Re: NANFA-L-- newbie here...

Derek Parr (derekparr-in-earthlink.net)
Sun, 20 Aug 2006 22:05:29 -0400

bluegill and pumpkinseed don't normally get quite that big... and it
takes some time if they do. Also.. don't worry about the water, it is
fine. Sunfish are a very hardy group of species. And DON'T ever put
any kind of fish that has been in a tank in to the wild. Even if it
came from there. There is a very very very very big danger of
introducing fish illnesses into environments that aren't use to them if
you do that. If you don't want them anymore for whatever reason, give
them away, eat them or kill them. Sunfish are very common and the
"wild" will not be dissapointed to not get them back. No need to use
lake water. Stunted growth has more to do with lack of food. And
plenty of people keep them in smaller tanks. I'm sure I'll be corrected
if I was off about something. At any rate I think Becky will be fine
keeping those fish in the tank she described.
-derek parr
chapel hill, NC

Carol Jackson wrote:

> Uh becky the fish you are keeping will be about 1 foot long and if
> your bluegill breed they will have to use the all the sandy side
> making your other fish crowded on one side also those fish eat ALOT.
> If I were you I would try to soften the water and throw in some
> salt(ask your local pet store for salt) When your fish start to breed
> just throw them back in a lake or stream
>
> If I where you I would dump your fish and start over because unless
> you cycled(puting in a single fish and let sit for 3-4 months) Or
> used lake water your fish will suffer also those fish need 100s of
> gallons of swiming room or will stunt(when fish are in a small body
> of water or overcrowded they stay small) they will do badly
>
> if you are willing to use your 75 set it up with sand bottom and only
> put in the bluegill.
>
> Fellow native newbie Robert Nichols Greenville South Carolina
>
> Becky Kendell <appycowgirl34-in-yahoo.com> wrote: Hello,
>
> My name is Becky, I am new to the mailing list and to the hobby of
> keeping native fish. I live in Menasha, WI. I have two tanks of
> tropical fish, a 75 gal. and a 20 gal. I also keep (and breed when I
> feel like having all kinds of babies) several different kinds of dart
> frogs, and I have a couple snakes too. This summer I began fishing a
> lot at my fiance's family's cottage on a small lake in Wisconsin. I
> kept catching little bluegills, perch, and pumpkinseeds and started
> to realize how pretty these fish are, especially the pumpkinseeds.
> Well, it was just a thought in the back of my mind until a fellow
> frog-hobbyist friend of mine called and said he was moving and wanted
> to get rid of a bunch of his tanks, one of them being a 125 gallon
> including stand, lights, and covers. I set it up in my basement,
> since it wouldn't fit anywhere else in the house, and after about a
> month, I now have fish in it.
>
> I thought I'd describe it and would like anyone on here to let me
> know if I'm doing anything wrong. I made one end of it with a sandy
> bottom, the other with gravel and rocks. On the sandy side, there are
> a few live plants, some fake ones, and logs for hiding. This is also
> the brighter side. The other side does not have a light over it and
> will (when I find the right rocks) have hiding places in the rocks. I
> thought this would provide the fish with a choice of habitat. (of
> course I don't really know what I'm doing yet, but it does look
> neat!) I have two bio-wheel filters running, one on the rocky side
> and one in the middle....causing the planted side to have less
> current. I have tested the water, and there is no amonia or nitrates
> anymore. The hardness is pretty high, but I am thinking that is ok
> since I am also catching fish from this same area? The fish so far
> seem to be doing great. Much better than I expected. I started with a
> pumpkinseed (almost adult) a small bluegill, and a small perch. They
> got used to the tank pretty quick. I also bought a young crappie from
> a pet store, hoping it would do well right away and eat food more
> readily, but actually it has turned out to be the shyest. After about
> a week, I then caught a rock bass. It took up residence in a
> hollowed-out piece of wood I put in there, and then after a few days
> also started to come out and beg for food with the others. I thought
> it might cause trouble with the little bluegill who is only about an
> inch and a half, but everyone gets along fine! Today I went fishing
> again and came back with a bigger bluegill, and another perch. So the
> total is 1 pumpkinseed, 2 bluegill, 2 perch, 1 rock bass, and 1
> crappie. Surprisingly (to me at least) the pumpkinseed is the king
> (or queen?). The bass is actually really submissive and I have taken
> to feeding him from my hand so no one else gets his food. I am
> absolutely hooked on these guys now. I wish they could be upstairs. I
> do know someday the fish I have might not get along when they mature,
> and I do have other tanks laying around for such and occation. As for
> feeding, I started with fish to get them to come out and hunt. Then
> they started taking worms I dropped in. For a while not all of them
> would come get the worms, but now they do. Now that they look for
> things dropping from the surface, I think I will try some sinking
> pellets.
>
> I look forward to learning more about native fish from all of you. I
> have been reading lately about fish that have been introduced in my
> area...I was shocked at how many of them don't belong here. I live
> next to the biggest lake in WI, Lake Winnebago. I'm very saddened to
> find out it is in much more trouble than I knew with all the
> introduced species of fish, crayfish, mussels, and plants, there
> doesn't seem to be much hope for the wildlife that belongs here.
>
> Becky
>
>
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-- 
    ............................................................
    derek parr                          http://www.derekparr.com
    101-B eastwood lake road                artist-in-derekparr.com
    chapel hill, NC  27514                          919.444.9003
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/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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