Personally, in a 55, I would think Darters and Shiners would do the best. I have a 33 long tank, similar, just shorter in height, and the fish seem to do very well.
Ideas for a 55 gallon native tank.
Started by
Sean Phillips
, Mar 15 2014 08:42 PM
42 replies to this topic
#23
Guest_aaron7353_*
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Posted 22 March 2014 - 01:26 AM
Green sunfish make it hard to stock much else in my opinion, even more so than other Lepomis. Pumpkinseeds are prettier than greens as well. I still think you're overlooking the possibilities of sunfish communities that could be kept in a 55 gallon. Orange spotted sunfish, banded sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, Dollar sunfish could all be kept together and you could have like atleast 10 total fish. Not to mention, they are peaceful sunfish and will coexist with darters too large to be eaten and madtoms.
I can not say enough about how awesome these sunfish look in a planted setup either. I have a 29 gallon planted tank with 3 banded sunfish, 1 Ospot, 1 Eastern Dollar Sunfish, and a Speckled Madtom. I have a black background, black eco complete substrate, driftwood, a few rocks, and a lot of plants. The fishes colors are amazing in this setup.
I can not say enough about how awesome these sunfish look in a planted setup either. I have a 29 gallon planted tank with 3 banded sunfish, 1 Ospot, 1 Eastern Dollar Sunfish, and a Speckled Madtom. I have a black background, black eco complete substrate, driftwood, a few rocks, and a lot of plants. The fishes colors are amazing in this setup.
#24
Sean Phillips
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- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 22 March 2014 - 02:33 PM
Green sunfish make it hard to stock much else in my opinion, even more so than other Lepomis. Pumpkinseeds are prettier than greens as well. I still think you're overlooking the possibilities of sunfish communities that could be kept in a 55 gallon. Orange spotted sunfish, banded sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, Dollar sunfish could all be kept together and you could have like atleast 10 total fish. Not to mention, they are peaceful sunfish and will coexist with darters too large to be eaten and madtoms.
I can not say enough about how awesome these sunfish look in a planted setup either. I have a 29 gallon planted tank with 3 banded sunfish, 1 Ospot, 1 Eastern Dollar Sunfish, and a Speckled Madtom. I have a black background, black eco complete substrate, driftwood, a few rocks, and a lot of plants. The fishes colors are amazing in this setup.
Sound pretty cool! Any pictures? I do like orange spots I just need to find them (and only thing I have to catch with is a minnow trap). Maybe I'll order off Jonah or Zimmerman. Only reason I have myself stuck on the larger leps is I'm a huge fisherman and wanted a fish that I could relate to. But that setup you just described sound amazing!
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#25
Guest_Erica Lyons_*
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Posted 22 March 2014 - 02:50 PM
Be careful; in some states such as North Carolina, it is only legal to catch sunfish using a fishing rod. The microfishing section here on the NANFA forum can give you tips for how to catch smaller fish.I do like orange spots I just need to find them (and only thing I have to catch with is a minnow trap).
#26
Guest_AMcCaleb_*
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Posted 23 March 2014 - 12:29 AM
For an o spot sunfish you could use a regular lightweight 6' rod with a number 10 hook and a small piece of night crawler or wax worm. If they're in the vicinity, they'll bite.
Day5FishTanks. Any other native YouTubers on here?
Day5FishTanks. Any other native YouTubers on here?
#27
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 23 March 2014 - 11:39 AM
For an o spot sunfish you could use a regular lightweight 6' rod with a number 10 hook and a small piece of night crawler or wax worm. If they're in the vicinity, they'll bite.
Day5FishTanks. Any other native YouTubers on here?
I have quite a few rods actually (don't feel like going to my garage to look) but I have 6 rods (4 spinning and 2 flys). I think I've actually caught an orangespot before at my local lake but I didn't get a picture so I can't be sure.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#28
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 27 March 2014 - 08:15 PM
I talked to a few other people and I THINK a single green could work but I'm not sure. I'm worried about keeping it solitary then if I put it with others in a bigger tank that it would try to kill them. I really just want a native with some nice personality 
I'd like a p-seed even more but I know they get a bit bigger and after researching greens a bit more I think they get about 7-8" average.
