70 replies to this topic

[Crazyblade1209]

Hello all! I just started keeping native fish and Im looking for advice. I currently have a 10 gal (will be upgrading when I have money) and In it I have a 3-4" yellow perch, a 3" pumpkinseed, a 1" creek chub (hopefully getting more, all my other ones died on my first attempt and this is my second and so far its working good), a 1" sucker and a freshwater mussel.  Any advice or tips would be awesome! I hope to get either a smallmouth or largemouth bass. I also have a second "tank" thats just a plastic storage container which I plan to keep crawfish in. I currently have 2 as a trial run. Gunna check my minnow trap later today and see if I can't add more crawfish, creek chub, and maybe a cusk to the tanks.

[Sean Phillips]

Hello all! I just started keeping native fish and Im looking for advice. I currently have a 10 gal (will be upgrading when I have money) and In it I have a 3-4" yellow perch, a 3" pumpkinseed, a 1" creek chub (hopefully getting more, all my other ones died on my first attempt and this is my second and so far its working good), a 1" sucker and a freshwater mussel.  Any advice or tips would be awesome! I hope to get either a smallmouth or largemouth bass. I also have a second "tank" thats just a plastic storage container which I plan to keep crawfish in. I currently have 2 as a trial run. Gunna check my minnow trap later today and see if I can't add more crawfish, creek chub, and maybe a cusk to the tanks.

Welcome! Do be sure to upgrade soon as with those fish I'd go at least a 100 gallon tank. Any idea what species of sucker you have? I'd also hold out on a LMB or SMB as they both grow rather large and are pretty aggressive for the average home aquarium. I'd have probably 5 Pumpkinseeds, 3-5 Yellow Perch, 4-6 Creek Chubs, and your single sucker in about a 180 gallon tank since pumpkinseeds and yellow perch are both schooling. If you're that interested in natives though take a look at our darters and Cyprinids, both of which are good candidates for smaller home aquariums and are arguably more colorful and personable than larger game fish.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Yep. Sean is right. A ten gallon tank is not going to do it for what you have. You need to look at a bigger tank as soon as possible. If money is a problem, quit bringing home fish. I suppose the plastic tanks may help, but a 10 gallon is in no way a real tank for anything but the smallest fish.

[Crazyblade1209]

I know its too small, I will be getting larger within the week (once i get payed). I just wanted to do a test run on the equipment and setup so I know who to set up the larger tank. I tried twice with about 4 creek chub in the ten gallon and failed. So I moved the tank and made sure it won't get too hot where it is (I think that may have been the reason it failed the first two times). As to looking into darters, I took up this hobby because most of my free time is spent fishing, so I thought it would be cool to have some of my favorite game fish in a tank in my room, and I'm not really looking for color. Thanks for input!

[Sean Phillips]

I know its too small, I will be getting larger within the week (once i get payed). I just wanted to do a test run on the equipment and setup so I know who to set up the larger tank. I tried twice with about 4 creek chub in the ten gallon and failed. So I moved the tank and made sure it won't get too hot where it is (I think that may have been the reason it failed the first two times). As to looking into darters, I took up this hobby because most of my free time is spent fishing, so I thought it would be cool to have some of my favorite game fish in a tank in my room, and I'm not really looking for color. Thanks for input!

Fair enough on the game fish, the one thing I'll say about it though is that I got into natives for the same reason, a deep love of fishing. And forever I thought I only wanted sunfish, bullheads, perch, etc and that darters were boring, that is, until my first collecting trip, when a friend gave me a pair of Greenside darters and said to give them a try. I reluctantly found tank space for them and very quickly fell in love with the pair and the whole group of fish. And now I'm a darter addict that has 5 different species (9 total darters) and soon to be more plus various Cyprinids which I first started to love after keeping redside dace.

As for perch, I kept a trio briefly last summer-fall but they didn't last long. They were very susceptible to disease and eventually they all died after developing a defected swim bladder which is common in captive yellow perch. Are there any other game fish you're interested in such as bullheads or pickerel?

[Crazyblade1209]

I had a brown bullhead for a few days but he is being quarantined because I think he has ich (I'm assuming he will most likely die) But i am trying to treat him. As for pickerel i am very interested but Im not going to try to keep them until I'm more experienced and have more resources. I may try to get a new bullhead, Iactually might get one tomorrow as I have a minnow round in a pond that is full of catfish, but if not I plan to get one once there are babies so I can scoop up 1 or 2 to try raising. I was also thinking pike would be cool, or maybe walleye, but neither are native to Maine.

