46 replies to this topic

[Leo1234]

What is an easy way to create cover in my 150? Most plants don't grow well except hornwort and this one other plant I forgot it's name.

Here is the list of fish species I was thinking of changing it to: Coppernose bluegill, redear sunfish, warmouth, and the suckers I have.

How many of each fish could I have of certain combinations? I have a Fluval FX6 High Performance Canister Filter, hornwort and I'm

 

going to add sponge filters. Any tips on keeping the hornwort on the bottom of the aquarium? Any other plants that would make a thicket

Lighting is

Marineland Aquatic Plant LED Lighting System w/Time

or something similar?

Thanks for the help

[Matt DeLaVega]

You can plant the hornwort. It will sort of root.  You could also tie it to rocks. I am sure there are some other ways.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Space wise, I would not be afraid of having 4 of each species. Personally, I would have more, but since you are concerned about water changes, that may be it. I am not certain but my 240 with much filtration had somewhere above 30 pounds of fish in it. Was not even close to maxed out filtration wise, and the fish seemed happy, though I did do 25% water changes weekly at least. This went on for at least 2 years with no problems.

[gerald]

Najas (guppy-grass) and Elodea are good thicket plants that can grow either rooted or just drifting around.  To keep hornwort in place, wrap it around a waterlogged branch.  I dont think it ever grows roots.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Gerald, yeah, it sort of grows "pseudoroots" . The leaflets? change a bit and act as anchors if not roots if it is planted. They do not grow out and expand as a root system however.

[Matt DeLaVega]

http://www.aquariumd...reshwater_id=19

 

Best example or explanation I could find in a 30 second google search.

[mattknepley]

It wouldn't necessarily be a "thicket", but Java Moss is pretty easy growing and will form thick cover for your fishes. I have used it with Carolina Darters (a plant loving darter, it seems) in the past, and they enjoyed it. I have a large quantity of it with some Hornwort too in my 100 gallon stock tank pond, and the Blackbanded Sunfish seem to be at home both of them.

[AMcCaleb]

Leo I would think that the FX6 would be good by itself for filtration. I don't think you'd need to add sponge filters. Just fill the fx6 up with effective biomedia like seachem matrix or something like that.

[Leo1234]

How can I create a thicket of Elodea? They seem to either grow and rarely branch or die in general... I was thinking of buying 10-20 bunches and planting them in the substrate.

How long does it take for bluegills that are 7in and redear sunfish that are 2-4in to get to 10in?

[Matt DeLaVega]

They probably won't get that large.

[Leo1234]

What is a fun species of sucker to keep? So far I have successfully kept golden redhorse, white suckers, lake and creek chubsuckers. Suckers are usually easy for me to keep. The only reason I don't have the golden redhorse is because it jumped when I had the 20 gallon. What is an easy to get sucker that I could get for the 150? I would prefer a redhorse species, but I'm not sure which species to try to keep.

[Leo1234]

Would crappie school in an aquarium? 

[Matt DeLaVega]

? I have only kept one and then two at a time. They inhabited the same area, but they were too few to call it schooling. Really how much space do you have to have school of crappie? And how many is a school? You may have the space, I don't know. IMO you need a 500 gallon tank to have what I would call a school of crappie. Maybe more.

[Leo1234]

The reason I asked is because in my 150, my 2 crappie almost always follow each other. One is 4in and one is 6in. My white suckers in my 33 are now around 4 to 5in. Do you think I should try putting them in the 150 now or wait? In my 150 I have an +8in bullhead and the 6in crappie. The bullhead seems to be fine with 2-3in sunfish, but I think that is because they are a tall fish...  

[Matt DeLaVega]

I would still be worried about that bullhead If it were me, but I would do it as white suckers are easy for me to get. You on the other hand go through a bit more getting fish.

 

Okay, I still am missing why crappie schooling was important here? Were you planning on separating the pair?

[Leo1234]

Okay, I still am missing why crappie schooling was important here? Were you planning on separating the pair?

I asked because If they do, I would keep them together or maybe add another. If they didn't I would leave them alone or give one away. They are one of my favorite fish I keep because they are always looking for me (probably because they are waiting for food). I might add them to the list of what I will keep

[Matt DeLaVega]

Do they have the black stripe from the dorsal fin to the top of the head?

[Leo1234]

Do they have the black stripe from the dorsal fin to the top of the head?

Are you talking about the black line that blacknose crappie have? It looks like they don't have that. Why?

I was thinking of trying to get white crappie, hybrid, and blacknose crappie sometime. I'm having trouble finding someone who will ship.

My fish that I might get rid I could possibly ship. I'm going to talk to someone I know to see if he can help teach me how to ship fish.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Just wondering. Our black crappie that are available here at a local "hatchery' have the black dorsal stripe, very nice looking. Thought if you had gotten yours from Jonah's that they might be the sane variety.

[Leo1234]

I got mine from sachs aquaculture. I was thinking of getting some from jonah's aquarium, but I am not sure if he has any of them in stock anymore.