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BullHead Questions


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#1 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 12:01 PM

Hi!


I am an avid aquarist, who keeps BullHead Catfish. At the current time I have a total of 8 different tanks ranging from 10 to 100gals. I have four specimens of Yellow Bullhead that are almost two years old, and I have about fifteen juvenile Brown Bullheads. I live in MS and on our property there are sloughs, ponds, and creeks. The past two years some of the bodies of water have dried up and We have rescued two different batches of Juvenile BullHeads. I just had a few questions about BullHeads for all of you Native Fish Experts. First, I have had no luck at all housing Bullheads any way but one to a tank. Whenever I have tried to house them with any other fish including other Bullheads, it has always ended with fish injured or killed. Is this abnormal? Is this some problem with my Tank Setup? Can Bullheads be kept with other natives like perch and bass? When planning a BullHead Tank which substrate is better to use--sand or gravel? Does anyone think it would be possible to set up a tank replicating a Slough or Pond and keep a variety of Native Fish In It? Thanks in advance.


Dan

#2 Guest_hmt321_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 03:33 PM

Where in Mississippi are you located? I do quite a bit of fishing and some collecting in south Mississippi, Jackson CO.

How big are your bullheads now, and how big were they when you collected them?

I do not have any 1st hand experience with bullheads but i have kept many other types of fish (natives and other), A good rule of thumb is "if it can fit in a fishes mouth it will get eaten" also some fish are very intolerant of the same species but ignore other species (except to eat them, or chase them off a nest, etc)

have you tried a tank with lots of structure, where fish can live but not see each other 100% of the time?

I would love to see some picts

#3 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 04:23 PM

I have one bullhead in a 110 which has pretty much helped to eat everything under 4" long. I've never tried to keep 'em together - I would guess they would do OK together as juveniles but not so much when they get older.

It sounds like some outdoor stock tanks might be in order!

#4 Guest_bullhead_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 08:19 PM

Ha! Looks like I beat you to the name! :)

I tried, but never had any success keeping more than one bullhead to a tank. (Mostly black bullheads.) Even in a really large tank (100 gallon). Any tankmates have to be larger, and even then they will get chewed on.

#5 Guest_bullhead_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 08:29 PM

Also, try http://www.planetcatfish.com/core/ for husbandry info. Counter to my experience, they seem to indicate yellows will work with larger tankmates and even other yellows: http://www.planetcat...?species_id=348

#6 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 10:00 PM

I have kept brown bullheads. Both young and adult fish. They seem to get along fine when young but as they age they get territorial and I have also read this in a few places as well. As far as tankmates are concerned, I have never had a problem unless the fish was small enough to be eaten. All others are ignored.

#7 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 30 March 2007 - 10:23 PM

First of all I apologize for having to put all my replies to your posts in one post but I didnt want to post 5 different times.

hmt321-
I am Lauderdale County. When collected my Bullheads were around .5'' to 1inch of an inch long. Now they range in size from 7-9''. I actually have not tried lots of different tank structures, I really should mess around with it. What would you consider the "ideal" Bullhead tank setup? One of the reasons I dont mess with the tanks alot is because of a very weird experience I had. About November 2006- I moved my largest BullHead "Clubby" from a 40Long to a 100gal. He has no unsual move, only a regular being netted and transferred to a tank in the same room, He did not eat until March. Not one thing and even now He refuses all foods except Chicken Liver. He is my largest fish so I put up with his high needs. I have never had anything like that happen except then and never heard about anything like that happening. Has anyone else ever had a problem like that? I will try to post pics tomorrow I will try to take some tonight. Thanks so much.

Irate Mormon-
Thanks for the helpful advice. What kind of Bullhead do u have? I would love to see photos of your 110!!

Bullhead-
Yep! You beat me to the good name!!! Yep I have had exactly the same experience with my Yellows. Thanks for the article links!

SandTiger-
I had around 65 Juvenile Browns I collected and at first they all got along swimmingly! lol Now I have had to let go almost all of them due to aggression, Infact a few months ago, overnight They killed a Juvenile Bullhead. Do you keep sunfish with your BullHeads? Do the sunfish pick on the Bullheads? Thanks so much.

Thanks again for all of the advice everyone.

