Pumpkinseed

I think my male pumpkinseed is getting close to digging a nest. He's been getting more colorful by the day. I think I see why their called pumpkinseeds. The males turn pumpkin orange.

Very nice pics, tank setup and fish! What size tank is this and how big are the pumpkinseeds and is it a trio that you have? Keep us updated if they do breed.

Tank is 30 long.
The big male is only about four inches - about the size of a convict cichlid. There is one female of roughly the same size. There are also 7 or 8 sacrificial smaller p'seeds meant to absorb aggression and give the big female some peace. Didn't work out that way though. He drives the big female relentlessly. It's to the point that I believe she's not getting ripe because he runs her so hard. She has plenty of hiding places so she's not getting beat and she eats plenty, but not much belly.
In the mean time, the little seeds are maturing and some even look like ripening females. If that turns out to be the case, I'll be able to exploit the size difference and put up a barrier with holes big enough for the females to escape without being followed.
My ultimate goal is to produce some fry and try and grow them out. Just for fun and pictures. I am getting attached to the females though, and I don't want them to give their lives just so I can tank raise a fish as common as dirt.
It'd be really cool if I got some good fry and kept the adults all healthy. Cichlid breeders do it all the time.

And, yes, I know all those p'seeds in a 30 long are gonna get crowded. Full sized seeds wouldn't even fit in the 30. These guys are from tiny ponds where adult sunnies all average 4-6 inches and most are breeding when still ~ 3 inches.
This is my first time keeping them so the interesting question is will they stay small?

And, yes, I know all those p'seeds in a 30 long are gonna get crowded. Full sized seeds wouldn't even fit in the 30. These guys are from tiny ponds where adult sunnies all average 4-6 inches and most are breeding when still ~ 3 inches.
This is my first time keeping them so the interesting question is will they stay small?

We've had that debate here before. See this thread: http://forum.nanfa.o...p?showtopic=986

I wouldn't say that they will stay small. I've caught lots of 10 inchers of pumpkinseed and a 12incher last week. They were so huge I ever saw! Maybe you could upgrade the tank size in future to see if they grow more? But all sunfish will breed early, no matter what size the sunfish are in.

Hard to say whether they'll stay small or not. When I was a kid, the pumpkinseeds at the local park lake never topped 4 about 4 inches or so. The lake was on the small side--a big pond, really--but the fish never reached full size. It may be the same with yours. Only time will tell.

To get them to breed, feed them a lot and do lots of water changes. The females really need to eat a lot to develop their eggs. The leave the lights on for 12 hours a day, and bump the heat up. I'd guess that about 78 degrees Fahrenheit should do it. Leave lots of cover for the females. The male may get nasty after he digs a nest.

Tank is 30 long.
The big male is only about four inches - about the size of a convict cichlid. There is one female of roughly the same size. There are also 7 or 8 sacrificial smaller p'seeds meant to absorb aggression and give the big female some peace. Didn't work out that way though. He drives the big female relentlessly. It's to the point that I believe she's not getting ripe because he runs her so hard. She has plenty of hiding places so she's not getting beat and she eats plenty, but not much belly.
In the mean time, the little seeds are maturing and some even look like ripening females. If that turns out to be the case, I'll be able to exploit the size difference and put up a barrier with holes big enough for the females to escape without being followed.
My ultimate goal is to produce some fry and try and grow them out. Just for fun and pictures. I am getting attached to the females though, and I don't want them to give their lives just so I can tank raise a fish as common as dirt.
It'd be really cool if I got some good fry and kept the adults all healthy. Cichlid breeders do it all the time.

And, yes, I know all those p'seeds in a 30 long are gonna get crowded. Full sized seeds wouldn't even fit in the 30. These guys are from tiny ponds where adult sunnies all average 4-6 inches and most are breeding when still ~ 3 inches.
This is my first time keeping them so the interesting question is will they stay small?

Hard to say whether they'll stay small or not. When I was a kid, the pumpkinseeds at the local park lake never topped 4 about 4 inches or so. The lake was on the small side--a big pond, really--but the fish never reached full size. It may be the same with yours. Only time will tell.

To get them to breed, feed them a lot and do lots of water changes. The females really need to eat a lot to develop their eggs. The leave the lights on for 12 hours a day, and bump the heat up. I'd guess that about 78 degrees Fahrenheit should do it. Leave lots of cover for the females. The male may get nasty after he digs a nest.

Mikez,

Place a partial divider in the tank so as to obstruct males view when he is down on the nest. Also, two larger males better than one for females health. I have this same problem and fix it regularly as described.

What are those plants in the BG? Are they native?

What are those plants in the BG? Are they native?

I see some java moss, cabomba and maybe naja grass?

Great looking fish and good luck with the spawning!

As for what size they'll eventually reach. I don't believe that fish that come from a stunted pond will in turn stunt in captivity. Fish stunt do to the environment they live in, such as an overcrowded pond but if you take a young fish from the improper environment and place it in a different one; one with clean water, readily available food, minimal stress (the kind of environment an aquarium should be) then it should grow at a normal rate and reach a normal size for the species.