Freshwater fish tank

[dean nelson]

Bluegill are one of the better ones because you can train them to eat flake fish food. Crayfish are also cool so long as you don't mind a fish getting eaten every once in awile. Had a gar and he was fun to watch eat because they do it like no other fish around here and are just about impossible to kill. Had mine get out of the tank and I didn't notice for two days. Found him wrapped up in a sock and put him back in and he laid belly up for a couple days then righted himself and was back to normal other than the fact that he lost a lot of the coloration on his skin from being so dry.

 

[deleted_account]

Bluegill are one of the better ones because you can train them to eat flake fish food. Crayfish are also cool so long as you don't mind a fish getting eaten every once in awile. Had a bad and he was fun to watch eat because they do it like no other fish around here and are just about impossible to kill. Had mine get out of the tank and I didn't notice for two days. Found him wrapped up in a sock and put him back in and he laid belly up for a couple days then writing himself and was back to normal other than the fact that he lost a lot of the coloration on his skin from being so dry.

for real. is there anything you havent dabbled in?

 

[DirtyMike]

bad = bass? bat?

 

[Retired Educator]

Is this what you mean by a green sunfish? If I caught that the first thing I would think I had is a bluegill. Not familiar with many of the sunfish at all. I do see how they would look good in a fish tank.

I'm pretty sure it's legal.

As long as you don't use hot lights (use LEDs) you don't need a chiller for native ND fish - other than trout. A basement is best but any cooler room is fine - and no direct sunlight unless it's in the basement where it'll stay room temp and not "boil" in summer sunlight.

I have kept and even spawned a variety of ND fish. Search small streams and creeks for small sunfish varieties - WAY better looking than bluegills, stay small, incredible colors, spawn readily - even in 10 gallon tank. Little dwarf sized green sunfish exist in creeks in Fargo area BTW.

 

[dean nelson]

for real. is there anything you havent dabbled in?

Ahhhhh........drugs that's about it. As for the tank growing up with a private lake in the backyard that's chalk full of fish ma y of which make for good tank fish makes it pretty easy to get a good tank setup going. I was tempted this summer to put a few of these two month old large mouth in but figured I would rather catch them when they get bigger.

 

[guywhofishes]

Is this what you mean by a green sunfish? If I caught that the first thing I would think I had is a bluegill. Not familiar with many of the sunfish at all. I do see how they would look good in a fish tank.

yep - way more visually impressive than gils

 

[huffranger]

A smallmouth bass was my favorite species of tank fish when I was a kid. I only had a 20 gal tank but had my pet bass for a couple years until I released him.

 

[dean nelson]

I always liked the orange spotted sunfish the most. Definitely tends to stand out compared to the rest of North Dakota fish.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Bluegill are one of the better ones because you can train them to eat flake fish food. Crayfish are also cool so long as you don't mind a fish getting eaten every once in awile. Had a gar and he was fun to watch eat because they do it like no other fish around here and are just about impossible to kill. Had mine get out of the tank and I didn't notice for two days. Found him wrapped up in a sock and put him back in and he laid belly up for a couple days then righted himself and was back to normal other than the fact that he lost a lot of the coloration on his skin from being so dry.

Dean is that your setup? Also you were saying that I wouldn't need a filtration system to leave the water murky. I am worried about water getting too toxic from all the bio waste

 

[pluckem]

Between some childhood friends and I we had a mix of pike, walleye, perch, bullhead, bluegill, and bass at one point or another. Large snails, baitfish, mud puppies also frequented the tanks.

All the tanks were set up an ran just like you would for goldfish, but filter systems were probably considered above average.

If you wanted to get serious about it you could probably learn a thing or two from how a successful saltwater aquarium is set up and monitored (obviously there are some differences)

I don't have any specific advice to add besides watch how much fish you add and how much you feed them. Too much fish and waste can cause ammonia poisoning, and too much bait and feed will also increase the waste. So all the times it seems like the aquarium had a die off or disease issue was when a guy would get too greedy and add an extra fish or put too much bait in the tank.

I have always wanted a saltwater set up because the fish are so much cooler, but the reported expense and time required has scared me away. Sounds more like a hobby, and I have enough of those.

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As mentioned above, I would say a single bluegill was the longest lasting and thus most successful resident in the tanks. Lived for a few years if I recall correctly.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I'm pretty sure it's legal.

As long as you don't use hot lights (use LEDs) you don't need a chiller for native ND fish - other than trout. A basement is best but any cooler room is fine - and no direct sunlight unless it's in the basement where it'll stay room temp and not "boil" in summer sunlight.

I have kept and even spawned a variety of ND fish. Search small streams and creeks for small sunfish varieties - WAY better looking than bluegills, stay small, incredible colors, spawn readily - even in 10 gallon tank. Little dwarf sized green sunfish exist in creeks in Fargo area BTW.

I sure would like one of those little guys in my tank guywhoknowaaboutfreshwaterfishinatank

 

[Rowdie]

After thinking about it I think that is a pumpkinseed.

 

[dean nelson]

Yeah that's definitely pumpkin seed the greens are pretty plain like the gills. lunk yes the tank in my living room although that pic is from last summer. you definitely need filtration to keep them going and not all nasty. I use a big double sided top one on this tank that's a 50 gallon. a under rock one would be far better then top hough. one big thing with these are if you accidentally bring in one sick fish you can wipe out your aquarium sometimes for years. I have a huge problem with a fin fungus that came in with a batch of minnows I threw in for some bass. once that shit gets into the tank it's a bitch to get out without removing 100% of everything in the tank and disinfecting the whole lot and getting all new rocks. oh and just remembered my all time favorite fish for a tank are baby bullheads. they really a blast to watch especially at feeding time. they lay there till you hit the light and then start roaming around looking for food. the second a piece of food touches even the farthest tip of one of their whiskers they turn and slam it in the blink of an eye.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I am definitely keeping this thread on my own sticky notes becuase I am going to start looking at setting up a North Dakota fish tank.

 

[MSA]

Its legal as long as fish are purchased through a hatchery or a fish dealer and not released into local waters. no chiller needed perch n gills do well at room temp. Bluegills can and will get territorial in a tank and beat up other tank mates. As juveniles they will get along fine for a while, but as they mature one or two gills or crappie will become dominant and kill the rest of the fish.

A 75 gal tank would be fine for 2 adult bluegill, or 3-4 adult perch, or 2-4 crappie.

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Thats a longear, not a pumkinseed

 

[dean nelson]

Back when I was a kid I got around ten perch that were only about three inches long and they were cool because they schooled like adults but in miniature. I built a foot or so dropoff in the tank it was fun to watch how they related to the structure but put a couple crayfish I cut out of one really fat spring trout and soon enough no more perch.

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You ever run into them out west MSA? I see by their range map that Fargo is about as far West as they are listed.

 

[MSA]

Longears are extremely variable by location, very interesting species. If i have ever caught one it was when i was a kid living down south nd probably assumed it was a pumkinseed.

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Do an image search on them and youll see the variety.

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Heres a range map of the different varieties, and those varieties even vary from river to river, and lake to lake within their own range.

 

[deleted_account]

I equate perch to cats. Fickle, assholes, that do things on their own terms. Like eating for instance.

 

[Davy Crockett]

I bought a 75 gallon fish tank so I can make a perch bluegill crappie ecosystem.
Has anyone tried to keep these fish as pets? I see a lot of set ups on YouTube and just thought I would see if anyone on here has more experience.

I skimmed over this topic but didn't really sit down and read but what is your end goal, Just a fish tank ? small aquaponic system ?

 

[Bed Wetter]

If you've got 75 gallons to work with, get yourself a snapping turtle. No matter how small they are when you get them and how long you have them, they never tame. It's like keeping a slow, angry dinosaur. Fast as hell when they're eating.

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My buddy said when he dies, he doesn't want to be buried or cremated, he wants to be eaten by his turtle.