#8 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 31 March 2007 - 08:07 AM

I had around 65 Juvenile Browns I collected and at first they all got along swimmingly! lol Now I have had to let go almost all of them due to aggression, Infact a few months ago, overnight They killed a Juvenile Bullhead. Do you keep sunfish with your BullHeads? Do the sunfish pick on the Bullheads? Thanks so much.


DO NOT release your bullhead, or any other fish. I know this may seem silly but there is actually a risk of introducing a disease or something when you release fish into the wild. The aquatic world is an alien world compaired to ours and there are processes at work we don't understand, it's not worth the risk.
Yes, I do keep sunfish with my bullhead and they don't bother him. I have kept greens, pumpkinseeds, LMB and oscars (not a sunfish) with bulheads without problems.
Are you providing structure and hiding places for your bullheads? I feel this is very important. Like most catfishes bullhead don't like a lot of light and if yours don't have some sort of cave to hide in the open space and lights may cause a lot of stress. This may be part of your problem.

#9 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 31 March 2007 - 08:54 AM

We expect all forum members to follow the code of ethics that brought all of us here in the first place:

NANFA Members who collect native fishes from the wild and maintain them in private aquaria are encouraged to comply with the following Code of Ethics:

* It is the responsibility of NANFA members to acquaint themselves with, and abide by, the collecting, fishing and fish transfer regulations of each Country, State or Province in which they collect, transfer, or ship fish.

* Collecting must be done in an environmentally sound and responsible manner, which includes, but is not limited to: a) not removing numbers of fishes beyond that which one requires or is capable of sustaining; b) taking all reasonable actions to prevent negative impacts on the habitat in which one collects; c) respecting private property rights; and d) complying with any law-enforcement, natural-resource, or other conservation officer or agent encountered in the field.

* NANFA members who enjoy collecting and maintaining fishes do so of their own accord. Except for specific programs funded and/or sponsored by the Association, NANFA does not sanction any specific collection and/or captive maintenance of native fishes.

* Not all native fishes are suitable for aquaria, and some species may test the skills of even the most experienced aquarist. Therefore, members are encouraged to research the biology and captive requirements of each species before an attempt is made to remove them from the wild.

* Fishes or other aquatic organisms must not be relocated or introduced into any outdoor bodies of water, even to places where they were originally collected (except catch and immediate release), including specimens raised in private aquaria, without permission from the appropriate governing agency. Members must realize that there are complicated and often unknown ecological processes at work in aquatic systems which may make fish introductions detrimental to the system. Potential problems from such introductions include displacement of native species, spread of disease, and the loss of genetic diversity via hybridization.

* All reasonable attempts should be made to maintain fishes with the utmost regard for their safety and health, which includes, but is not limited to: maintaining sufficient water quality; providing water chemistry, temperature, oxygen levels and foods appropriate for each particular species; species compatibility; and the safe and humane transport of fishes from the wild to the aquarium. Sick or infirm specimens should be euthanized in a humane manner and disposed of properly.


The above came directly form the NANFA website and can be seen directly by this link.

You can also visit the NANFA home page by blue "NANFA Homepage" on every page of this forum.

#10 Guest_edbihary_*

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Posted 31 March 2007 - 10:26 AM

We expect all forum members to follow the code of ethics that brought all of us here in the first place:
The above came directly form the NANFA website and can be seen directly by this link.

You can also visit the NANFA home page by blue "NANFA Homepage" on every page of this forum.

It might be a good idea to put a link to this Code of Ethics next to the blue "Forum Guidelines" at the top of every page of this forum, both as a reminder and for ease of reference. Also, I'm sure not everybody here came via the NANFA home page. Some people have never seen the Code of Ethics. If it is up there next to the guidelines, maybe they'll find it and read it.

#11 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 31 March 2007 - 01:49 PM

I realize after reading what was posted it was extremely stupid of me to relasease the Bullheads. If a situatuon like that arises again what would be the best thing to do, catch the Bullheads and transfer them to a larger body of water without ever letting them come into an aquaruim, or leaving them? I apologize for my stupidity.

Sandtiger-
Thanks for the advice! So in a 100gal do you think Pumkinseed sunfish and A bullhead would get along okay? All of my Bullhead tanks when populated (except for my last one) Have some caves and plants at the least. I never run my lights except for when I photograph my fish, and when I want to examine them closely. How often do you change your BullHeads water and what percentage of water do You change? I wil try to post some photos later this evening. Thanks again.

Dan



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