getting bluegill for my aquarium

sykofrenic

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 12, 2008
129
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16
ca
does anyone know where to get bluegill or other sunfish for an aquarium? i have a 55 gal, so i only want a few.
 

teleost

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2005
738
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where I lay my hat
Syko, Unfortunately California doesn't allow you to get your aquarium fish from the wild. They do allow you to buy native fish for your aquarium provided the fish you want are not on the prohibited species list.

KSI aquatics
Zimmerman's captive natives
Jonah's Aquarium
BT Darters
Aquaculturestore

All the above suppliers might have what you're looking for.

I would not recommend bluegill since there are so many other more beautiful sunfishes available. Some sunfish (like orangespotted) stay small and remain brilliantly colored most times of the year. Do a little studying before you get any sunfish for your 55 since once you get them, you can't release them just like tropicals.
 

sykofrenic

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 12, 2008
129
0
16
ca
teleost;2221389; said:
Syko, Unfortunately California doesn't allow you to get your aquarium fish from the wild. They do allow you to buy native fish for your aquarium provided the fish you want are not on the prohibited species list.

i know about that, im a wildlife major at humboldt state university, thats why i asked about suppliers. thanks for spreading the word and trying to protect our waterways.
 

uncwnells

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 18, 2008
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Wilmington, NC
Cali is catch and release only? Thats f'in awesome if its true!
 

sykofrenic

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 12, 2008
129
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16
ca
its not catch and release only. its no removal of live animals. you cant go out and catch them and bring them home alive for an aquarium.
 

Moontanman

Polypterus
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2008
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Cape Fear, NC
blogs.scienceforums.net
sykofrenic;2222332; said:
its not catch and release only. its no removal of live animals. you cant go out and catch them and bring them home alive for an aquarium.
Why would the State want to prohibit keeping fish in an aquarium that you had caught even by legal methods? You can kill them, eat them, or just throw them back but not keep them in an aquarium? I've heard the laws in California tend toward the draconian but that really does not compute.
 

sykofrenic

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 12, 2008
129
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ca
its about introduction of new foregin species from the aquarium to the wild and visa versa. there are many irresponsible people out there who would go catch a fish from a lake,keep it in a tank for a while and then release the fish back. on release back to the wild that fish could be taking parasites, diseases, bacteria, algae...anything from the aquarium and introducing it to the wild where it could potentially cause a big problem. look up the asian carp in the mississippi watershed, that is why the state wasnts no traffic at all between aquariums and the wild. plus its a game species and you cant keep game species(or wild animals) as pets
 
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