Alright, so I have always wanted a Native Fish tank...blah blah blah...I have been reading this site and others for days now but have found little info about the fish "personalities" if they are active or if they just kinda hover in one spot all damn day. I had a pirahna once when I was younger and being young I thought it would be cool, although turns out he didn't like the light on and wouldn't move much or eat while the light was on....they are known as being shy fiah and better kept in schools for them to be less timid.
Regardless I am now looking for opinions on interesting native fish
I would like one that is active and will eat other fish, I can easily breed my own feeder fish for it and all that jazz, I have had my eye on grass pickerel, but hearing that they are ambush hunters I dont want them waiting for the fish to come to them, I want a chase...some excitment, I have multiple tanks but dont want anything that really grows over a foot. I just want a fish that will swim around, patroling the tank and be generally interesting to watch their behaviour...
For all I know I have just had poor choice in uninteresting fiah, and maybe the rest of the fish out there are more active, but I am just curious and dont want to go through all the work to get a fish I wont enjoy as much...
opinions...criticism...whatever you got would be greatly apprecited in my quest to find the best fish for me
Thanks in advance
Personalities
Started by
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, Mar 07 2009 01:15 PM
23 replies to this topic
#3
Guest_Fish4Fun_*
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Posted 08 March 2009 - 03:41 PM
I currently keep the smaller species of sunfish, and darters and find them all to have great personalities, I keep Obesus, blue spots, blackbanded, Orange spots, and also have a couple of punkinseeds which will get a little larger. I had never kept Natives but have found them to be very addictive, because you can go out and get your own for free, But you have to be sure to obey all your local laws and regulations, which really isnt that tough depending on where you live.
Edited by Fish4Fun, 08 March 2009 - 03:45 PM.
#5
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Posted 08 March 2009 - 10:09 PM
I second the green sunfish for personality. But I always kept one in a tank by his lonesome. I hate seeing fish chasing each other all the time. That is what a green will do to others. The pumpkinseed is also a good one and very beautiful at that.
For something a little more sedate, very hardy, and a easy keeper with other fish of his size I would go for a warmouth. I have one in a fifteen that I am in the process of making it a planted tank. I will be relocating him in to larger tank come about June or so. I caught him the last time I was in Louisiana. He is around three inches or so now. The colors under the right light can be stunning and they blush. The can be almost black under a log then when they come out and blush they show their stripes and glitter. A very nice fish to keep.
Good luck with the native fish. It is something I have been addicted to since I can remember. And since I am a granpa now I suppose that has been a long time "grin"
Eddited here to add: I just re-read your original post. I did not see that you wanted a fish that will eat fish. So the warmouth would sure be a good one. The green sunfish also. Again my first pick would be the warmouth. May not be to active. They like to pick a spot to call home in the tank. But watch what happens when you throw a minnow in there. You could always keep some of the more active sunnies in there with him. Though his name is warmouth his personality does not match it. He is fairly sedate as I mentioned. So the sunnies you pick to go with him if they are to aggressive the warmouth may get a little picked on. So choose wisely and have fun.
For something a little more sedate, very hardy, and a easy keeper with other fish of his size I would go for a warmouth. I have one in a fifteen that I am in the process of making it a planted tank. I will be relocating him in to larger tank come about June or so. I caught him the last time I was in Louisiana. He is around three inches or so now. The colors under the right light can be stunning and they blush. The can be almost black under a log then when they come out and blush they show their stripes and glitter. A very nice fish to keep.
Good luck with the native fish. It is something I have been addicted to since I can remember. And since I am a granpa now I suppose that has been a long time "grin"
Eddited here to add: I just re-read your original post. I did not see that you wanted a fish that will eat fish. So the warmouth would sure be a good one. The green sunfish also. Again my first pick would be the warmouth. May not be to active. They like to pick a spot to call home in the tank. But watch what happens when you throw a minnow in there. You could always keep some of the more active sunnies in there with him. Though his name is warmouth his personality does not match it. He is fairly sedate as I mentioned. So the sunnies you pick to go with him if they are to aggressive the warmouth may get a little picked on. So choose wisely and have fun.
Edited by nativecajun, 08 March 2009 - 10:14 PM.
#7
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 13 March 2009 - 09:04 AM
I understand that you are thinking of a fish-eating fish, but you might want to consider darters. I think they have the most interesting personality of all. They get to know you, and act like puppies at feeding time. Even when they are sitting still they are interesting, because they can turn their heads from side to side and look around. Like I said, I think these are the most interesting to watch.
#8
Guest_Fish4Fun_*
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Posted 13 March 2009 - 09:19 AM
I think native planter is right, i have different natives including warmouth, that swim around and eat fish, but for pure personality, it hard to beat darters, besides there being lots of different kinds available, i have 3-4 different kinds in a 40 breeder, and they all, if you set and watch awhile have there own little things going on. constantly moving around checking out the area, perching on stuff, one larger species that i have 2 of always keeping his subordinate in line. I also have other smaller sunnies in that tank, that never seem to even acknowledge the existance of the darters. Each species seems to do different things at the same time, except at feeding time when its no holds barred, seeing who can get the tastiest morsels.
#9
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Posted 15 March 2009 - 11:46 PM
I agree with the sunfish...Bluegills are aggressive as well...Ha ha at the way extreme, avoid smallmouth ....I never had any luck with them and I have tried to keep them twice now...both time they were very small, no more than 5"...but they were VERY active....kamikazes...all died due to swimming full bore into the tank sides and the filter tubes,etc...would litterally knock themselves out LOL....I think for what you are describing, sunfish or bluegills would suffice...aggressive feeders too..
#11
Guest_JohnO_*
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Posted 16 March 2009 - 12:12 PM
Can't beat darters for delightful personalities. They vary by species and individual. Bluebreast and redline can be feisty, I've seen the two squabbling over a favorite rock. Emerald and speckled are very mild mannered. Frecklebelly ignores the other darters, but doesn't like other frecklebellies. Rainbows mind their own business, unless they're in color, in which case they will sit next to each other and show off their fins. It's neat to watch a fantail stalking a snail.
The dace and shiners add graceful movement to the middle of the tank, but it's the darters I love to watch. They're always up to something, and it's not random movement like it is with minnows. Darters move with a purpose.
The dace and shiners add graceful movement to the middle of the tank, but it's the darters I love to watch. They're always up to something, and it's not random movement like it is with minnows. Darters move with a purpose.
#12
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Posted 16 March 2009 - 07:12 PM
definitley sunfish of some sort.
my bluegill and pumpkinseed are always patrolling the tank. they're pretty small right now, so no fish-eating action YET. my pumpkinseed (2.5" at the time) ate a black nose dace that was about 1" long. that was neat.
my sunfish crush worms though. i can dangle a worm just above the waters surface and my sunfish jump up and get it
they sunfish are about 3" now and they eat 6" earth worms.
so if you get big enough sunfish and small enough minnows, you got your personality, and fish eating action all in one
my bluegill and pumpkinseed are always patrolling the tank. they're pretty small right now, so no fish-eating action YET. my pumpkinseed (2.5" at the time) ate a black nose dace that was about 1" long. that was neat.
my sunfish crush worms though. i can dangle a worm just above the waters surface and my sunfish jump up and get it
they sunfish are about 3" now and they eat 6" earth worms.so if you get big enough sunfish and small enough minnows, you got your personality, and fish eating action all in one
#15
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Posted 03 February 2010 - 10:53 PM
well to bring up an old post, I reread the whole thing and no one happened to mention anything about the grass pickerel...
It seemed to be either darters or sunfish...not that I dislike these opinions, there just didn't seem to be alot of variations, which could be a good thing I suppose, but I wouldn't mind hearing all sides of the fence so to speak.
