Wild Caught Fish

[hideandseek]

So I was thinking about doing a species only bluegill/sunfish tank with about 8-12 fish in it. I was planning on trying to catch the smallest fish I could find out of the local pond and putting them in the fish tank.

I'm guessing that they won't be the healthiest fish, so what would I need to treat them for before I put them in?

[Crispy]

So I was thinking about doing a species only bluegill/sunfish tank with about 8-12 fish in it. I was planning on trying to catch the smallest fish I could find out of the local pond and putting them in the fish tank. I'm guessing that they won't be the healthiest fish, so what would I need to treat them for before I put them in?

Smaller one's should be fine... I fill up a few buddies ponds with bluegills every summer. Just give 'em a look over when you catch them and look for lumps or open wounds. Obviously don't keep any unless they were hooked in the side of the lip (swallowers usually never make it). If it's a species only tank, you don't hafta worry about spreading disease to other fish.

[Red]

If you want to keep long tern, you would need atleast a 125 gallon tank... And make sure you have good filtration on the tank, they are pretty dirty...

[NickFish]

You're looking at a minimum of 125-200 gallons for those. Maybe more.

I have a single pumpkinseed in a 30g, and I'm still going to upgrade when he gets bigger, probably sometime this year.

They are a lot like south american cichlids. They are agressive and territorial.

Not only can most sunfish reach between 8-16", with bluegills at the higher end of that, they also need their own section of the tank. And, like Sev said, they are very dirty fish.

You can keep one in a 55g long-term, in a 125g with most sunfish species you could keep around a half dozen. Problem only around 5 or 6 of the larger fish.

To have a dozen would be at least a 200g tank. I doubt you have ever seen a full grown sunfish before. They move into deeper water as they grow. The sunfish you catch at those little ponds with a worm and bobber are half or a third the size at best of a full grown bluegill. But don't get your hopes down just yet...

That being said....
If you live in an area with the much smaller sunfish you could probably keep your full dozen or more in a 55 or 75 tank. Blue spotted sunfish, Enneacanthus gloriosus, and the orange spotted sunfish, Enneacanthus gloriosus will stay well under 6", and usually even smaller, average about 3-4". That may not be the same monster carnivore as the larger pumpkinseeds but they have the same personality. Great fish to keep.

Like was mentioned above, save for open sores you are pretty much good. I guess it is a far warning to look out for a disease called black ich, or black spot. It looks identical to white spot, just black (obviously). Unlike the ich we know and love it is not fatal 99% of the time, but it is unsightly and has no real cure, so avoid getting a fish that is infected with it if possible.

[Crispy]

I totally agree with what nickfish mentioned above. These are better off in ponds unless you have a big tank. They'll eat earthworms and make huge messes.

[smaug]

Go for it,if you get small ones you will be fine.The great thing about them is if you keep just wild caught sunnys you could easily restock them when they get too big and replace them with smaller stock at the same time.They will be a bit dirtier then tropicals but then again so are larger cichlids and that doesnt keep people from keeping them healthy.You could counteract the extra waste they will introduce by keeping them in a planted tank,that will use up the extra nitrates and ammo they will produce,good water changes and a big filter will make your project very doable.All that being said,I would rethink the number you would like to keep down to 5 or 6.Good luck.

[aquasteph]

That's funny I did the exact thing before, but only with the bluegills. I caught 6 of them and brought them home and let them live in my un-taken-care-of but pretty clean pool. I didn't try to put any other fish in there with them, but they all lived a long healthy life until I caught them again about a year later (There were 8 that time. They must have bred.) and released them back into the local lake.

I'm not sure what you should treat them with, but I will tell you it was a lot of fun. Good luck and enjoy it :)

[troy]

You should not be catching wild bluegills and putting them in your. In some areas it is illegal to catch wild fish and keep them. Why do you want to keep them so bad? It would be too stressful for the fish taking the fish from a spacious body of water and then putting it in a cramped aquarium.

[NickFish]

The great thing about them is if you keep just wild caught sunnys you could easily restock them when they get too big and replace them with smaller stock at the same time.
Its illegal in I believe every state to release fish that were at a time in captivity into the wild. Even if that is where they came from.

Once a fish is in your tank it is yours for life. If you don't want it anymore the only two options are to find a new aquarium for it or euthinize it, same as any other fish.
Sorry. Another reason why it is so important to be able to house fish long-term.

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, thats right. once a wild fish has entered a aquarium, dont release it into the wild again

[MrJim]

Its illegal in I believe every state to release fish that were at a time in captivity into the wild. Even if that is where they came from.

Once a fish is in your tank it is yours for life. If you don't want it anymore the only two options are to find a new aquarium for it or euthinize it, same as any other fish.
Sorry. Another reason why it is so important to be able to house fish long-term.
Well a third option involves a frying pan and some cornmeal:1luvu:

[hideandseek]

Thanks to everyone who responded with constructive advice.


Go for it,if you get small ones you will be fine.The great thing about them is if you keep just wild caught sunnys you could easily restock them when they get too big and replace them with smaller stock at the same time.They will be a bit dirtier then tropicals but then again so are larger cichlids and that doesnt keep people from keeping them healthy.You could counteract the extra waste they will introduce by keeping them in a planted tank,that will use up the extra nitrates and ammo they will produce,good water changes and a big filter will make your project very doable.All that being said,I would rethink the number you would like to keep down to 5 or 6.Good luck.

That was part of my original idea, it would definitely be planted. And NickFish, you were right. It's not often that I see large bluegills so it slipped my mind that they would even get remotely big. But even then 5 or 6 would probably be more reasonable.

Thanks again guys.

[smaug]

Well a third option involves a frying pan and some cornmeal:1luvu:
Thats a wonderful solution to a well fattened sunny,can I come over for the fish fry?
That was part of my original idea, it would definitely be planted. And NickFish, you were right. It's not often that I see large bluegills so it slipped my mind that they would even get remotely big. But even then 5 or 6 would probably be more reasonable.
Its very unlikely you would find a sunny or a bluegill reaching that monster length that nick suggests,Ive fished my whole life and have never seen one bigger then 10" and that was a lake record for many years.As for putting them back,what harm would it cause,if it was not kept with anything but wild sunnys its not going to introduce anything harmful back into the wild water that they did not already have.

[NickFish]

Its very unlikely you would find a sunny or a bluegill reaching that monster length that nick suggests,Ive fished my whole life and have never seen one bigger then 10" and that was a lake record for many years.As for putting them back,what harm would it cause,if it was not kept with anything but wild sunnys its not going to introduce anything harmful back into the wild water that they did not already have.
Not sure how many people keep monster fish down there, but Canada has got to be the monster fish capital of the world.
I can name at least 4 or 5 people I know off the top of my head that have blue gills and sunfish in aquariums and/or ponds that top 15".

Just because you don't catch them doesn't mean they won't get that size with proper care. I personally have never caught a sunfish over 8". Probably because I never fish for them. But I've seen with my own eyes sunfish and blue gills twice that size.

[smaug]

Not sure how many people keep monster fish down there, but Canada has got to be the monster fish capital of the world.
I can name at least 4 or 5 people I know off the top of my head that have blue gills and sunfish in aquariums and/or ponds that top 15".

Just because you don't catch them doesn't mean they won't get that size with proper care. I personally have never caught a sunfish over 8". Probably because I never fish for them. But I've seen with my own eyes sunfish and blue gills twice that size.
For sure they can reach that size,Muskys can reach 6 foot,pike the same,largemouth bass can top out at 25#,all species have there biguns.Im not really here to argue max size of species,I am here to say that unless he keeps them for a VERY long time ,a sunny or gill will not exceed more then 10" in a normally maintained aquarium situation,I say again to the poster go for it,it will make a very nice set up.

[Crispy]

Not sure how many people keep monster fish down there, but Canada has got to be the monster fish capital of the world.
I can name at least 4 or 5 people I know off the top of my head that have blue gills and sunfish in aquariums and/or ponds that top 15".

oh yeah, Canada has some great fish/fishing!! We do have pretty huge bluegills.
And where you can find one, there are usually thousands... we catch them by the hundreds (with one doz. worms) all summer long in Mitchell's Bay (Lake St. Clair). Beautiful scenery, awesome fishing, and an all round great time drinking/bbqing all weekend! I know many people who have their ponds stocked with bluegill and bass and they do fine. But in aquariums?? I dunno, you gotta have a big tank to pull it off.
I caught 6 baby muskie last summer about 5 inches long in our minnow trap. Had nowhere to keep them though so I let 'em go.