in our drainage. They are also in East fork reservoir. Lake Isabella may likely have an O-spot population if for no other reason than that it is a catfish paylake, and people dump their excess bait. If you are around Loveland, Stonelick is only about 20 minutes away. If you get into keeping native fish, get used to driving. The next fish that you decide to keep may be an hour away, but if you want it, you'll make the drive.
Current is fine. O-spots do not want a riffle like current though, so a moderate current would be ideal. Many of our other local fish will fit right into a moderate current tank with them.
O-spots do occur in rivers, but are not common in our drainage. They are also in East fork reservoir. Lake Isabella may likely have an O-spot population if for no other reason than that it is a catfish paylake, and people dump their excess bait. If you are around Loveland, Stonelick is only about 20 minutes away. If you get into keeping native fish, get used to driving. The next fish that you decide to keep may be an hour away, but if you want it, you'll make the drive.
Current is fine. O-spots do not want a riffle like current though, so a moderate current would be ideal. Many of our other local fish will fit right into a moderate current tank with them.
#7
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 06 March 2014 - 12:02 AM
I'm in Miami Township, on the Clermont county side of Loveland. I'm a stones throw from O'Bannon Creek or the LMR depending on which way I want to drive. If I go down the hill I'm at Lake Isabella or I can drive an extra few minutes the other way and I'm in downtown Loveland where the creek meets the river. I've been to Stonelick once a long time ago and for some reason I thought it was further East. Looking at a map it looks like East Fork would be a longer drive so if there are O-spots in Stonelick that might be my best bet.
Speaking of other native fish, do you have any suggestions in regards to tank mates for the O-spots? With a moderate current would I be able to fill the aquarium with assorted Daces, Darters and other local Minnows or would I need more current in order to keep Darters? How about a Madtom or two? Obviously I don't want to put anything in the tank that will eventually outgrow it or start eating the other fish but I'd definitely like a variety of fish if possible. I was hoping to stick with fish from the LMR and its tributaries but as you can tell I'm not all that educated as to what I will find once I get out there. Outside of the O-spots I really just want to make sure I have enough "lively" fish in the aquarium to keep my daughter entertained. A little bit of color wouldn't hurt either since my wife seems to think native fish are all boring and colorless...
Also, to setup the aquarium with a moderate level of current what do you think I will need? I was leaning towards building a modified version of the river manifold to create current and serve as a mechanical filter while using an HOB filter for the biological filtration and as a secondary mechanical filter. I was thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 10x turnover. Would that be too much for the O-spots or would that be considered moderate? Do I even need the river manifold or could I pull it off with a large enough HOB filter?
Sorry for all of the questions, I'm just excited to get this aquarium up and running and I'd like to nail down all the plans so I can get started as soon as the weather gets nicer. Thanks again for all the advice!
Speaking of other native fish, do you have any suggestions in regards to tank mates for the O-spots? With a moderate current would I be able to fill the aquarium with assorted Daces, Darters and other local Minnows or would I need more current in order to keep Darters? How about a Madtom or two? Obviously I don't want to put anything in the tank that will eventually outgrow it or start eating the other fish but I'd definitely like a variety of fish if possible. I was hoping to stick with fish from the LMR and its tributaries but as you can tell I'm not all that educated as to what I will find once I get out there. Outside of the O-spots I really just want to make sure I have enough "lively" fish in the aquarium to keep my daughter entertained. A little bit of color wouldn't hurt either since my wife seems to think native fish are all boring and colorless...
Also, to setup the aquarium with a moderate level of current what do you think I will need? I was leaning towards building a modified version of the river manifold to create current and serve as a mechanical filter while using an HOB filter for the biological filtration and as a secondary mechanical filter. I was thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 10x turnover. Would that be too much for the O-spots or would that be considered moderate? Do I even need the river manifold or could I pull it off with a large enough HOB filter?
Sorry for all of the questions, I'm just excited to get this aquarium up and running and I'd like to nail down all the plans so I can get started as soon as the weather gets nicer. Thanks again for all the advice!
#8
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 06 March 2014 - 08:07 AM
In my experience the HOB and maybe an extra power head or other submersible pump would be enough for a mixed community tank. And yes, you can get enough current that way to keep the darters happy.
A couple of darters and the o-spots should be enlighten to show your wife that natives are plenty colorful.
A couple of darters and the o-spots should be enlighten to show your wife that natives are plenty colorful.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#9
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 06 March 2014 - 01:04 PM
Ok, awesome. That sounds almost exactly like what I had in mind. I was thinking of using one Aquaclear 110 HOB filter and a modified river manifold system with a single power head to create a moderate current along the bottom of the aquarium. I'd probably setup the HOB filter above the power head with the inlet on the opposite side of the tank to try to keep most of the current running in one direction. That would allow me to keep a consistent current along the bottom of the aquarium for darters and other fast moving fish while keeping most of the upper half of the tank relatively calm, especially on the inlet side. I'd be sure to add a handful of larger, smooth rocks and driftwood to allow the fish to hide or rest if needed.
#10
Michael Wolfe
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 06 March 2014 - 01:53 PM
Sounds good, but I would not put in the effort of building the manifold. I have never had one and just can't see the benefit. The turbulence is more valuable for oxygen exchange than any attempt at laminar flow.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#11
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 14 March 2014 - 02:38 PM
Ok, we are making progress! I picked up a stand/canopy combo yesterday and here's a quick picture of the 55 gallon aquarium in it's final location. You can ignore the undersized picture background that came on the tank, I haven't had a chance to get in there and peel it off just yet... Anyway, my next steps are to purchase a glass top and a light fixture and decide on the type of filtration I'm going to run. If all goes well I'm hoping to have this thing filled with water in the next week or so. Let me know what you guys think.
Edited by nickag9, 14 March 2014 - 02:40 PM.
#13
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 14 March 2014 - 09:19 PM
Hmmm... I'm not going to lie, that is extremely tempting. I could run a mid sized HOB filter for mechanical filtration and to disturb the surface of the water while using a DIY canister filter full of biological media to pump water through an underwater spray bar setup opposite the intake. That combination would not only add oxygen to the water but it would also create a stream like current. If I size the pump for the canister and the HOB accordingly I could very easily run a 10x turnover rate without creating too strong of a current. I just might have to give this a try. Thanks man.
#14
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 27 March 2014 - 09:51 PM
Personally, I would strongly recommend a DIY PVC canister filter. I use one with great success!
What brand and size pump are you using? I've already picked up an Aquaclear 50 (200gph) HOB filter so in order to achieve around a 10x turnover using a DIY canister I'd want to find a pump that could run ~300gph. Or I could always return the Aquaclear 50 in favor of a 70 or even a 110 and use a much less powerful pump on the canister. At this point I like the idea of using both a HOB filter and a DIY canister. The HOB will create a surface disturbance and cycle a good amount of water while the canister can feed a spray bar near the bottom to create current for the darters. I just need a pump and I can get things started!
Edited by nickag9, 27 March 2014 - 09:52 PM.
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