[Sean Phillips]

I had a brown bullhead for a few days but he is being quarantined because I think he has ich (I'm assuming he will most likely die) But i am trying to treat him. As for pickerel i am very interested but Im not going to try to keep them until I'm more experienced and have more resources. I may try to get a new bullhead, Iactually might get one tomorrow as I have a minnow round in a pond that is full of catfish, but if not I plan to get one once there are babies so I can scoop up 1 or 2 to try raising. I was also thinking pike would be cool, or maybe walleye, but neither are native to Maine.

Seems like a lot of your fish haven't been thriving long term. Did you fully cycle your tank before you added anything?

[Crazyblade1209]

The one I currently have running has been fully cycled but the first two weren't as I hadn't heard about cycling until I did extensive research. Im not sure why the bullhead isn't doing good, but all my other fish seem very happy

[Sean Phillips]

The one I currently have running has been fully cycled but the first two weren't as I hadn't heard about cycling until I did extensive research. Im not sure why the bullhead isn't doing good, but all my other fish seem very happy

The bullhead may be sick because it's in such a small tank. Even when small, bullheads produce large amounts of waste. I'm growing out three 4" yellows in a 20 tall and have to do two 50% WCs a week to keep their water clean.

[Crazyblade1209]

So maybe ill wait till I have more resources and experience before I try to keep them then

[Crazyblade1209]

How would you recommend collecting and transporting them while walking? Ive either caught mine by hook and line or minnow trap and just carry them in a cleaned out hawaiian punch container with no top with 550 paracord as a handle. Is that good? or bad?

[NotCousteau]

Welcome. Upgrading the tank is a great idea. Meanwhile, you can find other, smaller fish options for your 10 gallon that will get you off on the right foot, increase your chances of success and make this a good experience. Good luck.

[Sean Phillips]

How would you recommend collecting and transporting them while walking? Ive either caught mine by hook and line or minnow trap and just carry them in a cleaned out hawaiian punch container with no top with 550 paracord as a handle. Is that good? or bad?

I either use an aerated minnow bucket or plastic fish bags, coolers work well too.

[Crazyblade1209]

Do you have any idea about keeping cusk? I know I can catch them easy in a stream with some dog food and a minnow round and when I first caught them I was surprised they were there. I had never seen them before so now I'm very interested in trying to keep one or two once I get a bigger tank

[predatorkeeper87]

I keep 4 yellow perch, 2 black crappie, a bullhead, a channel cat, 3 creek chubs, a pumpkinseed and a bluegill in my 310 and all are doing great,  tank space I think is the main contributor to your fish deaths, but once you upgrade I have a feeling you will notice a huge difference in the overall health of your fish, good luck! welcome to keeping natives!

[Crazyblade1209]

I keep 4 yellow perch, 2 black crappie, a bullhead, a channel cat, 3 creek chubs, a pumpkinseed and a bluegill in my 310 and all are doing great,  tank space I think is the main contributor to your fish deaths, but once you upgrade I have a feeling you will notice a huge difference in the overall health of your fish, good luck! welcome to keeping natives!

How did you catch yours? or did you buy?

[predatorkeeper87]

How did you catch yours? or did you buy?

 

I bought the perch, crappie and channel, the others I caught.  the chubs and bullhead on hook and line, the sunfish with a net.

[predatorkeeper87]

Do you have any idea about keeping cusk? I know I can catch them easy in a stream with some dog food and a minnow round and when I first caught them I was surprised they were there. I had never seen them before so now I'm very interested in trying to keep one or two once I get a bigger tank

I could be wrong...but I don't believe cusk are fresh water? I don't know maybe at younger stages of life but they are definitely found in the gulf of your state, but not streams.  Are you sure that's what you were catching?  If I took an absolutely wild, uneducated guess, sounds to me like you are catching burbot, not cusk.  Get a picture next time you haul one in, I'd be interested to see. 

[Crazyblade1209]

I could be wrong...but I don't believe cusk are fresh water? I don't know maybe at younger stages of life but they are definitely found in the gulf of your state, but not streams.  Are you sure that's what you were catching?  If I took an absolutely wild, uneducated guess, sounds to me like you are catching burbot, not cusk.  Get a picture next time you haul one in, I'd be interested to see. 

At first I thought it was an American Eel, but upon further research on the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website I found out it was a cusk (that or the picture was similar but different) but I do know that a lot of people ice fish for cusk

Edited by Crazyblade1209, 13 May 2015 - 06:39 AM.

[predatorkeeper87]

At first I thought it was an American Eel, but upon further research on the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website I found out it was a cusk (that or the picture was similar but different) but I do know that a lot of people ice fish for cusk

Now I'm confused...because you are correct they have them labeled a cusk on the website,  but also called a burbot (which is what that picture is under the name)...but those are two ENTIRELY different fish...in either case, what you are catching is a burbot, and they are interesting fish.  Never kept one, but would like to, similar in care to a catfish from what I've heard/read.