Anyone bred coppernose bluegill in an aquarium?
coppernose bluegill
Started by
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, Jul 08 2007 10:39 PM
10 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 10 July 2007 - 04:11 PM
I'm sure they're the same as regular bluegill. Same species, just a different subspecies, I think.
#3
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Posted 10 July 2007 - 06:18 PM
I have tank bred northern bluegill from places. They are downright easy. The coppernose bluegill (females at least), are hard to get to ripen that last little bit. I am missing something that gets them into that every 14 days breeding mode. I have seen them do it in ponds but to date not been able to replicate in tanks.
#4
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Posted 10 July 2007 - 06:31 PM
I had read that bluegill breeding cycles coincide with the full moon. Is it optimum conditions that trigger them into a 2-week cycle?
#5
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Posted 10 July 2007 - 07:59 PM
I had read that bluegill breeding cycles coincide with the full moon. Is it optimum conditions that trigger them into a 2-week cycle?
The full moon thing I know to be hooey, at least with northern bluegill. Literature does not support either. Somehow females cycle together and males get the urge to dig when females start to ripen. Females in same system (sharing same water) cycle togther. Females in adjacent ponds or systems cycle separately unless weather suppresses ripening causing nearly ripe females to "stack up". Improvement in weather for spawning can then result in bluegill in different systems appearing to cycle together as all experience weather change improvement simultaneously. Prolonged periods of good weather seems to result in populations in separate systems to drift apart in terms of cycles. Same with redear and red spotted sunfishes. Maybe full moon nights people out looking more?
#6
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Posted 05 August 2007 - 04:37 PM
What are you feeding them? I've heard that earthworms will get almost any fish into breeding condition.
#7
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Posted 05 August 2007 - 05:32 PM
What are you feeding them? I've heard that earthworms will get almost any fish into breeding condition.
Usually I feed my sunfishes slow sinking 40% crude protein trout chow. If fish in tank with limited filtration capacity then I use any pellets used by cichlid enthusiast. Supplementing with life foods such as earthworms, wax worms, and meal worms also used, especially with wild caught fish. Make certain your pellets are fresh (ideally < 90 days old) and stored in cool dry location. Feeding with earthworms only does not appear to be a balanced diet, at least for bluegill, and not all worms are equal as a single food source. Nutrtional status of worms may be important. Feed a varied diet. Are your ladies putting on good bellies?
#8
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Posted 05 August 2007 - 05:39 PM
I just mentioned the earthworms because I read somewhere that the big juicy ones put fish into the breeding mood. I can't really tell if my females are ripe or not, because they're in a 100 gallon pond, and I don't really want to net them out. I can't even see the fish because of pollen or some other kind of yellow stuff covering the surface. Is there a chance that my fish will breed this year, or will I have to wait until next spring to expect babies?
#9
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Posted 06 August 2007 - 06:07 AM
If fish large enough with adequate food will breed this year if they have not already done so. Bluegill in general through much of their range will breed until the middle of August. Coppernose I observed in research ponds in Southern Illinois bred until the third week of September.I just mentioned the earthworms because I read somewhere that the big juicy ones put fish into the breeding mood. I can't really tell if my females are ripe or not, because they're in a 100 gallon pond, and I don't really want to net them out. I can't even see the fish because of pollen or some other kind of yellow stuff covering the surface. Is there a chance that my fish will breed this year, or will I have to wait until next spring to expect babies?
A 100 gallon pond a bit tight for larvae to growup in with parentals around. No place to avoid parents hungry mouths.
#10
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Posted 07 August 2007 - 01:43 PM
Well, considering bluegill have thousands of young, I'll probably use a lot of the fry for warmouth food. I'll keep some too. I might even try to selectively breed them for better colors. I've always wanted to do that.
#11
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Posted 07 August 2007 - 04:01 PM
Well, considering bluegill have thousands of young, I'll probably use a lot of the fry for warmouth food. I'll keep some too. I might even try to selectively breed them for better colors. I've always wanted to do that.
Thousands of young not that many when a single adult bluegill or warmouth can eat that many in a sinle feeding bout. Selective breeding is what I am doing bluegill although selection is for meat production rather than coloration. A marketable color variation that could serve the distinguish the cultigen / cultivar / breed of bluegill being developed from wild stocks would be desirable. I have a seen a sport within warmouth where the color pattern is similar to a rockbass although I do not know if it would respond to selection. Selective breeding takes a great deal of time and space. Also easy through sloppy work to develop a bunch of inbred runts. Already got some funny scaled inbreds that look bluish and cannot tolerate certain parasites.
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