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Redfin Pickerel Tank


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#1 Guest_DCBuckeyeguy77_*

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Posted 15 April 2008 - 04:06 PM

Hey guys I'm kinda new here and have caught a couple of young pickerel with hook and line and recently last summer caught a juvi with a net on Lake Murray. I tried to keep it for a while and then let it go b/c it wasnt eating. Anyways, I now want to actually set up a large tank for a redfin pickerel in the 55-75 gal range. I do have a few questions though.

Are there any long-leafed plants that it can "lurk" in?
Should does it like to hide a lot or should i leave the tank mostly wide open?
If i get a very young pickerel, what kind of live food should i feed it?

Also, if i could catch sunfish in the 3-6" range or maybe a few darters and i kept the pickerel well fed, would they last very long or live well with the pick?

Thanks for all the help and if you know of another way to get a pickerel, I'd appreciate. (They're kinda hard to find around here in SC)

#2 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 15 April 2008 - 04:20 PM

For your next one, make sure you don't release it after keeping it. You can see other threads regarding this issue.

I'm not big into plants so I can't name any species specifically but amazon swords and vallisneria species would work. Check the other threads in this section and the Photo Gallery for photos of pickerel tanks with plants.

You probably won't be catching really tiny ones, but I'd suggest keeping ones that can eat rosy red sized minnows. I've kept quite a few pickerel that I started on guppies, moved up to rosy reds, and eventually put on raw shrimp and pellets. It takes a lot of time and patience to convert them to non-live foods but it can be done.

I would not mess with sunfish until the pickerel is close to fully grown. I kept mine with a warmouth for some time without any issues. But warmouth are considered one of the more docile species and I wouldn't try the mix with any other species personally. I also find them in the same location so water parameters and setup would fit both.

From what I understand you shouldn't have too many problems finding them once you know where to look. Slow moving, vegetated waters most likely tannin stained will hold them.

#3 Guest_DCBuckeyeguy77_*

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Posted 15 April 2008 - 05:01 PM

Alright thanks for the help. I know all about the releasing them back into the lake because of pathogens and stuff and thought i should clarify. I didn't actually "keep" it... i had it in a big bait bucket out on my dock for a few hours trying to feed it mosquitofish fry lol. I dont really know if this is the same thing as putting it in a tank but just thought i should clarify.

Edited by DCBuckeyeguy77, 15 April 2008 - 05:03 PM.


#4 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 15 April 2008 - 06:18 PM

I fed mine a lot of Gambusia as well, forgot to mention. Since I'm out fishing/collecting just about every weekend, I would just get a scoopful of them and didn't take much to take care of them.

Keeping fish in a bucket with water from the source location shouldn't be that big of a deal.

PM Dustin, "dsmith73" or Chip, "ipchay61". They are the SC rep and contact and live in your neck of the woods so they may be able to point you in the right direction.

#5 Guest_DCBuckeyeguy77_*

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Posted 19 April 2008 - 02:15 PM

I've looked around the forum and see a couple of pictures of the pickerel, but not necassarily the whole tanks. Does anyone here have a few full tank shots of their redfin pickerel setups?



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