Thanks in advance,
Daniel
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Edited by nativecajun, 16 February 2009 - 10:02 AM.
Banded Sunnies
Started by
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, Feb 16 2009 10:00 AM
17 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_nativecajun_*
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 10:00 AM
This may be in another thread on this already and if there is feel free to point me to it. How sturdy or nondemanding and hardy are these fish? Or how demanding and sensitive are these fish to keep. "Which ever one applies". I had blue spots before, and I kept them with no ill troubles of any kind. But I was real unhappy when I did have them after years of drooling. They were so so secretive. Are the bandeds less so? (secretive) And what are the Ideal habit and aquarium parameters to keep them in.
Thanks in advance,
Daniel
Thanks in advance,
Daniel
#2
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 01:22 PM
Bandeds are less secretive and will come out in the open more readily. They also eat a wider variety of foods and seem to be easier to care for. Mine act much like Lepomis species in that they get used to me being the source of food and come right out to the front of the tank when I aproach.
#3
Guest_tricolor_*
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 01:40 PM
Usually at what size would this and bluespotted sunfish get dark with bright blue spot all over?
#4
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 04:50 PM
Bandeds are less secretive and will come out in the open more readily. They also eat a wider variety of foods and seem to be easier to care for. Mine act much like Lepomis species in that they get used to me being the source of food and come right out to the front of the tank when I aproach.
I like your answer Brian. And I think the blue spot is hyped up a bit to much any way. Not to put down those that have them and like them. Under the right conditiions they are a beautiful fish. But I preffer something a little more bold. I have had blue spots as I have mentioned,>> so I like the idea of the bandeds acting like any other lepomis that comes out and readily attacks what you give it right in front of you. Is this one you breed for your vendors section Brian? Even if they did not color up like the pic I posted I think I would still like them. The blue spots had whimpy dorsals and again way to secretive. I am always enthused with a fish that mimics a larger species but in miniature. I wish I could get out and collect my own. But my back and its three surgeries is starting to slow me down. The Carolinas are not far from where I live but it would mean going there in the blind not even knowing where to start looking for them. Fuel cost, motel cost, I might as well purchase some if I want to have them. Even though I have other plans for my forty breeder in June I may still be interested. I have a fifteen that is probably to small, but I also have a twenty long not set up yet.
Thanks Brian,
Daniel
Edited by nativecajun, 16 February 2009 - 04:59 PM.
#5
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 05:34 PM
To be honest, I've given up on bluespots. They really are not worth the effort.
Bandeds are a much better captive. They will not hide at all if they have no larger sunfish to harass them, as long as they have plenty of cover to feel secure. They don't like bare, wide open tanks.
Bandeds eat much better than bluespots too. Many years ago I kept one in a tropical community tank that got nothing but flake.
The one downside is they don't show much color, although they at least look interesting, not that washed out pale look the bluespots get.
BTW, I've always disliked that photo above [which turns up all over the net, usually not credited] because it shows a banded in color I have never seen in 30 years of handling those fish.
These are from my tanks over the years and are more typical of non-breeding bandeds kept in hard water with higher pH than they prefer in nature.
This is a wild one netted in November.
Bandeds are a much better captive. They will not hide at all if they have no larger sunfish to harass them, as long as they have plenty of cover to feel secure. They don't like bare, wide open tanks.
Bandeds eat much better than bluespots too. Many years ago I kept one in a tropical community tank that got nothing but flake.
The one downside is they don't show much color, although they at least look interesting, not that washed out pale look the bluespots get.
BTW, I've always disliked that photo above [which turns up all over the net, usually not credited] because it shows a banded in color I have never seen in 30 years of handling those fish.
These are from my tanks over the years and are more typical of non-breeding bandeds kept in hard water with higher pH than they prefer in nature.
This is a wild one netted in November.
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 08:12 PM
I add my agreement with all of the above... mikez I really like those last two pics... I have two in a big tank, and one looks like the first pic most of the time and is a little larger... the other looks like the third pic but is almost as big as the other one... I always wondered if they are male and female or why the color difference (really patern difference)... pretty sure we got them from the same spot.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_nativecajun_*
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 09:02 PM
Forget about color. I love the two photos. Not the one in a hand but the two before that. If I could have bandeds look Like that I would be plenty happy. And my forty I think is set up just right for them. Lots of cover. Fake bog wood but with large holes in it that they would probably fit in.
So who is going to send me six or seven of them. My tank is a forty breeder. 36 long 16 high and I believe 18 from front to back. So I think it is the perfect tank. I can even put in more plants than I already have if that is what they need.
