How many of you have kept yellow perch and what has your success been? I currently have one that is about 4 inches that I have had for a few months, I also had one for about a year many years back. I love the look of perch and think they are some of the more colorful natives. They are kind of timid compared to other natives like bass and sunfish and so it is sometimes hard for them to keep up when feeding, or they get bullied around. I have found that it is best to have the less aggressive fish be bigger and the more aggressive fish be smaller. Also their mouths are pretty small so you can keep most other fish with them until they get pretty big. I have seen some big ones in the wild, 12" + long but I am not sure how big they usually grow in captivity. I know they are a schooling fish that likes plants, I had 2 but unfortunately one of them died right at the start.
So anyway, if you all have any experiences with perch I would be interested to hear them (and walleye as well).
Tim
Yellow Perch stories
Started by
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, Sep 16 2006 07:47 PM
45 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_drewish_*
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Posted 16 September 2006 - 10:41 PM
I caught my perch when it was around 4-5". When I put him in my "community" tank, he ended up being the only one left with my green sunfish. All my dace and minnows were eaten in a couple of days. And they were around 2-3" themselves. Mine is VERY shy and doesn't come out of his cave unless he is hungry or when the lights are off.
#3
Guest_edbihary_*
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Posted 18 October 2006 - 07:41 PM
I've got two. One is about 3-4", and the other is about 4-5". They are housed with a couple of pumpkinseeds and bluegills. I mostly feed them freeze-dried plankton and krill. I break the krill pieces in half because they are too big for the fish's mouths, but they like the bigger chunks (bigger than the plankton, that is). I also put feeder guppies in there frequently. With the exception of the smaller yellow perch, all of the fish went after the freeze dried food by the second day I had them. The big perch will see the sunfish eating, and after about half a minute will start striking at the food. It is not timid about eating at all. It will practically steal the food out of the mouths of the sunfish. Believe me, it's not going to be outcompeted for food.
The smaller perch did not eat for weeks, no matter what I put in there. I was very worried about it. But after a few weeks, it started coming to the top to take the freeze dried food. So it is okay. It does not strike the food from across the tank like the big one does. It just grazes almost blindly along the surface, alongside the sunfish. Needless to say, it is not as fun to watch as the big one. But it is more brilliantly colored, a very pretty fish.
These fish spend some time among the plants, but they also spend a lot of time swimming in the open water. I don't think they are timid at all. It doesn't matter whether the lights are on. The big one will often come to the front of the tank and watch me. Its tank is in my computer room, and it is watching me right now. I really love the yellow perch.
The smaller perch did not eat for weeks, no matter what I put in there. I was very worried about it. But after a few weeks, it started coming to the top to take the freeze dried food. So it is okay. It does not strike the food from across the tank like the big one does. It just grazes almost blindly along the surface, alongside the sunfish. Needless to say, it is not as fun to watch as the big one. But it is more brilliantly colored, a very pretty fish.
These fish spend some time among the plants, but they also spend a lot of time swimming in the open water. I don't think they are timid at all. It doesn't matter whether the lights are on. The big one will often come to the front of the tank and watch me. Its tank is in my computer room, and it is watching me right now. I really love the yellow perch.
#4
Guest_creekcrawler_*
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Posted 03 November 2006 - 01:51 PM
Had a lil guy in my tank for a month now.
He's only 1 1/2" long, and hangs in the a cave most of the time.
It only took him a few days to learn to feed with the darters -
I usually feed frozen mosq. larvae and bloodworms.
I figure when he gets a little bigger, he'll have to
move to the sunfish tank in my office.
He's only 1 1/2" long, and hangs in the a cave most of the time.
It only took him a few days to learn to feed with the darters -
I usually feed frozen mosq. larvae and bloodworms.
I figure when he gets a little bigger, he'll have to
move to the sunfish tank in my office.
#5
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 03 November 2006 - 06:30 PM
I'd kept yellow perch in a 55 or larger...cant remeber....for over a year, and the ones that were in prior were several years old. The only problem I had was some sort of disease that I related to hole in the head that discus get. I fed nightcrawlers, floating pellets, krill, and frozen beaf heart. All was readily accepted. I wish they stayed about 3-4 inches.
#6
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 04 November 2006 - 12:13 AM
It only took him a few days to learn to feed with the darters -
Not long before he feeds on the darters
#7
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Posted 06 November 2006 - 12:32 PM
OH yup. The darters are already a little nervous.
The emerald shiners are very, very nervous.
If I could just get him to smoke marlboro's and stunt his growth....
"I figure when he gets a little bigger, he'll have to
move to the sunfish tank in my office."
The emerald shiners are very, very nervous.
If I could just get him to smoke marlboro's and stunt his growth....
"I figure when he gets a little bigger, he'll have to
move to the sunfish tank in my office."
