smallest sunfish I can easily breed in 29g
#1 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 10:37 PM
#2 Guest_Elijah_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 10:51 PM
Well pygmy sunfish would most likely breed with the right set up.I'm looking for something that I can easily keep a pair in a 29g, and will be eager to spawn. What best fits the bill?
Pygmies are not true sunfish though. My Bluespots are breeding in my 55G right now, but I have read it is somewhat rare.
I have read that Orange-spots breed pretty easily, but have no experience as of yet.
#3 Guest_Elijah_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 10:52 PM
Well pygmy sunfish would most likely breed with the right set up.
Pygmies are not true sunfish though. My Bluespots are breeding in my 55G right now, but I have read it is somewhat rare.
I have read that Orange-spots breed pretty easily, but have no experience as of yet.
Having pleanty of plants seems to help with this process.
#4 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 11:31 PM
#5 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 11:34 PM
#6 Guest_Drew_*
Posted 21 September 2010 - 11:44 PM
Successfully Spawning and Raising the Banded Sunfish - Peter R. Rollo
Spawning the Blackbanded Sunfish - James G. Sternburg
Meet the Bluespotted Sunfish - Robert T. Rosen
My Blackbanded Sunfish caught in the act
#7 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 12:38 AM
Edited by star5328, 22 September 2010 - 12:39 AM.
#8 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 10:41 AM
#9 Guest_Newt_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 11:05 AM
#10 Guest_gerald_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 01:12 PM
I'd already be set on O-spots if they didn't produce tiny and apparently unfeedable fry
#11 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 07:21 PM
O-spots wont mind your high pH (and presumably high hardness?). The newly-swimmimg fry are no smaller and probably easier to feed than any of the Enneacanthus sunfishes. For fish with really tiny fry use Philodina rotifers and fresh-hatched San Francisco Bay BS, which are smaller at hatching than the Great Salt Lake BS.
I've been told pretty much no one has had success rearing fry of ospots. I'd think if it was as simple as you make it seem the case would be different?
#12 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 10:57 PM
#13 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 22 September 2010 - 11:02 PM
#14 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 23 September 2010 - 02:01 AM
#15 Guest_Newt_*
Posted 23 September 2010 - 09:28 AM
Ask Brian Zimmerman (smbass) about the orangespot fry. I don't know if he raises his indoors or not, but he should have some insight. Do you have room for an outdoor tub? A well-vegetated tub will produce plenty of microfoods for your fry; you could raise the fry in the tubs or just transfer water/excess plants from the tub to the rearing tank.
I have seen greens in spawning mode that were no more than two inches in length. However, this may be a function of population density or other factors that you couldn't (or shouldn't) necessarily replicate in your tank. I would guess that any green 4" or more is mature. You'll definitely want a bigger tub and lots of structure.
#16 Guest_smbass_*
Posted 23 September 2010 - 10:08 PM
#17 Guest_basssmaster_*
Posted 06 October 2010 - 10:13 AM
#18 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 06 October 2010 - 10:24 AM
I recommend trying either Longear sunfish or dollars, as you get the best of both worlds a small colorful species that breeds easily and they produce large fry that are easy to raise indoors with limited resources. Ive bred and reared Longear from multiple stocks(<5) and have produced close to 100 individual spawns indoors, for easy indoor culturing of sunfish, Longear are my personal favorite.
any strain good? How many do you recommend? What if i mix longears/dollars?
#19 Guest_centrarchid_*
Posted 06 October 2010 - 02:13 PM
any strain good? How many do you recommend? What if i mix longears/dollars?
Your local longear would be ideal. A 29-gal aquarium is tight for spawning many Lepomis spp., even easy ones like longear and dollars. Dollar males from what I have seen are more inclined than longear males to damage mates in the confines of smaller aquarium. Mixing from purpose of breeding in my opinion not best option. When fish of similar size, western dollars bully the longear. We have tried to make hybrids with these guys naturally in a very large tank where we could see everything going on using our sympatrically occuring longear and western dollar. No spawns produced voluntarily to my knowledge although cross is viable when made manually.
#20 Guest_star5328_*
Posted 06 October 2010 - 02:45 PM
Your local longear would be ideal. A 29-gal aquarium is tight for spawning many Lepomis spp., even easy ones like longear and dollars. Dollar males from what I have seen are more inclined than longear males to damage mates in the confines of smaller aquarium. Mixing from purpose of breeding in my opinion not best option. When fish of similar size, western dollars bully the longear. We have tried to make hybrids with these guys naturally in a very large tank where we could see everything going on using our sympatrically occuring longear and western dollar. No spawns produced voluntarily to my knowledge although cross is viable when made manually.
Yea, i'm not trying to make hybrids, I just like both a lot. I may just go with Northern Longears and I can move a fish or two into a 15g tub if it gets ugly. How many should I go with? Will be visiting Brian Zimmerman on Sunday to help him get some fish inside or whatever else he's working on at the time, also buying some fish. Should I go with three to try to ensure a pair? 4? I doubt they'll be large enough to sex, which I want them to be very small to start with anyways as i'll be keeping them in a 10g for a month or two.
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