I will go ahead and confess. I have tropicals for the winter. I had fish that I had to get minows for all the time and that got old for me. I am getting ready to bring back the tropicals to my friend that owns a pet store.
So I think I want bandeds. I will be looking at vendors or someone I can trade something for them. I love the photos of the bandeds you posted above. Especially the two second to last ones. Mind you the one in I assume your hand is beautiful also.
Daniel
So who is going to send me six or seven of them. My tank is a forty breeder. 36 long 16 high and I believe 18 from front to back. So I think it is the perfect tank. I can even put in more plants than I already have if that is what they need.
I will go ahead and confess. I have tropicals for the winter. I had fish that I had to get minows for all the time and that got old for me. I am getting ready to bring back the tropicals to my friend that owns a pet store.
So I think I want bandeds. I will be looking at vendors or someone I can trade something for them. I love the photos of the bandeds you posted above. Especially the two second to last ones. Mind you the one in I assume your hand is beautiful also.
Daniel
#8
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Posted 16 February 2009 - 11:33 PM
I did get a spawn out of my bandeds last year and hope to again this coming summer. If this does happen I will have some to sell. I posted a picture of one in a tank not too long ago as well, and they look much more like Mike's pictures.
#9
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Posted 17 February 2009 - 12:14 AM
Doesn't it feel good to get that out in the open so you can move on!I will go ahead and confess. I have tropicals for the winter. I had fish that I had to get minows for all the time and that got old for me. I am getting ready to bring back the tropicals to my friend that owns a pet store.
Daniel
It always amazes me how different experiences can be with the same fish. My Bluespots though almost always shy at first always shortly come around to be anything but. The bandeds though are much less shy right from the get go especially at feeding time. And they are tough, I have one I mistakenly left in my 150 g with several larger sunfish species and its done just fine and when the pellets hit the water there's no hanging back. Bandeds seem to change their appearence a lot. When feeding they seem to darken up and when they darken up the males spots shine even more. When colored up mature males are really beautiful. Unfortunately I used to get mine from NJ but that's no longer an option.
#10
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Posted 11 March 2009 - 07:36 PM
I have to also agree, I have both fish, Blue spots and bandeds and much prefer the the banded. Im no expert by any stretch of the imagination, so i will assume we are talking E. Obesus. i dont have lots of extra but i do have 2 i would give away nativecajun, the only kicker is i have never shipped fish, only received.
#11
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Posted 12 March 2009 - 09:35 AM
I have to also agree, I have both fish, Blue spots and bandeds and much prefer the the banded. Im no expert by any stretch of the imagination, so i will assume we are talking E. Obesus. i dont have lots of extra but i do have 2 i would give away nativecajun, the only kicker is i have never shipped fish, only received.
Note;; Fish are gone
nice to pay back some of the kindness i received when i first started keeping Natives
#12
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Posted 24 July 2009 - 06:21 PM
Hi guys, i am new here. I am hoping to ID some bream that i caught recently. I have three really tiny ones (<1") that i have never seen before. I know that the young are really hard to id but the unique thing is that these have spots all over there fins and there fins are really large for the size of the fish. It look a lot like these. Does anyone know if this lives in Central VA.? Oh yeah, I am sorry to hijack your thread.
#13
Guest_smbass_*
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Posted 24 July 2009 - 09:35 PM
They do live in VA but I believe the very similar bluespotted sunfish are much more common there.
#14
Guest_Kanus_*
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Posted 24 July 2009 - 11:33 PM
There may be VERY isolated pockets of them in VA (Drew and I have both spent time trying to track them down in historical spots with no luck) but pretty much any Enneacanthus caught in Virginia is likely to be a Bluespotted.
Edited by Kanus, 24 July 2009 - 11:34 PM.
#15
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Posted 25 July 2009 - 12:40 PM
thanks guys! You are probably right, they have a few aqua/teal spots on them. I have never heard of a blue spotted either. As adults, are they too small to readily be caught on hook and line?
Edited by pondboy, 25 July 2009 - 12:51 PM.
#16
Guest_gzeiger_*
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Posted 25 July 2009 - 01:25 PM
Much too small. I haven't seen one over two inches.
#17
Guest_panfisherteen_*
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Posted 26 July 2009 - 12:13 PM
not neccessarily, all you need is you use a hook/fly smaller than a size 16, thats all lol
#18
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 26 July 2009 - 01:45 PM
Much too small. I haven't seen one over two inches.
Bluespot Sunfish are Enneacanthus species and are quite a bit larger than 2 inches... I have one now that is easily 4 inches... agreed however, that they are unlikely to be caught on regular hook and line...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
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