Hi so I have been wanting to find a good answer to this question, and I thought monsterfishkeepers would be the best place(also it seemed pretty cool, always wanted to be on here)- I recently got a 180g off craigslist for a steal. I will be setting it up as a northern WI native tank. still haven't decided on substrate. I'm hoping to get some bass, sunfish, bluegill, hopefully a pike or pickerel, bullhead, and crawfish. I am not worried about the compatibility of all these because if they don't get along, they just go back in the lake. I am also planning to add a Red eared slider turtle that I have had for something like 10 years. she's massive, like just the shell length is a foot. I also have a Florida gar that I would like to add (not a WI native gar, close enough), but I am wondering if they will get along. I'm sure the gar (about a foot long) will have some shredded fins at first, but will the turtle stop after she figures out it cant all be eaten? would about adding the turtle last so shes not territorial? gar are also made of armor, and this one will have so much room to cruse around and run. will the rest of fish in the tank distract the turtle? by the way the water will be heated and there is proper filtration more than capable of handling a 180). If this combination is not possible, the gar will have to go first, and im not sure were I would go with it.
Native Tank stocking help
- Thread starter ekaj
- Start date
This is wrong to do, if not illegal.
Once an animal is removed from the wild, it should never ever be released back. During the time it's not in the lake, it's potentially picking up new diseases and pests that are not suitable for the lake. Even if everything in the tank was a native, if they came from different lakes or streams, you could end up introducing new species to each ecosystem. In addition, the Florida Gar would likely introduce a set of tropical organisms to the native fish.
Sorry, I can't answer most of the other questions as I don't keep native fish, but I suggest a different strategy since you aren't likely going to be able to dump unwanted pets back into the world.
I think your tank may be too small, but I don't know for sure since the descriptions of the fish are generic. Native American "Bullheads" (which comprise at least 7 species), for example, can get up to 3 feet long, depending upon which bullhead you mean, so a 180 could be unsuitable.
Check out on your Wisconsin's fishing regulations and it appeared that the online is the only legal way to obtaining the natives.
never said I was going to throw the gar back; wouldn't last a winter here and even have a chance to spread disease. By bullheads, I mean the 10'' ones that you catch on a hook and worm in your local pond. And as long as the fish is over the size limit specific to it, I don't think the WI DNR really cares what you do with them, because as far as they're concerned, it has already be cooked and eaten.
This is poorly written and full of questions and statements that are absolutely ridiculous. A gar can not "cruise" away from anything in a 180 and releasing fish back into the environment is illegal.
You should highly reconsider what you plan on doing with this.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
You should highly reconsider what you plan on doing with this.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Sorry, I haven't passed high school English class yet and have yet to make enough money to buy two 180 gallon aquariums because I have hobbies aside from destroying native ecosystems.
I think you should rethinking about the statement about WI DNR...especially some members on this site are DNR. There are concerns about deadly fish diseases in your state. Best thing is order the natives online.
Well you were considering about put the fishes back after being kept in aquarium with non-native WI fishes/turtles.
Not my point. Setting up a 180 native tank will be very fun as I have done the same. Just do it responsibly.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
