Green sunfish tankmates

The two larger (mostly one of them) killed off a pumpkinseed and a small green over this past week. my tank is moderately (artificially planted) well filtered, and a 40 gallon long. I'm thinking of catching 2 perch for it this summer. I want a fish that is roughly the same size, and won't get picked on.

I live in southern wisconsin. We have Northern longears here, bu they are pretty hard to come across. They would be my second choice.

ideas?

Greens, particularly one that's already aggressive, will make short work of perch several times their size.
I'll be honest..given the tanks size you have(which really rules out MUCH larger fish, or bass)...I can't think of anything in the same size range that would honestly be able to deal with an aggressive green, at least, that's a native.
Good luck!

Zep, you are not really thinking of admitting to catching and keeping live fish in Wisconsin where that is now illegal?

Zep, you are not really thinking of admitting to catching and keeping live fish in Wisconsin where that is now illegal?

Uhm, I thought the transfer of fish from lake to lake via bucket or other means was what is illegal. I could buy I suppose if it is actually illegal.

If I buy, would 2x warmouths fit the bill, it seems they are peaceful, and roughly the same size. I have noticed that agression between the two remaining sunfish (roughly equal size) has and always was close to nil.

also I am interested in shadow bass. Has anyone kept them succesfully? I know I would have to purchase these due to location.

One green sunfish will easily kill any other mid-swimming fish you put in the tank. Two, well that's just not fair to the new fish.
The only fish I have had success with keeping with my 4" green is a 6" black bullhead. I have tried just about every other fish, and it killed them all, until my pike cichlid killed him.

One green sunfish will easily kill any other mid-swimming fish you put in the tank. Two, well that's just not fair to the new fish.
The only fish I have had success with keeping with my 4" green is a 6" black bullhead. I have tried just about every other fish, and it killed them all, until my pike cichlid killed him.

Try the following where the greens are treated like African lake cichlids. Stock several similar sized fish on top of your aggressors and move things around at same time. If the bully has to work too hard to dominate, it will likely settle down into a less aggressive state.

I had some green sunfish that ended up as food for my chain pike

I don't know that I would suggest stocking anything. A full grown green will fill out much of the tank and if yours is as aggresive as you say then it likely won't like living with any other fish.

I don't know that I would suggest stocking anything. A full grown green will fill out much of the tank and if yours is as aggresive as you say then it likely won't like living with any other fish.

Alright. I've notived now that the remaining two actually have an invisible barrier in between their territories, they will often go nose to nose at the exact same spot multiple times a day. Rare fights, but they always occur at the same spot. After some tail chasing they both go back to their respective corners after a few seconds. My tank is pretty uexciting and plain as is but it is piecefull. I have it pretty heavilly planted with (fake) plants. This summer I'm going to boil and decontamiate a decent sized piece of driftwood for my tank. If I put in new fish I woulld do it at the same time as that. I'm thinking with all the cover another fish or two might be able to coexist with the beasts.

Alright. I've notived now that the remaining two actually have an invisible barrier in between their territories, they will often go nose to nose at the exact same spot multiple times a day. Rare fights, but they always occur at the same spot. After some tail chasing they both go back to their respective corners after a few seconds. My tank is pretty uexciting and plain as is but it is piecefull. I have it pretty heavilly planted with (fake) plants. This summer I'm going to boil and decontamiate a decent sized piece of driftwood for my tank. If I put in new fish I woulld do it at the same time as that. I'm thinking with all the cover another fish or two might be able to coexist with the beasts.

Reads like both of your greens have gone into breeding mode. Are you seeing depressions in their respective corners?

Reads like both of your greens have gone into breeding mode. Are you seeing depressions in their respective corners?

no they are roughly 4" each and have lots of blue specks all over the fins and body, moreso then seen normally in the wild. I thought they might be. Would that explain the deaths of two tankmates in four days? I will look for nests. I haven't seen anything though.

I'll take it they are both males then. hmm.

no they are roughly 4" each and have lots of blue specks all over the fins and body, moreso then seen normally in the wild. I thought they might be. Would that explain the deaths of two tankmates in four days? I will look for nests. I haven't seen anything though.

I'll take it they are both males then. hmm.

4 inch green sunfish more than large enough to breed. Greens; like longears, red spotted sunfish, dollar sunfish and warmouth defend territories that are larger than the constructed nest bowl. The fish killed likely had no refuge outside of the territiral males territories. I see this on occasion in tanks with sunfish well fed but not enough animals to suppress breeding urges.

To confirm gender, look under thread for vent sexing within sunfishes and basses.

there is a slight dip in the gravel towards the outer right hand corner. I haven't seen him sit on it or anything though. Maybe I'm seeing things?

thinking of tankmates. It seems catfish don't get bullied to much. How about a madtom? This spring I could purchase one and get it mailed to me possibly. I think I may end up finding a rockbass to grow out a bit with the greens and eventually upgrade the size of the tank.

EDIT: for the rockbass I would only get it after adding more dividers (driftwood/fake plants) to prevent any one fish from claiming more territory then it deserves.