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New to NANFA - Native tank plan advice


13 replies to this topic

#1 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 07 February 2018 - 12:14 PM

Good morning all,

 

I am a new NANFA member and am excited to be in a community with other like minded individuals.

 

I am from Nebraska originally but have been in north central Kansas for the last 10 years.  I am an enthusiastic about fishing, aquariums, and conservation. 

 

I having been keeping and breeding Central and South American cichlids for the last 12 years, we have recently moved into a new home, and I am converting my 135g (72" x 24" x 25") into native tank which will go into my basement office/den/man-cave once it is finished.

 

I plan to stock a few Longear, Orange-spotted, Bluegill and other sunfish species,  as well as a yellow or black Bullhead.  Dealing with CA and SA cichlids, I know all about aggression and territorial disputes in aquaria am hoping the tank will be large enough and aquascaped in such a way to deter aggression, but please let me know if I am setting myself (and fish) up for failure.

 

The 135g display tank is filtered by a 55g sump. 2x 100 Micron large filter socks will provide mechanical filtration, and 6 gallons of fluidized K1 bio-media will provide biological filtration.  The sump is powered by 2 Jebao DCP 6500 marine pumps, which I plan on running around 50% to provide roughly 1000gph turnover. 

 

I am looking forward to collecting once it warms up, I have fished for sport my whole life and the idea of merging my two favorite hobbies should have dawned on me earlier :)  I have read up on the regulation for Kansas, and I have a few collection points in mind.  I was looking forward to trying to catch Longears at Geary Co State Fishing Lake but then I discovered it was a Aquatic Nuisance Species body of water, and fish cannot be transported from it alive.

 

I look forward to learning about minnow and darter species, I don't currently plan on keeping any in the 135g in fear that they will get eaten by the larger fish. If this isn't the case let me know and I would like to hear about hardy species that can co-habitate 

 

 


Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#2 JasonL

JasonL
  • NANFA Member
  • Kentucky

Posted 07 February 2018 - 07:29 PM

Bullheads will limit your options some if you are wanting diversity. Eventually they'll get big enough to eat everything but your larger Lepomis. You might consider madtoms as an alternative if you're wanting more variety such as larger shiners or topminnows.

#3 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 07 February 2018 - 10:25 PM

 

I look forward to learning about minnow and darter species, I don't currently plan on keeping any in the 135g in fear that they will get eaten by the larger fish. If this isn't the case let me know and I would like to hear about hardy species that can co-habitate 

 

 

Larger Luxilus and Cyprinella can hold their own with many sunfish (well not Sandwich, but he is a special case). You should get this book and figure out what is near you... https://kansaspress....006-1961-0.html


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

#4 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 08 February 2018 - 11:16 AM

 

Larger Luxilus and Cyprinella can hold their own with many sunfish (well not Sandwich, but he is a special case). You should get this book and figure out what is near you... https://kansaspress....006-1961-0.html

 

Thanks, I have been looking through the pocket guide to Kansas stream fishes, I will check out the other one.


Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#5 littlen

littlen
  • NANFA Member
  • Washington, D.C.

Posted 09 February 2018 - 07:41 AM

I definitely wouldn't put darters in there with your planned stock list.  Like Michael said, some larger minnows could work.  If they get eaten from time to time, just replenish as needed.  The sunnies and cats would make a good display tank by themselves.


Nick L.

#6 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 09 February 2018 - 01:05 PM

Bullheads will limit your options some if you are wanting diversity. Eventually they'll get big enough to eat everything but your larger Lepomis. You might consider madtoms as an alternative if you're wanting more variety such as larger shiners or topminnows.

 

 

I definitely wouldn't put darters in there with your planned stock list.  Like Michael said, some larger minnows could work.  If they get eaten from time to time, just replenish as needed.  The sunnies and cats would make a good display tank by themselves.

 

How do madtoms do with bullheads and Lepomis?  Do bullheads display conspecific aggression toward madtoms?


Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#7 JasonL

JasonL
  • NANFA Member
  • Kentucky

Posted 09 February 2018 - 02:45 PM

I personally have never had any issues keeping adult madtoms with various Lepomis species. I have kept them with bantams, orangespots, longear, bluegill and smaller warmouth without fatalities. I would not be comfortable mixing bullheads and madtoms together. I think the bullheads would eventually outgrow and eat them but have never tried it to find out.

#8 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 09 February 2018 - 03:06 PM

Thanks for the advice!

 

I am really hoping to get the plumbing from the 135g to the 55g finished this weekend and get it filled and start cycling.  Every time I have some time carved out to work on it, something pulls me away.

 

I will post some pictures of my setup once it is running.  I am setting it up in a different part of the basement while I finish my office.  I am not going to put in any substrate or aquascaping until after it is moved to its permanent location.


Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#9 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 12 February 2018 - 12:54 PM

Got it about 90% set up, waiting on air stones to be delivered that will  in to churn the K1 biomedia.  Once it arrives I will fill it with water and cross my fingers :)

 

135 Dry

Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#10 MtFallsTodd

MtFallsTodd
  • NANFA Member
  • Mountain Falls, Virginia

Posted 12 February 2018 - 03:34 PM

Looking good!!!
Deep in the hills of Great North Mountain

#11 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 19 February 2018 - 09:11 PM

No leaks, added pool filter sand and driftwood and some river rock's.

The pool filter sand I got was from Menards, I had purchased PFS in the past from a pool supply store and it was much cleaner and didn't require rinsing. As you can tell from the pictures this clouded things up a quite a bit.

When the dust settles I'll add more river rock, small stones and pea gravel to make the aquascape more natural.

Attached Images

  • 20180219_183437.jpg

Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry

#12 mattknepley

mattknepley
  • NANFA Member
  • Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 20 February 2018 - 05:35 AM

Can't wait to see her up and running. Big tank envy setting in...
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#13 Josh Blaylock

Josh Blaylock
  • Board of Directors
  • Central Kentucky

Posted 22 February 2018 - 03:37 PM

Can't wait to see her up and running. Big tank envy setting in...

 

Big tank envy, or catching little fish overcompensating???


Josh Blaylock - Central KY
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#14 elting44

elting44
  • Regional Rep
  • Salina, KS

Posted 22 February 2018 - 04:59 PM

Can't wait to see her up and running. Big tank envy setting in...

 

You and me both brother! 

 

I just added some more pea gravel and river rock, going to venture to a local creek and try to find some large stones to add to create more nooks and caves so the little natives I (hopefully) catch this spring have a fighting chance and aren't just waiting to become feeders. 

 

I seeded the sump with some ceramic media that has been sitting in a canister filter for about 7 months from a previous tank, don't know if it will hasten the cycling but some of the K1 media has gone from floating to suspended, so fingers crossed.

 

 

Big tank envy, or catching little fish overcompensating???

 

Funny you should mention this, I placed some orders to TenkaraBum and Amazon for some tiny hooks, level line, tippet connectors, tenkara rod, along with a collapsible ultralight spinning rod yesterday, so I should be well equipped to catch the smallest sunfish as well as micros. 

 

A thread documenting my ineptitude is sure to follow.


Tyler Elting -  Intersection of the Saline, Smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers, Kansas
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" -Matthew 4:19
Avatar photo credit Lance Merry



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