Just to re-cap, I am looking for a Ontario Native Fish that stays under a foot long, will eat any excessive fry I may have from other tanks, is semi interesting (isn't too shy), but I am also looking for a bit of a challenge...
It seemed to be either darters or sunfish...not that I dislike these opinions, there just didn't seem to be alot of variations, which could be a good thing I suppose, but I wouldn't mind hearing all sides of the fence so to speak.
Just to re-cap, I am looking for a Ontario Native Fish that stays under a foot long, will eat any excessive fry I may have from other tanks, is semi interesting (isn't too shy), but I am also looking for a bit of a challenge...
#16
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Posted 03 February 2010 - 11:07 PM
I really like my grass pickerel, but he is a bit shy and generally inactive. You won't see him swimming from place to place unless you startle him. Others have described their pickerel feeding quite aggressively, so it probably depends how hungry you keep them. I tend to throw a hundred fish in his tank once a month and feed them as necessary until they disappear. If you came by the tank and fed him one at a time it might be more interesting.
I did have a little one, about 1.5", that I was watching in a bucket streamside, trying to figure out what he was, and he ate a Gambusia fry within maybe 3 minutes of being netted. They are pretty dramatic to watch if you can arrange to actually be by the tank when they strike. The one I currently have has been in my tank for almost six months and I've never seen him eat though.
I did have a little one, about 1.5", that I was watching in a bucket streamside, trying to figure out what he was, and he ate a Gambusia fry within maybe 3 minutes of being netted. They are pretty dramatic to watch if you can arrange to actually be by the tank when they strike. The one I currently have has been in my tank for almost six months and I've never seen him eat though.
#17
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Posted 04 February 2010 - 08:26 AM
I have a grass pickerel. It doesn't move around much until I throw in the feeders. Then it will hunt them down and eat them. It's a handsome fish, but not what comes to mind when you say you want a fish with personality. It doesn't interact much, it mostly lurks. I often see it at the front of the tank, it seems like it's watching us.
#18
Guest_Burbot_*
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Posted 04 February 2010 - 06:24 PM
Had a northern pike once. He was viscious at feeding time, but when he was not too hungry he would follow feeders around for a while before snagging them. You can always tell when they are about to strike ("move your hand man!!!!!!") ah the memories.
of course I dont recommend a northern, but its close enough for behavioural comparisons.
of course I dont recommend a northern, but its close enough for behavioural comparisons.
Edited by Burbot, 04 February 2010 - 06:25 PM.
#19
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Posted 04 February 2010 - 11:49 PM
I had bluegills before and they reminded me of oscars (which I previously had). Follow you when you walk past the tank. Wag their tails for food. Very cool fish.
Now I have a community tank. I had a massive die off when I moved the tank but the remaining darters (3), dace (2), and common/white sucker are pretty personality filled. I think the Sucker suprisingly has the most personality. Everything I found researching them as aquarium pets has turned out to be the opposite of my experience. Mine has grown quite nicely. It doesn't scare easily. Never appears timid. As crazy as it sounds I think it loves posing for pictures. (illustrated in the following thread - http://forum.nanfa.o...ish-in-my-tank/ )
It is 6-7 times bigger than every other fish and looks out of place but I wouldn't get rid of it for the world. It has a permanent home in my tank.
Now I have a community tank. I had a massive die off when I moved the tank but the remaining darters (3), dace (2), and common/white sucker are pretty personality filled. I think the Sucker suprisingly has the most personality. Everything I found researching them as aquarium pets has turned out to be the opposite of my experience. Mine has grown quite nicely. It doesn't scare easily. Never appears timid. As crazy as it sounds I think it loves posing for pictures. (illustrated in the following thread - http://forum.nanfa.o...ish-in-my-tank/ )
It is 6-7 times bigger than every other fish and looks out of place but I wouldn't get rid of it for the world. It has a permanent home in my tank.
Edited by lozgod, 05 February 2010 - 12:11 AM.
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