View Full Version : New Chain Pickerel!
blurock
06-02-2009, 2:04 AM
He's gorgeous! I love him!
Got him from Paul Sachs. He's about 4-5 inches
MultispeciesTamer
06-02-2009, 10:44 AM
nice i like him
caribemob
06-02-2009, 10:47 AM
how much did you pay looking for a specimen to go in my 55 gal. what species should i get
Nice fish!
Caribemob- the grass and redfin pickerels are the only esocids small enough for a 55, and they may outgrow it eventually. They get about 12-15" long. You could try mudminnows ("pygmy pike"), which are 4-5" long but have pike-like habits.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 10:54 AM
i do have a 75 gal however i can upgrade, who sells mud minnows and pickerel. also are the pygmy pike aggressive like pickerel
A 75 is perfect for grass or redfin pickerel. Mudminnows are aggressive feeders but get along well with other fish their own size; they're much better community fish than pickerel are.
Zimmerman's (http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php?showtopic=1948) and Sach's (http://www.aquaculturestore.com/fwverts.html) both carry them.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 11:05 AM
now this is cold freshwater right , i own piranha's so this is a first getting a cold water fish, also what temps do they like and need and is zimmerman and sachs in the classified section
They do well at room temperature. Just click on the names in my post above and it will take you to their websites.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 1:02 PM
What can I put with grass pickeral I know whatever it is has to be the same size. Also which is more bad ass between grass pickerel and mudminnows as far as color and aggressiveness
blurock
06-02-2009, 1:08 PM
Keep in mind that even the grass and redfins can get over 12" and if your 75 a long instead of a wide (it's 12" wide instead of 18") because these fish are not as flexible as many others, they will have a hard time turning around at maturity in a tank that is as wide or smaller than they are long.
If the 75 is a wide, it will be perfect for a grass or redfin pickerel for life.
Before you get one though, also consider that there are very few tankmates for a pickerel, so be sure you will really like the fish, cause it's most likely all you will see in the tank. Anything smaller and the pickerel will eat it, anything larger, and it will likely bully the pickerel which is a ambush predetor. (They don't move a whole lot when not feeding)
And you will most likely be feeding live all the time, as I have only heard a few remarks of people pellet training theirs.
MultispeciesTamer
06-02-2009, 3:09 PM
Dont forget you could also keep one in a 40 gal breeder.
Keep in mind that even the grass and redfins can get over 12" and if your 75 a long instead of a wide (it's 12" wide instead of 18") because these fish are not as flexible as many others, they will have a hard time turning around at maturity in a tank that is as wide or smaller than they are long.
If the 75 is a wide, it will be perfect for a grass or redfin pickerel for life.
Before you get one though, also consider that there are very few tankmates for a pickerel, so be sure you will really like the fish, cause it's most likely all you will see in the tank. Anything smaller and the pickerel will eat it, anything larger, and it will likely bully the pickerel which is a ambush predetor. (They don't move a whole lot when not feeding)
And you will most likely be feeding live all the time, as I have only heard a few remarks of people pellet training theirs.
+1
If you're looking for an cichlid-like active aggressive predatory native, pickerel are not for you. Big-mouthed centrarchids like green sunfish or rock bass are probably more up your alley.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 4:22 PM
no im looking for a cool pike , can i put the green sunfish with them or can i put like a bichir or something else with the grass pickerel, like an aggressive tank but not territory agression just predators
As Blurock said, there aren't many species you can keep with a pickerel. I've had good luck keeping a warmouth with mine. Green sunfish are not good tankmates; they are too active, and will stress the pickerel out as well as outcompete it for food. You need other low-key fish. Bichirs might work, I haven't tried them together.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 4:43 PM
i guess i just will research more because i need tank mates , now what about the mudminnows are they fierce
They hit their prey very hard.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 5:17 PM
good looking Noto, yo what would you prefer in a 75 gallon a group of mudminnows or a group of grass or red fin pickerel. and if you chose the mud minnows do they shoal or independent, also can mudminnows have tankmates since they hit prey hard
I have both mudminnows and pickerel. I would say the mudminnows are more entertaining, and they are perfectly compatible with fish similar in size to them. I have not noticed them shoaling. Mine are kept with small sunfish, darters, madtoms, and several species of minnows. My pickerel is in a 75 with a warmouth; they are both very lazy fish except when fed.
blurock
06-02-2009, 5:44 PM
From the sound of what you're looking for caribemob, pickerel really aren't it. Sounds like Mudminnows would be more up your alley.
