:'( I got raid of the fish in my 55 gallon for multiple reasons. I decided to go back to keeping native sunfish again just because I like them too much. I have the first of my new empire and it is my hybird species, that is unique to this area only. This could be my big break, Wish me luck when i talk to the conservation department. *thumbsupsmiley*
Back to Natives
- Thread starter Nativefish Boy
- Start date
The fish were mean as hell ( green terrors suck *thumbsdown2* ), hid all the time, didn't do what i expected them to do, the urge to go back to natives was too great. NAtive Sunfish---yah now...bluegill, longear sunfish, pumkinseeds, rock bass, orange-spots, i can go on for a while but i don't think i need to. I enjoy them much better anyway.
I`ve been considering some natives for a large tank for a while now. Rock Bass are awsome looking! What is thier max size? I caught one a few years back but it was only about 5" and threw it back. By the way, is it legal to keep natives? Someone told me there were laws agianst keeping them.
I thought it was illegal to keep gamefish (bass etc). maybe it's different for sunfish.. I'd think you'd have to keep the tank pretty cold, like around 60, which means using a chiller in the summer?
but yes it would be cool to have a 150 gallon tank full of sunfish, throw in an earthworm, on a barbless hook and impress your friends, ;D
but yes it would be cool to have a 150 gallon tank full of sunfish, throw in an earthworm, on a barbless hook and impress your friends, ;D
this is what i found to be the easist way to answer all the questions:
SnowPlankton-The max size for a rock bass is around 10-12 inches. They are very cool. Check your local laws before you keep them. If they have size requirements you must follow them.
Somonas-well, Sunfish/bass etc don't like their water to get into the 60's. They prefer to be in water about 68-76 is the range. Only trout like it that cold. I have also found out that even just throwing in an earthworm will impress friends. *thumbsupsmiley*
SnowPlankton-The max size for a rock bass is around 10-12 inches. They are very cool. Check your local laws before you keep them. If they have size requirements you must follow them.
Somonas-well, Sunfish/bass etc don't like their water to get into the 60's. They prefer to be in water about 68-76 is the range. Only trout like it that cold. I have also found out that even just throwing in an earthworm will impress friends. *thumbsupsmiley*
Bluegills rock, I never realized how pretty they were until I had the one at the shop in the turtle tank. He was a good two inches before I left.
And then, I went down to the local park, and saw the most amazing thing! There's a pretty big freshwater lake at this park, with a dock for the old cannoe rental place extending out into this algae flat. Wouldn't you know it, I saw bluegills buidling and defending their bowers! They would pick up rocks and things from the center and place them in a ring around a nice little cleared out spot in the algae. Watched a pair of them court and mate as well. It was really really awsome! They defend bowers and do behave just like cichlids in nest tending. Are they considered Cyprinidids then?
~~Colesea
And then, I went down to the local park, and saw the most amazing thing! There's a pretty big freshwater lake at this park, with a dock for the old cannoe rental place extending out into this algae flat. Wouldn't you know it, I saw bluegills buidling and defending their bowers! They would pick up rocks and things from the center and place them in a ring around a nice little cleared out spot in the algae. Watched a pair of them court and mate as well. It was really really awsome! They defend bowers and do behave just like cichlids in nest tending. Are they considered Cyprinidids then?
~~Colesea
Actually the sunfish family is the Centrachidae. That's cool that you saw that happen. I will probably be keeping some different kinds this time around. Something unsual and that i haven't had or had for long. Here are some of the considerations--provided i can find and catch them. ;D
1. Rock Bass
2. Longear-Sunfish ( exception to rule )
3. Orangespot Sunfish
4. Crappie of any sort ( damn cool to have, i miss mine :-[ )
5. Possibly a smallmouth bass
6. some weird catfish-bullhead??
7. Anything else i find to be pretty and intreging *thumbsupsmiley*
1. Rock Bass
2. Longear-Sunfish ( exception to rule )
3. Orangespot Sunfish
4. Crappie of any sort ( damn cool to have, i miss mine :-[ )
5. Possibly a smallmouth bass
6. some weird catfish-bullhead??
7. Anything else i find to be pretty and intreging *thumbsupsmiley*
If they are doing their job properly they will suggest you keep it in an aquarium until it dies and in no circumstances release it into the wild.
I personally do not agree with Hybridisation of any Fish and would have culled all the spawn.
I recently had to do just this with some Lake Victoria Cichlids.
I personally do not agree with Hybridisation of any Fish and would have culled all the spawn.
