19 replies to this topic

[Alexp08]

Hello, I was directed here by a member of another forum. I am thinking of switching over my 75gal cichlid tank to a native tank. I live in western Maryland so im hoping to collect the fish locally. So i have a list of questions im hoping some of you can help me with. 

 

First is it legal to keep native fish in MD?!

Next im hoping to have multiple fish in my tank and maybe a multi species tank, it is a 75 gal soo what fish would you guys recommend, and is a 75gal even big enough.

what water parameters am i looking at, ph, hardness, etc. 

I think thats it for now, thanks in advanced. 

[Matt DeLaVega]

Try the search function. I think there was a recent discussion about MD laws.

[Michael Wolfe]

I'm not from your state, but looking here... http://www.eregulati...ryland/fishing/ 

 

...I would say that it does look legal to collect non-game fish with a seine.  Keep reading your regular fishing license regulations, but I think you could be OK.

 

A 75 gallon tank would be a great multi-species stream tank with shiners and minnows and darters and chubs (OK, that is my personal bias on fish selection, but the answer is still yes, as long as you are talking about smaller fish).  There are some NANFA members out your way that can maybe advise you on some great local fish.

 

Welcome.

[Alexp08]

I was thinking about some type of sunfish. Possibly bluegill or punkinseed? Ive also heard about bullhead catfish being used, would they be suitable?  I was also just thinking about a cpuple crayfish

[Michael Wolfe]

I will let others encourage you... I think crayfish and catfish are devils... and sunfish are not really good neighbors... but hey lots of people love em... just not me...

 

I mean, how could you not love some stream fishes? 

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 logperch.jpg   35.02KB   3 downloads

 

 

[Alexp08]

Those are very cool looking.  But I'm wondering where i would get them near my location. I was hoping tobe able to stay local in my search.

[mattknepley]

Kevin Wilson, aka Chasmodes here on the forum, is in central MD and can probably give you some insight. Hopefully he chimes in.

If you're into beefier tropicals like the bigger cichlids, then the sunfishes may be a natural segue into natives for you. I think p-seeds are some downright beautiful fish, would love to have the tank for a couple. That said, I will agree with Michael on a couple things; any fish with whiskers is cool in my book, but if they come from North America they're not going to be friendly with much of anything. Also,for the longest time I kept crays as housekeepers in my 55g stream tank. No problems at all. Then one day my favorite bull Christmas Darter was found listing on the bottom with a massive puncture wound. Crays were gone that day. That said, prey sized crays in a tank of crayfish-eating species may work...

[littlen]

Alex, the best thing to start off doing is find the nearest creek and pop in.  Seine up some fish, take pictures stream-side and release them.  Post said pictures on here and we can assist you with ID's and captive requirements for those fish if you wish to keep them.  Even if you catch the most abundant and common species around you, I still think you'll enjoy keeping them.  The other option is to research what fish you want to keep and someone can point you in the direction of where to find them.  You should have a pretty good selection of natives on the western side of the state.  

 

If you've never kept natives before there are a lot of directions you can go with a 75g tank.  All of the fish [that can reasonably be kept in a 75] are fun to keep and you're always going to find people who prefer some groups of fish over others.  Take some time to stroll through the forum.  You'll quickly find what works and what doesn't in regards to keeping different groups of fish together (IE, sunfish with darters & shiners).  However, it has and can be done.  But it isn't worth deliberately putting stuff together if you know fish A will pick on or eat fish B.  Trial and error is what got all of us to the point we are at now.  

[Josh Blaylock]

Alex, the best thing to start off doing is find the nearest creek and pop in.  Seine up some fish, take pictures stream-side and release them.  Post said pictures on here and we can assist you with ID's and captive requirements for those fish if you wish to keep them.  Even if you catch the most abundant and common species around you, I still think you'll enjoy keeping them.  The other option is to research what fish you want to keep and someone can point you in the direction of where to find them.  You should have a pretty good selection of natives on the western side of the state.  

 

If you've never kept natives before there are a lot of directions you can go with a 75g tank.  All of the fish [that can reasonably be kept in a 75] are fun to keep and you're always going to find people who prefer some groups of fish over others.  Take some time to stroll through the forum.  You'll quickly find what works and what doesn't in regards to keeping different groups of fish together (IE, sunfish with darters & shiners).  However, it has and can be done.  But it isn't worth deliberately putting stuff together if you know fish A will pick on or eat fish B.  Trial and error is what got all of us to the point we are at now.  

 

 

This.

[loopsnj64]

I have some suggestions for what to put in the 75 gallon

• A male/female pair of sunfish (especially pumpkinseeds), this is trial and error until you get an established pair
• A stream fish only tank, few plants, sand/gravel mix, current, in this you would keep darters, shiners, dace, sculpin, madtom etc.
• A heavily planted lake based tank with fish like pirate perch, mudminnows, pygmy sunfishes etc.
• Something based off a local fish habitat near you
• While i am aware these can be a little tricky (and would not work with large cichlids) you could try mixing some of the smaller natives with tropicals I've done it with some good success 

[Michael Wolfe]

• A stream fish only tank, few plants, sand/gravel mix, current, in this you would keep darters, shiners, dace, sculpin, madtom etc.
• Something based off a local fish habitat near you

This is it!

[Alexp08]

So my cousin caught this out of his local pond and sent it to me. I think its either a blue gill or punkinseed. buuuut i could be completely wrong. 

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[Michael Wolfe]

bluegill... look at the light blue color all along the bottom of the "jaw line" which is also the bottom edge of the gill.

[Alexp08]

hahaha hints the name "bluegill". thanks! 

[Alexp08]

so what am i looking at, water parameters wise to keep a couple of these guys?

[Matt DeLaVega]

Assuming you are familiar with aquariums and understand a cycled system, not much else to worry about. They can deal with a variety of pH levels. So regular water changes or plants.

[Alexp08]

would there be any tank mates for these guys?

[Alexp08]

?

[littlen]

Alex, Keeping sunfish together and/or with other species is one of the most discussed topics on this forum.  I/were are not trying to snub you at all.  Just do a quick search and look at all the information people have posted about keeping sunfish!  Part of the fun is trying things out for yourself.  Catch some big shiners, see how they do.  Throw in a crayfish.  Toss in a catfish.  See what works, what doesn't.  It'll make you wiser and able to share your personal successes & failures with others.

Good luck.  Bluegill are fun and can be a handsome fish.

 

[Matt DeLaVega]

That is about the gist of it. Nobody really has a recipe for keeping sunfish. Seems like trial and error for everyone. You can read all about it, but you really have to give it a shot and see what works in your tank. Certainly take some of the advice you find. Good luck.