#8
Guest_NateTessler13_*
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Posted 23 November 2006 - 08:07 PM
Believe it or not I had this combination in a 29-gallon aquarium one time-
3 - Yellow Perch
1 - Common Carp
1 - Northern Pike
I got the perch when they were very small and the pike was so small that I feared the perch would eat him. (The carp arrived later). I started feeding the perch on guppies and the pike naturally accepted them as well. I provided lots of hiding places for the perch, and they seem to do well when they are in at least a small group. I have kept them by themselves and they are very timid by themselves. One thing I observed is that it almost always seemed like when the perch were feeding they would move in a group and I had river stones in the tank and one time a perch flipped a river stone over that had a hiding fathead minnow and another perch was waiting right there to eat it. Almost like team work, almost. The perch grew from young of the year size to about 5 or 6 inches with copious feedings. The pike grew quite large. 16 inches or so. The carp was caught when I was trying to fish out a black bullhead for a friends tank. The carp turned into a meal for the pike after about a month of harmony. The perch then slowly started to dissappear. I had the perch with the pike for about a year before they became lunch though and they were very easy to care for with proper supplies of fathead minnows and guppies when the perch are tiny.
3 - Yellow Perch
1 - Common Carp
1 - Northern Pike
I got the perch when they were very small and the pike was so small that I feared the perch would eat him. (The carp arrived later). I started feeding the perch on guppies and the pike naturally accepted them as well. I provided lots of hiding places for the perch, and they seem to do well when they are in at least a small group. I have kept them by themselves and they are very timid by themselves. One thing I observed is that it almost always seemed like when the perch were feeding they would move in a group and I had river stones in the tank and one time a perch flipped a river stone over that had a hiding fathead minnow and another perch was waiting right there to eat it. Almost like team work, almost. The perch grew from young of the year size to about 5 or 6 inches with copious feedings. The pike grew quite large. 16 inches or so. The carp was caught when I was trying to fish out a black bullhead for a friends tank. The carp turned into a meal for the pike after about a month of harmony. The perch then slowly started to dissappear. I had the perch with the pike for about a year before they became lunch though and they were very easy to care for with proper supplies of fathead minnows and guppies when the perch are tiny.
#9
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Posted 23 November 2006 - 11:05 PM
The carp turned into a meal for the pike...
Thankfully. What ever became of the pike? If I had a tank large enough to keep one, northern pike would be at the top of my wish list. But alas, that will probably never be.
#10
Guest_NateTessler13_*
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Posted 24 November 2006 - 11:21 AM
The pike got to a size of about 16 inches or so and one day I fed it bluegill that I had caught at a pond. Then I left for a week on vacation and it seemed that the bluegill that I had put in had perished and the water quality got really poor. So I came back from vacation to a tank with a big dead pike and three dead bluegill.
#11
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Posted 24 November 2006 - 11:39 AM
The pike got to a size of about 16 inches or so and one day I fed it bluegill that I had caught at a pond. Then I left for a week on vacation and it seemed that the bluegill that I had put in had perished and the water quality got really poor. So I came back from vacation to a tank with a big dead pike and three dead bluegill.
Major bummer!
#12
Guest_BobB_*
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Posted 03 January 2007 - 11:31 AM
Do you have any pictures of your perch?
#13
Guest_BassNut144_*
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Posted 09 February 2007 - 12:14 PM
I caught my Perch when he was about 4"...now he is 6.5-7"...I put him in with my Long Nosed Gar and my Warmouth, and he adjusted fine and all...he is very very shy and will not come out unlessit is completely dark, even if he is hungry he will wait until dark...However, I tried to convert all 3 of these fish to pellets, and it did not go over too well, so I feed them Minnows from the local bait shop...just DONT get cut by the Gill Plates...It hurts.
#14
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Posted 10 February 2007 - 02:08 AM
Yellow perch has been on my major want list for a while now...I really like their coloring...Are they territorial? Hey Ed when you get a chance please post some pics of your fish...
#15
Guest_drewish_*
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Posted 10 February 2007 - 11:30 AM
Yellow perch has been on my major want list for a while now...I really like their coloring...Are they territorial? Hey Ed when you get a chance please post some pics of your fish...
They are not territorial in my experience, but if I could do it all over again, I'd have at least 3 in a tank. My yellow perch (10.5") is going to my closest BPS for display in their 20,000G+ aquarium. Talk about an upgrade in living space.
#16
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Posted 10 February 2007 - 01:24 PM
Forgive my ignorance, but what is "BPS"?They are not territorial in my experience, but if I could do it all over again, I'd have at least 3 in a tank. My yellow perch (10.5") is going to my closest BPS for display in their 20,000G+ aquarium. Talk about an upgrade in living space.
#17
Guest_drewish_*
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Posted 10 February 2007 - 01:41 PM
Forgive my ignorance, but what is "BPS"?
Sorry, Bass Pro Shop
I've been in discussion with the aquarist who maintains it and he's been looking for yellow perch so I offered mine up and it will end up in the BIG display tank with all the other bigger species (lmb, smb, gar, etc). He should live out a nice long life in that tank.
#18
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 10 February 2007 - 11:14 PM
He'll be gar food. What an ignoble end to such a nice fishSorry, Bass Pro Shop
I've been in discussion with the aquarist who maintains it and he's been looking for yellow perch so I offered mine up and it will end up in the BIG display tank with all the other bigger species (lmb, smb, gar, etc). He should live out a nice long life in that tank.
#19
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Posted 11 February 2007 - 12:00 AM
You're my most favoritest pessimist Irate. I believe the perch will be housed with other existing perch tank mates along with the larger preds. I'm certain the perch will die though.
I love your use of "ignoble". I'll be sure and use it more often.
I love your use of "ignoble". I'll be sure and use it more often.
#20
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 11 February 2007 - 06:45 PM
Hey, maybe you can tag him somehow - that way you can monitor his progress!
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