Hello all,
This is my first post on here and will also be my first native fish aquarium. I do however have several other aquariums. I looked through the forums a bit and was not able to find much about what I would like to do.
First off how many fish could I really keep in a 55? I would like to do Black Crappie and/or Yellow perch. All Fish would be between 1" and 3" when I put them in the tank.
What other tank mates would be good to make this a more realistic "lake" aquascape?
Is a normal water set up best or a stream type set up?
I plan on aquascaping it by having almost a rock ledge/cave for the fish to hide in.
Thanks in advance for any input.
55 Gallon set up
Started by
Guest_Stish_*
, Apr 29 2014 03:07 PM
6 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Gavinswildlife_*
Guest_Gavinswildlife_*
-
- Guests
Posted 29 April 2014 - 06:11 PM
Welcome to the forum!
If you want a predator tank, you really are limiting your options. Imagine how many beautiful minnows and darters you can fit for every perch or crappie. Remember, the fish WILL grow quickly. For a very cool tank, check out the forage fish of your local lake or stream. Mudminnows act just like little pike. Darters are tiny, amazingly colorful perch. Pygmy sunfish are very similar to the bigger sunfish, and some have great blue color. Many natives are very hardy and will dance, spar, and happily breed in the home aquarium. Larger ones are often doomed to too big fish in too small tank. A good compromise may be chubs and longear sunfish.
If you want a predator tank, you really are limiting your options. Imagine how many beautiful minnows and darters you can fit for every perch or crappie. Remember, the fish WILL grow quickly. For a very cool tank, check out the forage fish of your local lake or stream. Mudminnows act just like little pike. Darters are tiny, amazingly colorful perch. Pygmy sunfish are very similar to the bigger sunfish, and some have great blue color. Many natives are very hardy and will dance, spar, and happily breed in the home aquarium. Larger ones are often doomed to too big fish in too small tank. A good compromise may be chubs and longear sunfish.
#3
Guest_Stish_*
Guest_Stish_*
-
- Guests
Posted 30 April 2014 - 12:57 AM
Thanks for the response. I am somewhat limited in what I can get in my home aquarium due to state regulations I am unable to catch and remove live fish from any waters. Therefore I have to buy all of my fish from a hatchery or other online resource.
I would consider some sunfish as well.
My main reason for wanting crappie is that I quite frequently snorkel the waters in my area and love seeing the huge schools of bluegill, perch and crappie and was hoping to recreate this on a smaller scale. Obviously I don't want to put unwarranted stress on my aquarium inhabitants either.
I would consider some sunfish as well.
My main reason for wanting crappie is that I quite frequently snorkel the waters in my area and love seeing the huge schools of bluegill, perch and crappie and was hoping to recreate this on a smaller scale. Obviously I don't want to put unwarranted stress on my aquarium inhabitants either.
#6
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 30 April 2014 - 07:54 AM
Yes, you can have a stream in a 55. Lots of us do or have done that. And it would be my preference so let me encourage you that way.
But if you like the sunfish/lake kind of look maybe you should look at Enneacanthus sunfishes. Banded sunfish would do well in a planted 55. And could give you that calm lake kind of look. Add a small chub sucker or similar and a few top minnows and you could have a very cool "serene" under the pond kind of tank.
But if you like the sunfish/lake kind of look maybe you should look at Enneacanthus sunfishes. Banded sunfish would do well in a planted 55. And could give you that calm lake kind of look. Add a small chub sucker or similar and a few top minnows and you could have a very cool "serene" under the pond kind of tank.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_Stish_*
Guest_Stish_*
-
- Guests
Posted 30 April 2014 - 01:07 PM
I live in Wisconsin. I think the stream look is what I am going to go with. Not a planted tank as a lot of the streams in my area are just sand/mud/gravel bottoms with lots of rocks and wood.
Still debating on what to get, seeing as how I don't have enough room to house crappie. I really like a lot of the daces and darters.
A lot of the streams up here are full of 2 to 3 inch perch and have really never seen anything larger in them, is there a reason they don't get larger?
Still debating on what to get, seeing as how I don't have enough room to house crappie. I really like a lot of the daces and darters.
A lot of the streams up here are full of 2 to 3 inch perch and have really never seen anything larger in them, is there a reason they don't get larger?
Edited by Stish, 30 April 2014 - 01:08 PM.
Reply to this topic
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
NANFA Youtube Channel 
