What kind of non-natives with natives?

What kind of non-native fish do you guys keep with your natives? I was just wondering because I was thinking about trying to add something to one of my tanks. I have just been getting a little burned out lately and I want to save myself from getting burned out on natives. I want to keep all my fish I have now for the long hall! I was thinking about adding some small cichlids with my bass or pickerel maybe firemouths? I just need something new so I don't get burned out. Also I can add a heater too BUT if I don't have too that would be nice. The temp. doesn't go below 68.

Chad

What kind of non-native fish do you guys keep with your natives? I was just wondering because I was thinking about trying to add something to one of my tanks. I have just been getting a little burned out lately and I want to save myself from getting burned out on natives. I want to keep all my fish I have now for the long hall! I was thinking about adding some small cichlids with my bass or pickerel maybe firemouths? I just need something new so I don't get burned out. Also I can add a heater too BUT if I don't have too that would be nice. The temp. doesn't go below 68.

Chad

Firemouths are from Central America, so they qualify as North American native fish. There are a number of other nice Central American cichlids as well. Try a Honduran Red Point. My daughter has one that is about 3 inches now. It has the most brilliant light to medium blue finnage! A truly beautiful fish. One of my favorites. Some say it is a variety of convict cichlid, some say it is a completely different species. I don't know, but I love that fish. It has the most spectacular color of any fish in any of my tanks. There are a number of other nice Central American and Mexican cichlids as well, not to mention the Texas cichlid. I haven't tried it, but I see no reason these fish can't be mixed. You will need a heater, though, if you want to keep tropical North American natives. And you will of course need to be concerned about the relative size of the fish. How big is the pickerel? If it is adult size, you are going to be hard pressed to find a large enough cichlid so it won't be eaten. As you undoubtedly know, you typically find juveniles at the LFS that you grow into adulthood.

Just don't put a managuense in there. I'd hate to see what it does to your pickerel!

Most chlclids need heated water, like 72+

I have koi and goldfish but my sujestions are orfes, trenches and ruds. All those fish get big though. So you will need a pond or a 100+ gallon for permanate living.

Darn fish are a pain to find though. THey are domestic and from the UK moslty. THere are breeders here, but SO HARD TO FIND!

Yea the pickerel is about 6" so it shouldn't be too hard to find something to go with him. I had a crazy idea to get an oscar earlier . I do know that I will need heated water for cichlids though. You guys think a needle nose gar would work? I just thought that would look cool to have a needle nose gar with my pickerel. I have no idea but what ever it is it has to be able to fit in my 55 with my pickerel when full grown (even though I will most likely upgrade to atleast a 75, but I want to plan for the worse). Thanks again.

Chad

Yea the pickerel is about 6" so it shouldn't be too hard to find something to go with him. I had a crazy idea to get an oscar earlier . I do know that I will need heated water for cichlids though. You guys think a needle nose gar would work? I just thought that would look cool to have a needle nose gar with my pickerel. I have no idea but what ever it is it has to be able to fit in my 55 with my pickerel when full grown (even though I will most likely upgrade to atleast a 75, but I want to plan for the worse). Thanks again.

Chad

If you have a bass, he is eventually going to kill/eat everything else in there. I just transferred my largemouth to the outside garden pond. I got him last summer when he was 2 inches. He lived with 4 pumpkinseeds and a pair of bowfins. Once he was the same size as the pumpkinseeds, he began to kill them. When he reached 8 inches, he started to butt the bowfins (which are 8 inches also).

I have never seen such an agressive fish. But, I do have a 6 inch plecostomus and strangely the bass seemed to ignore him. Maybe cause its an armored fish?

Dean

I keep Cryptoheros myrnae, Thorichthys elliotti, Ilyodon whitei, Xenotoca eiseni and a few other CA species in a tank with shiners and darters. This tank works surprisingly well.

I keep plecos in all my tanks. I also like using white cloud minnows in my small riffle tanks with darters. I have a 20 long riffle that has tesselated and fantailed darters with white clouds and paleatus cory's and everything is fine so far. I think keeping some non native fish in the tank helps teach the wild one how to eat flake and pellets faster. I also have 1 green sunfish in my 300 gl tank that houses my giant pacu (28 inches or so) and a couple of clown loaches and one lone african of some kind.

Chad55,

If you want to see some pictures of non-native fish and inverts that I have kept / am keeping with my natives, Click here. Most I have kept without a heater.

Thank you everybody! I am still kinda just keeping my eye out for something that catches my eye I guess. I am still not sure what I might try.

Chad