5 replies to this topic

[rininger85]

I'm in the process of building a greenhouse that I will run aquaponics in and would like to raise native fish in the system. I've seen where I can buy pond stock from my local co-op, but from what I've seen they only have their 'fish days' once a year usually in April-May so not the most convenient since most people seem to use tilapia during the summer and trout during the winter... I was thinking I would try using something in the sunfish/panfish family (pumpkin, redear, blue gills, yellow perch). 

 

I have a 240 gallon (8ft x 2ft x 2ft) aquarium built in to the wall between my family room and downstairs bedroom, it is currently set up as a saltwater aquarium, but I am in the process of selling the saltwater fish and I am planning on converting the tank to a display breeder tank for native fish. I'm trying to find out more info on how to set the tank up for success because I want it to be functional where the fish are comfortable, but also needs to look good since it is the centerpiece to our family room. 

 

I've had a few planted aquariums in the past and my most successful planted tanks I had I used miracle grow potting soil capped with aquarium gravel for the substrate. This gave good dirt for the plant roots to grow in, but I'm afraid that the fish might make a mess out of it when they make beds to lay eggs, so I'm considering other options for substrate that will be OK for the fish to bed in but also provide a good growth medium for plants to make the tank look natural (and so plants can help keep water clean and provide additional O2). Any suggestions on a substrate that will work for both?

 

For the rest of the aquascaping I'm thinking I'll either collect some flat river rocks and some driftwood, then taller aquatic plants to give the fish comfortable hiding areas. Any other suggestions?

 

How many fish realistically can I keep in this tank? I've read 1 male and 3 females is best but I'm wondering if that stays the same for perch as well as the sunfish family? Can I keep different members of the sunfish family together or does this result in cross breeding issues? (not that that would really matter since I'll be mostly using them to keep my aquaponics tank stocked and will be eating them, but I do want to have some nice looking display fish for the breeder tank too so understand crossbreed might lose some of the colorations)...

 

Additionally I'll probably keep some natural baitfish in there for them, will keep a 40B breeder for breeding baitfish that I can move to the display tank as needed. I don't know how well shiners and such breed in aquariums... is there an issue with having a guppy breeder tank then using the guppies as feeder fish for the display/breeder tank?

 

Thanks in advance!

[rininger85]

45 views 0 responses... OK thanks for the help... disregard I'll go someplace else.

[Evan P]

I think the issue is that no one else has really attempted a system like this. Are you planning on using the 240 as your sole form of reproduction? Or is it more of a display with reproduction as a side effect of sorts? In a 240, you could probably keep around 15-20 sunfish, depending on species. I personally do not have experience with sunfish in a tank that size, but in my 124 I used to have I stocked at a rate of 1 fish per 10 gallons, but those were mostly smaller species (Northern Longear, Dollar). Hopefully SMBass will find this thread and reply, otherwise shoot him a PM.

[Michael Wolfe]

Nice attitude. Maybe it's just that some of us believe in offering advice when we have experience. There are not a lot of people out there with experience in such large systems and aquaponics.

[littlen]

rininger85, 

 

There are over 4,000 users on this forum. Getting 45 views and no responses is nothing to get upset over.  Admittedly, there are no where near 4,000 people who scan the forum daily.  However, not everyone here has the experience and knowledge of working with that large of a system.  The dynamics of keeping fish from one household to the next varies greatly.  And having a tank as large as yours puts you in a league of your own or at least very few.  NANFA is certainly the Mecca of native fish information in a public setting--from husbandry, preservation/conservation, and more scientific stuff.  Not to encourage you to go to another forum for answers (but since you seem to be heading that direction anyway) a place like monster fishkeepers would literally have thousands of people scanning the forum daily.  Most of them do keep very large tanks and could advise you on substrate options, lighting, and so on.  I really hope you'll come back here and get some native-specific information from the very knowledgeable people that consider NANFA home.

There have been a lot of discussions, some even in the last week, on setting up large systems.  (One is ~400gal. if I remember correctly).  There also has to be dozens of discussions on sunfish.  From compatibility, stocking densities, breeding, etc.  I don't mean this in a condescending manner at all, but have you tried using the Search Bar at the top right of the forum?  Try looking for keywords like; "sunfish, sunfish breeding, 125 gallons (<-- this will still give you the same basic information on setting up a 240), planted tank, substrates,... and I can guarantee that you'll get some good hits.

We do get a lot of weekly traffic from guests to the forum who ask repetitive questions that could be answered by using the Search feature.  It's not that we aren't here to help, or that we don't want to.  But getting a sour attitude towards the entire group after not receiving a response after 2 days really isn't the way to make friends or get help.  I personally have experience with systems from <1gallon to 500,000 and would have been happy to pass along some information.  If you're not entirely disgusted with us, please take the time to look around a bit and come back with some additional questions.  I truly hope that you find what you're looking for as you've come to the right place.  Please don't take our initial silence personally.

Cheers.

 

[gzeiger]

I seem to say this a lot, but Wal-Mart's Special Kitty cat litter at $3.99 for 40 lbs is the optimal substrate for this application. It can cloud a little especially when new, but it sticks together plenty well enough for fish, even eels, to root around in it without making the water cloudy. As far as plants go, it is literally dirt and plants grow in it like they were made to.

 

I agree with the above that you can keep quite a few sunfish in a tank that size, but you won't end up with any surviving fry unless you have some way to separate the eggs soon after spawning. Nor can you "keep some natural baitfish" in the tank - they will be eaten more or less immediately. I had a sunfish once who would eat until he couldn't fit any more - literally stuffed to the gills - and then grab one more by the tail and hold it until he had digested enough to get it down. Keeping guppies, or fathead minnows or whatever, in a separate tank and feeding periodically is great for your fish as long as it's not too much work for you.

 

Many sunfish will hybridize if spawning in close quarters. Up to you if that's a problem or not. Search the forum and you should be able to find pictures of most possible hybrids. May take some work to search thoroughly, since most of those threads are identification assistance by people who don't know what they have when they make the thread title. I can't comment on your other questions.