I'd like a p-seed even more but I know they get a bit bigger and after researching greens a bit more I think they get about 7-8" average.
Edited by Everything Fish, 27 March 2014 - 08:22 PM.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#29
Guest_nickag9_*
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Posted 27 March 2014 - 09:33 PM
What about the Northern Longear? From what I've heard they only average around 6 inches and in a 55 gallon you should be able to keep two or three. I don't know much about their personality but they are definitely colorful fish!
#30
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 30 March 2014 - 03:50 PM
What about the Northern Longear? From what I've heard they only average around 6 inches and in a 55 gallon you should be able to keep two or three. I don't know much about their personality but they are definitely colorful fish!
I'd love longears! Sadly the PA fish commission says no captive keeping of any state threatened or endangered species and longear ss are endangered here
. Although I'm not sure if that just means "no catching and keeping" or "no keeping period". If anybody knows the answer to this, please tell me, I'd love to have longears.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#32
Guest_Subrosa_*
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Posted 31 March 2014 - 01:47 PM
Possession of PA endangered and threatened animals is forbidden by PA law. A permit is required, and private ownership isn't considered a valid reason for them to issue a permit. It always makes me laugh when I see endangered Swamp Darters in the feeder guppy tanks at my LFS!I'd love longears! Sadly the PA fish commission says no captive keeping of any state threatened or endangered species and longear ss are endangered here
#33
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 31 March 2014 - 03:19 PM
Peltastes are a great bet. Not native to PA. Smaller and less aggressive than central longears, and quite colorful. Now if you want to be extra careful, always a good idea, purchase peltastes from one of our vendors, and you will have documentation showing that it is peltastes, not megalotis.
#34
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 01 April 2014 - 06:15 AM
After looking at the range of longear species it looks like northern longears are present in northwestern pa/Lake Erie. I could do an Erie themed longear tank.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#36
Guest_Subrosa_*
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Posted 01 April 2014 - 07:53 AM
Make CERTAIN you keep the invoice! We had a run in with an over zealous game warden at a LFS I used to work at. It was right after the Snakehead scare broke, and someone (well meaning or other) reported us as selling Snakeheads. The officer walked up to a tank full of Crenicichla saxatilis and pronounced them as Snakeheads. Funny thing was he walked by a tank of juvenile Bowfins which look A LOT more like Snakeheads than any Pike Cichlid. He was ready to confiscate the whole tank, but we convinced him to take one in to have a biologist id it. A couple hours later he returned the fish. Don't take a chance, because if there's the slightest doubt you lose.
#38
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 02 April 2014 - 06:08 AM
Ok I talked with a few other people on here and MFK and it seems I could possibly do a green and a pumpkinseed in a 55, would you guys agree with that? I could also do one of those and a bullhead as a growout (it would be going in a 180 in fall 2015). And I know I heard from one or two of you that perch can be slightly boring but I think a few of them is still doable. And my last idea was a single white bass, would that be okay since hey normally max out around the same size as perch and they are my third favorite game fish to catch (after channels and flatheads).I don't know just toying around with ideas. If you guys want to give me any more suggestions please stick to larger (6"+) leps, bullheads, perch, big creek fish . Not saying a minnow darter community wouldn't look cool it's just I've already got so much feedback about that kind of tank that I'd like to see what my other possible options are. Thanks for helping guys, I know it can be frustrating to help someone new to natives but I'll mention the forum when I make a video of the tank whenever I get it to thank you guys !
!
Edited by Everything Fish, 02 April 2014 - 06:10 AM.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
#40
Sean Phillips
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- NANFA Member
- Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA
Posted 02 April 2014 - 04:12 PM
Ok I get, starting to annoy people. I think I've got enough info so I'm done bugging you guys, thanks for the help 
! I'll let you know when I've got the tank setup.
! I'll let you know when I've got the tank setup.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage
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