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Pumpkinseed and green sunfish breeding

Started by Guest_Eddy Wilson_* , Apr 30 2014 05:58 PM

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37 replies to this topic

#21 Guest_Eddy Wilson_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 04:41 PM

The male is still over the nest site and I can visibly see maybe a half dozen eggs. What should I do?

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#22 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 04:54 PM

Erica, have you spawned Lepomis species before? If not, please allow someone with direct experience to address the questions.

I have to reiterate Dustin's point. If I had direct experience with only what? Three native fish species, I would surely hesitate to answer questions way out of my realm.

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#23 Guest_Eddy Wilson_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 04:58 PM

Well I just paid my membership fee, just waiting for an admin to process it, then I'll post better pics of both fish.

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#24 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 05:02 PM

Erica, have you spawned Lepomis species before? If not, please allow someone with direct experience to address the questions.

Nope, never have, although I breed a lot of other fish. That's why I referred Eddy to NANFA from facebook, so that people with lepomis breeding experience could chime in

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#25 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 05:03 PM

As soon as our treasurer Tom Watson, notifies Michael Wolfe, he will change your status. This is largely manual, and can take a couple days, so bear with us.

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#26 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 05:11 PM

There's lots of herpy-people in NANFA and herp discussion on the forum (aquatic ones at least); you might like this crowd. Let me know if you need any live food cultures (Moina, Daphnia, Ostracods, etc) . In fact I'm bringing some tonight to the Raleigh Aqu Soc meeting at the Vet School (First Thursdays, 7:30 - 9:30) - one of our other members is doing a live foods program. So if you happen to be close to Raleigh, drop on by.

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#27 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 01 May 2014 - 06:07 PM

Yes, all that she said. It's important to realize that this forum is just one little part of what NANFA really is.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#28 Guest_keepnatives_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 07:11 PM

I had a small young pair of Green sunfish spawn in the corner of a small tank many, many years ago maybe a 20 long. The eggs were guarded and hatched and lasted a short time. All the other many larger fish were kept quite effectively on the other half of the tank. I was quite surprised as the greens were quite small. Then again anyone who has kept and spawned convict cichlids can attest to the ability of a determined parent to keep eggs and young protected for a time. Quick removal is best obviously as sooner or later temptation will be too great. If a surprize spawning occurs when only large fish are in the tank a very temporary haven could be a small overturned plastic crate over the spawning site with a large rock on top till you get time to pull them out.

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#29 Guest_Eddy Wilson_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 07:36 PM

Thanks for the referral to this site Erica.

Gerald, I'm in Polkton NC, about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs from Raleigh. Thanks for the invite tho.

I truly didn't expect this pairing to happen. In the 20 or so years I've kept fish I've never had a hybrid pairing, and in this particular tank the only species that there are multiples of is common plecos and senegal bichirs. I just never expected a pairing from a green sunfish and a pumpkinseed. I'm glad this happened because it led me here and I think there is an endless supply of knowledge for me to soak in from you all.

Is there a forum here that would cover Bowfin (amia calva)? I have wanted one of these for many years with no luck of finding one. Well, I found a 17" one but that's not what I want to start with. I want a 1"-3" specimen, this prehistoric species has always inspired me.

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#30 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 01 May 2014 - 07:47 PM

With any good luck, I will get a bowfin spawn this year.

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#31 Guest_Eddy Wilson_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 06:04 AM

With any good luck, I will get a bowfin spawn this year.

Can you post pics of your bowfin please? I'd really like to see them, and if you get a spawn I would like to get 2 or 3 of them from you.

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#32 Guest_centrarchid_*

Guests

Posted 02 May 2014 - 08:41 AM

Eddy Wilson,

The eggs/embryos have hatched and you likely have at least hundreds of prolarvae down in gravel. If less than 72 hours post-fertilization, siphon them gently from gravel as I described previously. If older then more aggressive harvesting with turkey bastor is better,

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#33 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 09:28 AM

I have never caught a baby bowfin in NC (been here 30-ish years), and not too many big ones either. If you can find some aquatic plant beds along the edge of Blewett Falls Lake, or swampy streams around Rockingham-Hamlet area, those might be good places to try. Fritz might have ideas on where else to look. Have you got space to keep a bowfin when it grows up?

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#34 Guest_Eddy Wilson_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 01:39 PM

I grew up in Hamlet, my father and I caught a few bowfin out of the creek that runs off the Hamlet city lake. That was over 20 yrs ago tho. I have a spot here in Polkton that has lots of bowfin but I can never find any small ones. The smallest so far was 17".

I do have a great place for a couple bowfin when they grow up. I have a large garden pond, roughly 18' x 10' x 3-1/2' at the deepest point. I have it fenced in and right now keep a couple small water turtles in there along with a few shiners. I personally would prefer to buy captive born specimens but if I have to settle for wild caught I will.

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#35 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 02:25 PM

My bowfin are in a 1/4 acre pond. I just hope to get a spawn, and capture the school of fry.

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#36 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 03:01 PM

Snorkle pond to find nest. Mine have dug very deep nests relative to similar sized largemouth bass.

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#37 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 03:33 PM

Good tip, thanks.

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#38 Sean Phillips

NANFA Member

Allegheny River Drainage, Southwest PA

Posted 10 June 2014 - 11:47 AM

Didn't read the whole thing but those fry are going to look nice man, I've caught Green X Pumpkinseed before while fishing and like stated before they're big and they're colorful! What do you plan on doing with the fry? I'd love to spawn Leps only it's illegal to sell them in PA and even though I'd probably give them away anyway I'm not sure how many people I could find to take them, going to have to find myself someone with a private pond that likes bluegill

Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage