Good tank mate for Yellow Perch in 535 gal?

I am new to NANFA and I have 31 yellow perch in a 535 gal, 3000lb aquarium (8ft lg X 4ft tall X 3ft wide). They are 3" to 5" in size and they are not pellet trained but they love frozen bloodworm. They live with 20 delicious minnows that they have not equated with a meal yet. I have 15 longeared sunfish in a 150 growout tank. I got the yellow perch in early May and I lost 9, because their Minnesota water temp was around 55 or 60 degrees and my tank was 69 or 70, lucky for me 31 acclimated within two days. Now that they are happy and healthy, how fast will they grow with summer water temps of 73 to 78 and what would be some good tankmates for them, that will not be a meal. Also, how many fish could I stock in my tank at adult size, with the yellow perch. I'm running 3, (2000 gph) pumps on my sump, and I do a 200gal water change each week. I have a few pics. Thanks

I feel its only right to warn you "they will only die" so to help you out I'd be willing to trade you a nice 20 gallon with some darters that will do quite well and take that time comsuming, space waster tank off your hands. On the chance you may refuse my generous offer I'd love to see some nice black crappies in there.

I feel its only right to warn you "they will only die" so to help you out I'd be willing to trade you a nice 20 gallon with some darters that will do quite well and take that time comsuming, space waster tank off your hands. On the chance you may refuse my generous offer I'd love to see some nice black crappies in there.

Your offer is hard to refuse ,but the crappies sound pretty good.

I don't really know how belligerent yellow perch are, but from keeping cichlids I am of the opinion that aggression is generally magnified with small spaces.....which is NOT a problem in your case.

I would venture a guess that similiarly sized centrarchids like bluegill, redears, longears, etc. would probably do ok.

Put some rocks in there! Or some sticks! Something

I don't really know how belligerent yellow perch are, but from keeping cichlids I am of the opinion that aggression is generally magnified with small spaces.....which is NOT a problem in your case.

I would venture a guess that similiarly sized centrarchids like bluegill, redears, longears, etc. would probably do ok.

Put some rocks in there! Or some sticks! Something

I didn't put any big rocks in the tank because yellow perch are such free swimmers and they like open water. Do you think the rocks will imped that as they grow to adult size.
Thanks

Perchmonger,

That's some tank! Welcome to the forum! I hope you find your stay informative and enjoyable! I think that I speak for most of us here when I say that I'm totally envious of that tank!

As far as tankmates go, I'd have to second (or is it third) the vote for Centrarchids. They should make some great tankmates for the Perch.

Again, welcome!

Brian

Perchmonger,

That's some tank! Welcome to the forum! I hope you find your stay informative and enjoyable! I think that I speak for most of us here when I say that I'm totally envious of that tank!

As far as tankmates go, I'd have to second (or is it third) the vote for Centrarchids. They should make some great tankmates for the Perch.

Again, welcome!

Brian

Thanks Brian; I feel very welcome and look forward to learning everything I can from you guys. I told myself, one day I would get the biggest tank I could safely put on the floor; but when a good deal presented itself I made the floor work instead, with 3-14,000lb rated column jacks under this big MAMA- LUCCA, making the floor stonger than before. It took me three months of night-mares, before I felt safe. Now,after ten years of South Americans, Africans, I finally became a native lover. Natives give me the beauty and variety of the others, but also gives me uncommon security I never had with other fish, No heater needed, no special water additves and they are happy to be in same water they were harvested from. Thank Again George

I agree with the sunfish. Unless you're planning on adding some plants/driftwood I would go with something that doesn't mind open water as much, such as bluegill, which are perfectly comfortable with open water when they're in schools IME. If you do add some plants and driftwood, I would go with warmouth, since they're my personal favorite sunfish. But you could also try some central longears to add some color. Pseeds look good too.

I'm still boggling at the idea of feeding thirty fish of that size on frozen bloodworms. Can you buy those in bulk?

Some sunnies would be good, a school of crappy would look cool too. Also a big school of golden shiners. Jumbo sized adults can be as big as an adult perch and they are cool looking schooling fish. kinda like brassy colored tinfoil barbs.

By all means add rocks and logs. Perch school in open water but will relate to structure. The sunnies and especially crappy would also be attracted to structure.
A vertical piece of wood with a horizontal branch or two would be perfect. The crappy would probably never be more than a foot from it at any time.

I'm still boggling at the idea of feeding thirty fish of that size on frozen bloodworms. Can you buy those in bulk?

The perch I'm sure can be trained to pellets and most sunnies are pretty easy to train to pellets, especially green sunfish and bluegill. Crappie are probably one of the hardest to train IME.

The perch I'm sure can be trained to pellets and most sunnies are pretty easy to train to pellets, especially green sunfish and bluegill. Crappie are probably one of the hardest to train IME.

I agree.
Perch will be no problem to feed. Crappie are pickier.

My perch currently eats a mix of frozen bloodworms, freeze-dried krill and frozen silversides. He eats right out of my hand and has been living in a semi-tropical tank with a red bay snook. IME the cichlids are more aggressive than the perch...until feeding time. Even then it's just the speed that the perch have that make them fascinating at feeding time.

Justin

I forgot...mine is about 11"TL and is one of only 2 fish in my 90 gal...and even then I think I need to upgrade. Hope this helps with your "how many at adult size" question.

Justin

I love the tank, what kind of filtration do you use?

I think some sunfish would be awesome. I would go with less common sunnies like Warmouth, P-Seed, Shadow Bass. Also, Crappie would be really cool. A small school of minnows would be nice too. The larger ones, like mentioned Golden Shiner, or some Shad can get big.

I'm still boggling at the idea of feeding thirty fish of that size on frozen bloodworms. Can you buy those in bulk?

I go through about a pound every 2 and a half weeks, but I also supplement that with feeder guppies as a treat once a month.

I love the tank, what kind of filtration do you use?

I think some sunfish would be awesome. I would go with less common sunnies like Warmouth, P-Seed, Shadow Bass. Also, Crappie would be really cool. A small school of minnows would be nice too. The larger ones, like mentioned Golden Shiner, or some Shad can get big.

Thanks, I'm putting my list together and you guys have some great choices.

I agree with the sunfish. Unless you're planning on adding some plants/driftwood I would go with something that doesn't mind open water as much, such as bluegill, which are perfectly comfortable with open water when they're in schools IME. If you do add some plants and driftwood, I would go with warmouth, since they're my personal favorite sunfish. But you could also try some central longears to add some color. Pseeds look good too.

Thanks Steve, I have Longears in another tank, but I wasn't convinced that they could go in the wide open tank, but now they will be swimming in the big tank.

I forgot...mine is about 11"TL and is one of only 2 fish in my 90 gal...and even then I think I need to upgrade. Hope this helps with your "how many at adult size" question.

Justin

Thanks Justin, that helps enormously.

Some sunnies would be good, a school of crappy would look cool too. Also a big school of golden shiners. Jumbo sized adults can be as big as an adult perch and they are cool looking schooling fish. kinda like brassy colored tinfoil barbs.

By all means add rocks and logs. Perch school in open water but will relate to structure. The sunnies and especially crappy would also be attracted to structure.
A vertical piece of wood with a horizontal branch or two would be perfect. The crappy would probably never be more than a foot from it at any time.

Thanks Mike, I'm going to take your advice and look for some nice pieces of driftwood, but any rock formations would be hard to clean around in this big mama-lucca.