Native tank advice

fur43

fur43

Medium Fish
#1
Dec 3, 2006
59
0
0
Sacramento, California
#1
I'm planning on turning my 20g into a native tank, thinking of two pumpkinseed sunfish. Most likely getting the plants from the area where I catch the fish.

Will this be enough room? And what is their temperment, because I've heard varying stories on them and was hopeing for someone that has had experience with them.

Or maybe ditch the PSeeds and go for a different type of sunfish.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#2
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#2
just remember that all sunfish can grow to be rather large, I have caught pumpkin seeds measuring 9in or bigger, so if they are small be prepared to move them into a larger tank as once in captivity it is typically illegal in alot of states to release them back into the wild, also check your states regulations on keping native fish.
this link to texas dnr seems to have good info on sizes.
Aquatic Species Found in Fresh Water
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#5
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#5
in my opinion a 20g is still going to be to small for a full grown sunfish, and since these fish are predatory they will likely consume smaller fish, I know that I have caught sunfish of all kinds on minnows, so if you were to go thru with one in a 20g i would guess there are no suitable tank mates, the only other thing i could think of is that being from what I read our native fish thrive in cooler water than the tropicals sold at the local lfs.. Now I may be wrong completely since I have had no experience with keeping sunfish since i was a kid (20+ years ago), but I did research it a bit back in august when I was setting up my tanks and again a few weeks ago when I decided to begin upgrading to a larger tank, but my focus was on native catfsh and bass.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#7
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#7
Just picked up a copy of AQUARIUM FISH at Petco and there is a similiar question about pumkinseed on page 18. the person asking the question is wanting to add a butterfly fish but his concern is that the pumpkinseed takes a test bite of anything introduced into the tank. To shorten the answer and give you a jist of what it contained basically pumpkinseeds will test bite anything introduced, if its smaller enough to eat they will most likely be harassed and eaten. But if it is to big to fit into its mouth then it should be fine.
 

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