As for pickerel tankmates, as Noto has said, warmmouth are a possibility, I havn't tried it though. This summer when I get out fishing more, I'm going to try a sculpin or two since they keep to the bottom. If you can find something not too active that will stick to the bottom it could be worth a try as pickerel tend to stay in the upper water column (though not all the time, but they do tend to stick around veggitation)
You could try ploy's, water params are probably a bit different though, and all the polys ive had have been rather pushy, but one poly with one pickerel probably wouldn't bother eatchother in a 75... there would be enough territory.
Raphael catfish or Eclipse cats could work... you could try a madtom too, but since they dont get very big, the pickerel would probably end up eating it.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 5:45 PM
quick question whats the most aggressive fish native besides of course a musky or a snakehead
caribemob
06-02-2009, 5:50 PM
i understand blu rock. i just want some vicious native fish buddy, if you point me in that direction i'm there
Great looking fish . They get way nicer looking as older. What are you feeding him?
Green sunfish are the most aggressive fish I've ever kept.
caribemob
06-02-2009, 5:57 PM
do any of these native fish have teeth besides gar
Bowfin are very toothy. But they need a big tank.
blurock
06-02-2009, 6:07 PM
Thanks Louie! I can't wait for it to grow and really get its pattern in. I took those pics a day after I got it, so the pattern should come out even more as it settles in and I'll get more pics.
I'm feeding it guppies outta my feeder colony at the moment. Only thing small enough for it to eat.
Caribemob, bass and sunfish are usually pretty aggressive. Rock bass and Green Sunfish are good if you want something aggressive. You're really not going to find anything in the world of natives to compete with your piranhas though... Gar are your best bet there, but if you only have a 75, those aren't really an option...
And i can't really think of anything native that are "toothy" aside from trout, and those are not something to be kept in a tank. They require a very large area to swim, current, and a chiller.
Walleye have teeth, but I havn't really heard of people having success with them in tanks, and they get very large, will need over a 75gal
caribemob
06-02-2009, 6:15 PM
bottom line is i love the grass pickerel but i need the tank to have some movement at least by one other fish
blurock
06-02-2009, 6:29 PM
Then you don't want a pickerel...
An active fish that is going to give you movement in the tank, is going to stress the pickerel, and most likely be the end of the fish.
You'll have movement in the tank in that you will have to feed live, so you'll have guppies or whatever your feeding moving around in the tank ;)
caribemob
06-02-2009, 9:20 PM
what do you think of two pickerels and a delhizi birchir
blurock
06-08-2009, 4:26 AM
Here's some new pics of him, now that he's settled in and eating well :D
He's a handsome fish! What size tank is he in?
blurock
06-09-2009, 2:27 AM
Thanks!
Right now he's in a 20long to grow out. Then he'll move to a 75 wide, after that a 250, and if/when he outgrows that he'll have a pond or custom plywood tank to go into
:D
TStephens
06-09-2009, 2:21 PM
I have a 55 gallon breeder that has 4 albino tiger oscars that are just there to growout till i have my 75 gallon breeder ready for them. I want to make it a native tank, is there any native fish that will get along with the oscars? Im looking at some sunfish, grass pickerel and maybe a bullhead. but not sure what will go with the oscars for the time being untill my 75 gallon gets up and running. Any suggestions?
blurock
06-10-2009, 3:18 AM
A bullhead could work with the oscar if you get it around the same size and make sure it has places to hide (PVC pipes work great so the cat could slip in there and Oscars cant fit. Sunfish could also work with oscar, bluegill, greens, and pumpkinseeds, though you'll be moving those up to the 75 with the O's at some point. If you just wait till the O's move into the 75 there's lots of great smaller sunfish that could live in a 55 for life.
Pickerel absolutly wont work. O's would eat it/harrass it/stress it to death. Really Pickerel are a species tank only kinda fish. There's very minimal tank mates that work with em.
Some madtoms and bluespot or blackbanded sunfish would look great in a 55. They only get 3-4" So you could have enough in the tank to have some nice movement and they are very cool fish!
Hope that helps!?
blurock
06-10-2009, 3:20 AM
Full Belly! I love the way these guys eat! Nothing better than a good lookin' fish with a full belly! :D
le patron
06-10-2009, 6:52 PM
cool
blurock
09-03-2009, 12:42 AM
Update pics on my Chain, he's doing great! Eating well, and I just got a 40 breeder to move him up too, so he'll be very happy for awhile!
Moved the 20long he's in while the 40breeder is cycling and getting the kinks worked out and it's stressed him a bit, now that he can see out all 4 sides of the tank! :eek: but I'm sure he'll calm down in a day or two... and hopefully the 40 will be ready by then anyway.
caribemob
09-18-2009, 10:21 AM
does any of these pickerels shoal, also i wanted to get them if tha=ey do but i also have a 3'' wolffish that i wanted to mix with the pickerals, i figured as long as the pickerels are larger then wolffish wont bother plus wollfish stay still most of the time so my pickerels wont be stressed:naughty: