ok new plan , what do ya think ?

[scotty]

after hearing some of the folks here i have revised my stocking plan for my 125g , 1 or 2 bull head catfish(in the wild they get to about 10-12"so i am guessing a bit smaller in captivity) 2 or 3 black crappie (usually no more than 12" in the wild) and either a pair of bluegills or a pair of sunfish .
I called the DNR today and inquired about laws regarding keeping game fish and there are no restrictions on keeping them only the laws on taking them from the wild , so , i will be purchasing them from a state fish hatchery . the cool thing is the fish are 30 - 90 cents each so stocking will be easy on the wallet ...lol
i did get the wall built and painted today so will be setting the tank tommorrow , i am so excited !:hmm3grin2orange: now just gotta get it set up and cycled so i will prolly be adding my first fish or two around the 4th weekend depending on how long the cycling takes


Any input will be greatly appreciated(and heeded)
Scott

[Red]

IMO that tank will be over stocked. I would pick the gills or the crappies, and remember, you need double-triple the filtration you would need for a normal tank. I could see the bullhead trying to eat the fish you keep, so I would exclude them out. Sorry to be a downers, to keep natives you need a fairly large tank.

[Harls]

Sounds like an awesome project, good luck, and post pictures along the way!
Harls

[HorrorShowRot]

Get some pics up and I agree choose crappies or the sunfish otherwise it will be to crowded.

[jaysee]

Sunfish (bluegill) are brutal fish and very agressive. Crappies are too, but not nearly as much as sunfish. You could try one of each, but I think the sunny will win that battle when it comes. Bullhead catfish have huge mouths and will likely eat anything you put with it, especially in a confined space. If I were you, I'd try to get a walking catfish instead. It's not a true native fish, but it's here now and forever. They top out at a little more than a foot in the wild, so I imagine 9 inches in an aquarium.

Like Red, I don't mean to be a downer, but game fish are voracious predators... That's why they are game fish.

[toddnbecka]

As far as aggression goes, the crappie would be less trouble than the bluegills. If you put an equal sized bluegill in a tank with a managuense (jaguar cichlid) I'd say it would be a pretty even matchup.
What about madtom catfish? They're much smaller-growing than bullheads, and you might even get some spawning if you have several.
In any case, the fish will all be happier if you have a good amount of live plants. Vals would probably be easiest, maybe some Najas or duckweed for a nitrate sponge. Hornwort is fine if you can established plants from another tank, but the stuff from the lfs usually falls apart.

[scotty]

madtom catfish? i am not familiar with this species i wilol look into it . are they cold water tollerant?

[toddnbecka]

They're a native species, sometimes sold for bait.