I recently had to do just this with some Lake Victoria Cichlids.
Alright, I went out today and caught some bluegill. I brought two of the smallest ones back, and put one in my 20 gallon and one in my 30. I may have to take them back out, since there are aggressive Cichlids in both tanks and I didn`t know how the natives would react. They seem to be kind of docile so far. One is a regular bluegill, and one`s a hybrid of some kind. It has cool blue markings on its face, but the regular blue spot on its gill cover. If they work out and adapt to tank life I might invest in another tank for just natives like bluegill.
Way too go!! 8) *celebratesmiley* You will really like having them--a few words of caution though... the can get pretty big-my old one was 9.25 iches at death :-[ , second, since they were in the wild-they could have parasites. The best way to kill them is to put then i a gallon of de-chloinated water with a tablespoon of salt and let the fish in there for 2-5 minutes-depending on size. They will act funny in the saltwater and float really weird-normal-and then whe they go back into the freshwater they sink straight to the bottom-due to the change in gravity. I will be happy to answer any other questions. 
Bluegills hybridize like crazy by themselves, but some of them are intentionally bred at hatcheries then released. I don?t think they would intentionally put anything harmful into the environment since they stock to protect the populations. I caught five Bluegill and all of them were noticeably different... Some are different types, but some have obvious traits from two different types of sunfish.
Don't worry! ;D you didn't know i caught it.
I can't find it in ANY of more resources. I have a very good id book and you follow steps with pics and you find out what fish you have--it ends up coming between the green sunfish and the bluegill. Both of which are in the creek i got him from.
And yes-bluegill are not picky whenit comes to mating-they will breed with anything-so will the greens. The conservation department will breed pure starins of certian game fish and stock them in ponds and lakes where they have a problem with declining fish populations. In Missouri here the conservation department will stock you're pond for free if it meets certain requirments.
Do you know what any of them are? I'm just interested in hearing about what you have. I also got a female longear sunfish today--all I need know is a male. ;D
I can't find it in ANY of more resources. I have a very good id book and you follow steps with pics and you find out what fish you have--it ends up coming between the green sunfish and the bluegill. Both of which are in the creek i got him from.
And yes-bluegill are not picky whenit comes to mating-they will breed with anything-so will the greens. The conservation department will breed pure starins of certian game fish and stock them in ponds and lakes where they have a problem with declining fish populations. In Missouri here the conservation department will stock you're pond for free if it meets certain requirments.
Do you know what any of them are? I'm just interested in hearing about what you have. I also got a female longear sunfish today--all I need know is a male. ;D
One of the ones I have is the Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus). The other one is similar to the Green Sunfish pictures I`ve seen, but it`s body has some odd colors. There`s blue iridesent markings on it`s face, and it`s body is shaped more elongated than disc-like like the other one.It`s not a Rock Bass because it`s eyes aren`t red, but it looks close. I can`t match it up with a picture...
That fish you have there is a green sunfish. Their colors and patterns will vary alot. Say by location, fish mood, water quality, and if they are spawning or not. They are real cool. Feed him some crickets-they love them and they are very aggresive feeders-fun to watch.The spotted sunfish is one i have yet to keep or even catch. Let me know how he does.
Fish in the wild hybridize all the time. Any animal that has range overlaps hybridize. African Rift Valley Cichlids are nothing but species that have developed from hybridization! That's how you get such occurances as species complexes, as in tiger salamanders and the Empidonax Flycatcher complex (five species of bird that have habitat overlap and the only distinction between them are their voice). Without hybridization you'd never get evolutionary progress or adaptation.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with hybridization, nothing. It is one of the methods towards the development of new species. Hybrid vigor occurs, and the resulting hybridized offspring are usually better off than either of the parent species, thus able to survive in conditions that could cause extinction of the parent species.
What is it with people and this total anti-hybridization thing? Is is religious, ethical, political...what? Man-made hybridization has been going on ever since the introduction of agriculture. Trust me, the milk you drink ain't from no pure-strained wild cow.
~~Colesea
There is absolutely nothing wrong with hybridization, nothing. It is one of the methods towards the development of new species. Hybrid vigor occurs, and the resulting hybridized offspring are usually better off than either of the parent species, thus able to survive in conditions that could cause extinction of the parent species.
What is it with people and this total anti-hybridization thing? Is is religious, ethical, political...what? Man-made hybridization has been going on ever since the introduction of agriculture. Trust me, the milk you drink ain't from no pure-strained wild cow.
~~Colesea