Asian Carp in Aquarium

[MN_Rebel]

No im not getting asian carp for my aquariums but IF i were owner the Public aquariums such as Cabella, zoos and Bass Pro and have permit (just general idea) for keeping invasive species in public aquarium. I bet theres not lots of people in here kept asian carp in aquariums.

But im curious about it.....so how you feed the bighead/silver, grass and black carps? And what is best tankmates for them?

Just give me one of your theroies.

Negative comments are welcome! :naughty:

[ewurm]

Doubt anyone has kept one, and if they had it would jump out of the tank every time a jet ski went buy. :D I don't think it would be a great fish for public aquaria or for a home tank.

[andyjs]

At the hatchery I worked at, we always pulled common carp out of our cement shrimp ponds at the end of the season and for a while raised a couple in a 135 gallon display. They eat pretty much anything-pellets, feeders, etc. We also supply grass carp (white amur) for pond stocking. They are "certified sterile" before they can be brought into the state from Arkansas, but I put that in quotation marks because it's a load of BS. The farms in Arkansas say they're certified sterile with an individual blood test so they can jack the price on them sky high. Some have been found reproducing in rivers. They really aren't feasible for an aquarium as they get easily between 4 and 5', even bigger in warmer water down south. They mainly eat plant matter and can pick a pond clean if in a big enough school. They also aren't shy to take pellets or minnows if given the chance either. They are a HUGE fish that spooks easily-never mind jumping out of a tank, with their battering ram skulls, they'd jump THROUGH the tank. After getting hit in the ankle by a 18-24" one and almost being knocked off my feet, I can't even imagine one plowing into the side of a tank...

[Knowdafish]

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jb8OmEr7VqI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jb8OmEr7VqI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[MN_Rebel]

At the hatchery I worked at, we always pulled common carp out of our cement shrimp ponds at the end of the season and for a while raised a couple in a 135 gallon display. They eat pretty much anything-pellets, feeders, etc. We also supply grass carp (white amur) for pond stocking. They are "certified sterile" before they can be brought into the state from Arkansas, but I put that in quotation marks because it's a load of BS. The farms in Arkansas say they're certified sterile with an individual blood test so they can jack the price on them sky high. Some have been found reproducing in rivers. They really aren't feasible for an aquarium as they get easily between 4 and 5', even bigger in warmer water down south. They mainly eat plant matter and can pick a pond clean if in a big enough school. They also aren't shy to take pellets or minnows if given the chance either. They are a HUGE fish that spooks easily-never mind jumping out of a tank, with their battering ram skulls, they'd jump THROUGH the tank. After getting hit in the ankle by a 18-24" one and almost being knocked off my feet, I can't even imagine one plowing into the side of a tank...

Actually i wasnt talking about keeping grass carp in home aquarium, i was talking about how they do in PUBLIC aquariums.

[MN_Rebel]

I found out that Shedd Aquarium have a display tank with asian carps into. They can kept in public aquarium as invasive exhibit along with Northern snakehead, round gobies and ruffe.

[andyjs]

Actually i wasnt talking about keeping grass carp in home aquarium, i was talking about how they do in PUBLIC aquariums.
Of course that could be done. I mean public aquariums keep arapaima and large sturgeon. A full grown white amur is tiny compared to those

[ewurm]

I found out that Shedd Aquarium have a display tank with asian carps into. They can kept in public aquarium as invasive exhibit along with Northern snakehead, round gobies and ruffe.

That would be interesting. I'd like to go up to Duluth and catch some Ruffe, I've never seen a live one.

[ITHURTZ]

I was at the shed sunday and saw the carp etc etc. Some of these fish are dam MASSIVE

[new2natives]

so in the future i plan to keep a large native pond, focusing mainly on sturgeon ... carp would be cool in there right?

(its funny because a business where i used to mow grass as a kid had a pond out front with some HUGE carp in there, and i was always sneaking up on them to look at them before they swam away... takes me back to the days before i realized how much i love fish...)

[andyjs]

How big were they? They might have been grass carp if they were HUGE. Carp would be fine with sturgeon. Lots of people keep sterlet in koi ponds, and koi are just nicer looking common carp

[new2natives]

that makes sense ... they were probably 4' and fat as could be ...
my memory tells me they were a tanish, maybe even a green color ... but its been many years

[andyjs]

Yeah, I'd bet they were grass carp if they were 4'. I've seen some that might have been close to 5. The ones in the main lake at the Columbus Zoo are monsters. The easiest way to tell the difference is the head shape. The white amur/grass carp have a very wide, rounded head with a forward facing mouth versus the downward mouth with barbles on a common carp

[Muske]

The sight of all those carp in that river is foul. Carp are a dirty, useless fish. I'm sure if Scotty saw this he would disagree, but I am not a fan of them. I understand the thinking of grass carp, but they disturb the river/lake bed just like the big common making all lakes turbid. They should be fertilizer for gardens.

[MN_Rebel]

The sight of all those carp in that river is foul. Carp are a dirty, useless fish. I'm sure if Scotty saw this he would disagree, but I am not a fan of them. I understand the thinking of grass carp, but they disturb the river/lake bed just like the big common making all lakes turbid. They should be fertilizer for gardens.

oh ok that was so random....i dont see your point related to my questions about keeping asian carp in public aquarium?

[mbhw]

Kept an 8-10" common carp in a 55 gallon for a few years as kid, that fish ate anything, was interesting to watch, but did get spooky if you moved too fast. As it started to grow, we released it back into our local pond (years before I knew not to do that).

It was a cool fish, but I would think you need at least 500 gallons to keep one happy, and there is every chance it might get too big for that, even though the ones near me max out around 12 lbs.

[thingthing]

you can buy grass carp at lfs' in the u.k, they even have albino ones! apparently some people keep them with koi to eat algae, but they are as reliable as CAEs at eating algae.

[blue_pill85]

I found out that Shedd Aquarium have a display tank with asian carps into. They can kept in public aquarium as invasive exhibit along with Northern snakehead, round gobies and ruffe.

Yea their exhibits rock my socks off :headbang2

[Venom SS]

I saw a pair of some kind of Carp in a pond on a golf course while I was fishing for largemouth in N. Texas. These things were massive. I dont know how they got in that pond but they were easily 4' long. At first all I saw was a tail going thru some weeds and I was thinking "Good lord im about to catch a state record" But then after following them for a bit I saw what they were. Massive and def. impressive.

[andyjs]

you can buy grass carp at lfs' in the u.k, they even have albino ones! apparently some people keep them with koi to eat algae, but they are as reliable as CAEs at eating algae.
Yeah, they're great with algae when young, but the big ones get very lazy

I saw a pair of some kind of Carp in a pond on a golf course while I was fishing for largemouth in N. Texas. These things were massive. I dont know how they got in that pond but they were easily 4' long. At first all I saw was a tail going thru some weeds and I was thinking "Good lord im about to catch a state record" But then after following them for a bit I saw what they were. Massive and def. impressive.
Probably grass carp. Golf courses always buy tons of them to keep down the algae in their ponds since they have so much fertilizer run-off pouring into them

[suckerfish]

cabellas in phoenix, az has some. ugly big turds. I keep thai giant carps too. very, very skittish fish when young. don't know bout when they mature... yet