I'm very interested in small lepomis and the pygmy sunfishes but it's my understanding based on what I've read here that they won't breed in an aquarium indoors. My favorites are probably l. symmetricus and humilis. But I also like the bluespotteds even though they're not lepomis, but it doesnt look like they've been spawned in an aquarium either. I know many of the pygmies have been.
Has anyone ever spawned small lepomis in an aquarium?
Started by
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, Nov 21 2009 02:13 AM
15 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_catfish_hunter_*
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Posted 21 November 2009 - 06:33 AM
Yes, most Lepomis will spawn in an aquarium situation, including the species you mentioned.
#3
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Posted 21 November 2009 - 11:52 AM
Run search using key words: spawning, breeding, reproduction and culturing of sunfishes and such information should come up within this site. You find several members propogate sunfishes fairly regularly. I do but concentrate on larger species. They are pretty much the same.
#4
Guest_Ramiro_*
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Posted 21 November 2009 - 11:39 PM
How exciting! I think it is my patriotic duty to keep and breed at least a few native fishes from now on. My wish-list includes: lepomis symmetricus, lepomis humilis, all the cool little elassoma pygmy sunfishes, sticklebacks, and minnows. I'm really only interested in species that can be and have been bred in smaller aquariums (in my opinion, 30g tanks and under). The darters are fascinating but haven't seen much online on spawning them in an aquarium, what I have seen involves breeding wild caught fish that are already gravid or in breeding mode. Now to find a source for all these small sunfishes.
#5
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Posted 22 November 2009 - 12:42 AM
How exciting! I think it is my patriotic duty to keep and breed at least a few native fishes from now on. My wish-list includes: lepomis symmetricus, lepomis humilis, all the cool little elassoma pygmy sunfishes, sticklebacks, and minnows. I'm really only interested in species that can be and have been bred in smaller aquariums (in my opinion, 30g tanks and under). The darters are fascinating but haven't seen much online on spawning them in an aquarium, what I have seen involves breeding wild caught fish that are already gravid or in breeding mode. Now to find a source for all these small sunfishes.
The easiest will be L.megatotis, L.marginatus, an L.miniatus due in part to the large egg size. Symmetricus can be done aswell, L.humilis from what i understand are easy to spawn, but from my experiance there larvae are difficult to raise. I had no success raising orange spot larvae indoors. But have have had very good success with most other lepomis spp. I think Longear(L.megalotis) is what you should start with the larva require miminal care compared to other lepomis spp. And spawning can be accomplished in as small as a 20gal, Just beware the males can get aggresive..
#6
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Posted 22 November 2009 - 11:43 AM
Ramiro,
The general rule to follow is the larger the egg, the easier to raise. A complicating factor is with males having large territory requirments. Dollar sunfish and the spotted sunfishes have large eggs but males have requirements for large territories. Do not be afraid to use semi-permeable partitions that block large males but not small females or simply separate fish with a partition except when they are being observed. Dither fish (minnows) can be employed.
The best compromise you list for egg size and agression is the bantam sunfish.
The general rule to follow is the larger the egg, the easier to raise. A complicating factor is with males having large territory requirments. Dollar sunfish and the spotted sunfishes have large eggs but males have requirements for large territories. Do not be afraid to use semi-permeable partitions that block large males but not small females or simply separate fish with a partition except when they are being observed. Dither fish (minnows) can be employed.
The best compromise you list for egg size and agression is the bantam sunfish.
#7
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Posted 22 November 2009 - 02:05 PM
Yeah it seems like raising the larvae will be a challenge, I'm currently trying to raise some boesemani rainbowfish babies, I think it can be done in an old well established aquarium that is full of java moss and supplemented with green water, paramecium, and other micro-life for the larvae. If that doesn't work I'll just set up some tubs outside and harvest water from them for my fish indoors next year. If that doesn't work Ill just have to think of something else.
#8
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Posted 22 November 2009 - 07:58 PM
Yeah it seems like raising the larvae will be a challenge, I'm currently trying to raise some boesemani rainbowfish babies, I think it can be done in an old well established aquarium that is full of java moss and supplemented with green water, paramecium, and other micro-life for the larvae. If that doesn't work I'll just set up some tubs outside and harvest water from them for my fish indoors next year. If that doesn't work Ill just have to think of something else.
If you can handle rainbows, then sunfish larvae should be easy.
#9
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Posted 23 November 2009 - 12:14 AM
Has anyone here tried culturing those microfex (dero) worms? I hear they're tricky, expensive, but worth it. If only I could find some.
#11
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 23 November 2009 - 01:21 PM
How exciting! I think it is my patriotic duty to keep and breed at least a few native fishes from now on. My wish-list includes: lepomis symmetricus, lepomis humilis, all the cool little elassoma pygmy sunfishes, sticklebacks, and minnows. I'm really only interested in species that can be and have been bred in smaller aquariums (in my opinion, 30g tanks and under). The darters are fascinating but haven't seen much online on spawning them in an aquarium, what I have seen involves breeding wild caught fish that are already gravid or in breeding mode. Now to find a source for all these small sunfishes.
I think it is cool that you want to breed sunfish and I say go for it... but you should know that there are several people within NANFA that have successfully bred darters in tanks, and not just wild fish, but multiple generations. So you can breed what you want and there is information out there (in old issues of American Currents... which you can buy on CD... as well as informaiton from members here) on breeding whatever native you are really interested in.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#12
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Posted 23 November 2009 - 04:36 PM
Another site associated with the Native Fish Conservancy (I think now defunct), http://fins.actwin.com/nanf/, also has tidbits of information that might prove helpfull.
#13
Guest_Ramiro_*
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Posted 23 November 2009 - 08:53 PM
I am in a bit of a bind, I really like ALL of our native fish, the sunfish, minnows, darters! Looks like I'm going to commit to a few at a time until I've done them all..
#14
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Posted 24 November 2009 - 10:08 PM
I am in a bit of a bind, I really like ALL of our native fish, the sunfish, minnows, darters! Looks like I'm going to commit to a few at a time until I've done them all..
You got remember when spawning native fish you are going to be using wild brood stock for the most part.. They have not been bred for generations indoors like some of your tropical's. Alot of them need large spaces, cooling periods, ect.. I suggest you start with one species and work from there..
#15
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Posted 26 November 2009 - 08:02 PM
You got remember when spawning native fish you are going to be using wild brood stock for the most part.. They have not been bred for generations indoors like some of your tropical's. Alot of them need large spaces, cooling periods, ect.. I suggest you start with one species and work from there..
Why is it that they haven't been bred for generations? Has it been difficult or has no one actually tried it? I know that with many tropicals, cichlids come to mind because of their similarities with lepomis, Wild fish are the most difficult to spawn and over the generations the fish get progressively easier.
#16
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Posted 27 November 2009 - 10:56 PM
Why is it that they haven't been bred for generations? Has it been difficult or has no one actually tried it? I know that with many tropicals, cichlids come to mind because of their similarities with lepomis, Wild fish are the most difficult to spawn and over the generations the fish get progressively easier.
Some natives have been bred indoors for generations, I work with longear that are F3's, and bluegill about the same. There has just not been an interest in keeping alot of Native north american fishes. In europe they admire some of our fish for aquariums, And I'm assuming these are coming from captive bred stocks. Im sure there are qiute a few Native species that could be bred and selected towards to create a domesticated line for aquarium hobbiest's.
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