86 replies to this topic

[cjohns]

Hey guys I'm finally getting started on my 72 gallon overhaul. It's been down for several months and now it's time for a face lift. I have stuff scattered every where. Here are a couple pictures of my progress tonight. Any ideas will be appreciated.

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[cjohns]

I laid out all of the main structures last night.

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[Michael Wolfe]

I like where you are headed with this... ledges and overhangs...

[Sean Phillips]

What's the stock going to be?

[cjohns]

I like where you are headed with this... ledges and overhangsd...

Thanks.I hope it turns out natural!!

[cjohns]

What's the stock going to be?

I'm thinking sunfish. I'm not a 100% sure.

[Michael Wolfe]

I'm thinking sunfish. I'm not a 100% sure.

don't do it... its so limiting... a community tank would certainly be my preference... maybe a swamp community... top minnows, a few appropriate shiners, maybe brown darters, a chubsucker, etc.

[Sean Phillips]

I'm thinking sunfish. I'm not a 100% sure.

That'd look nice in that tank. I'd recommend a riffle community but the flow would be kind of odd in a bow front I'd think.

[cjohns]

Right now I have a 20 gallon long river manifold, 36 gallon bow front community stream tank and this 72 gallon. I was trying to think of something different to do with this setup.

[Evan P]

Try a swamp community. Enneacanthus, brown darters, topminnows. Similar to what Michael said. I promise you it will be far more enjoyable than a sunfish tank. With sunfish, all of your sculpting will go to waste. That is why darters would be so great in this tank; they would actually perch on the background.

[cjohns]

I'll have to consider a swamp tank. I will check and see what my swamp options are tonight. I know we have topminnows not sure about brown darters.

[Michael Wolfe]

no, brown darters are a south georgia / florida thing but they are great little darters from a swamp environment... hardy, colorful, willing to eat most anything...

Not sure if y'all have a swampy habitat darter in Kentucky... I was just suggesting them since they are such great aquarium inhabitants... and worth a trip to florida in my opinion/

[cjohns]

no, brown darters are a south georgia / florida thing but they are great little darters from a swamp environment... hardy, colorful, willing to eat most anything...

Not sure if y'all have a swampy habitat darter in Kentucky... I was just suggesting them since they are such great aquarium inhabitants... and worth a trip to florida in my opinion/

The funny thing is I'll be in central florida on a fish trip the second week of February!

[cjohns]

So what do you guys mean buy being limited with sunfish? Is it because I could only stock a few do to there aggression? I was thinking of going with few orangespotted and maybe a couple longear sunfish.

[Michael Wolfe]

Yes, I meant it in two ways... 1) having sunfish means not really having much else, since their aggression and hunger will prevent you from having much else for very long (no darters, or shiners, or topminnows, etc.) and 2) the aggression between sunfish means that you will have to manage the number of fish you have... so you might end up with only 3 fish in your 75 (but I am not the expert... the only Lepomis that I keep lives alone in a 58 gallon tank... that's the way I manage aggression.

A central Florida trip would be a great opportunity to stock a few extra interesting swampy type fish...

[cjohns]

Shaped everything this morning.

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[cjohns]

Just finished with a second coat of concrete. I'll have pictures of it tomorrow when it drys.

[cjohns]

A central Florida trip would be a great opportunity to stock a few extra interesting swampy type fish...

I'll definitely have to set the rod and reel down and pick up a net one day. I'll just have to be on the lookout for those toothy reptiles! 🐊

[mattknepley]

Looks nice! I wish I had that kind of creative knack. Just to chime in on stock, sunnies would look great, and if that's what you want, do it. But to expand on what Yeahson was thinking, darters -among other fishes- will be more likely to actually use the hardscape you're crafting. In my extremely limited, and now almost 30 years distant experience, a sunny's interaction with it's environment is pretty much limited to trashing it- and then ignoring the remains. Your stuff looks too solid for trashing, so I'm guessing you'll have more of the ignoring factor. But it's gonna be a helluva nice backdrop if it continues as it has started, so why not?

Where in central FLA will you be? I lived all over the area for about twenty years. Unfortunately, it coincided with an increased interest in women, an increased demand to work, and less time thinking about fish. I missed so many collecting opportunities!

[cjohns]

Thanks! I agree that darters and other fish would actually use the background. I guess I was wanting sunfish because of a green sunfish I took from the feeder tank at a local pet store. He is growing fast and will soon become a problem in my 36 gallon community tank. Probably should have let him go as food..lol

I'll be just south of Kissimmee about 15 minutes. Lake Wales area. Do you know of any good spots? I was looking at a field guide and I'm curious about the bluespotted sunfish. They are small in size. Are they still very aggressive?