I'm looking into getting a sunfish, preferably a bluegill. What is the minimum tank size? And may I also have a reliable care sheet on them.
Sunfish minimum tank size
- Thread starter squidyboy0
- Start date
Would 55 gallons be okay with good filtration for one, is there also a smaller sunfish in could keep in a 36.
In my experience to be honest... I'ved done a 55g with only 3 and NO MORE than three sunfish tank. BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT. I got them when they were fingerlings, they're still alive and in that same tank. Been 6years.... get a sump imho. Do not and I mean do not use smaller filters... Also make sure you give them different territories. Try to find which ones they like the most. Make the tank planted as well not like super super planted but enough where it cuts eye sight. Plus give them caves. Make ones out of rocks. They prefer them like that and they must be big enough for them to go inside and out without bending over. So you must first put them in there to see which territories they prefer. Make sure they do not get bullied. As well keep a watch full eye on them for the first few months... Anything older than 3inches in a 55g will probably not learn how to "deal" with each other well. And when you put the new fish. Make sure you put them on THE VERY FIRST DAY. Don't just catch one this day, then the other the next. You WILL see nitpicking in the first month but that's to achieve two things: 1)Choosing amongst themselves the leader, and the betas. 2) The leader WILL always have the pick of the best territory so they will establish it.
Make sure you don't put all the caves too close to each other. Like one has to be in the middle, and the others in the corners. All the caves should have more structures like more hidey holes within their own mini territories. I'd actually get them about the same size but make sure one is SLIGHTLY larger than the other. No more than an inch. This is to AID in the territory process(my opinion and what I noticed).
When you put them all the same size I kinda noticed they tend to fight longer. Make sure to put plants on each of their territories. Find plants they use in the wild. Broad leafed ones are good too. Feed them well. When young I'd feed twice a day if the tank is warmer(above 62 degrees) and below I'd feed less... Though I prefer to keep them at 68degrees. Not too cold or warm. Imo I wouldn't put them over 75degrees. I mean they "could" but they'd be stressed mostlikely in my honest opinion.
Try to put "dither" fish. Meaning any fish that are super fast and won't become meal to them and spend their time on the top. This is to distract them enough they're not always glaring at each other that often, don't spend that much money on the dither fish cause they may get eaten... But avoid anything overly annoying. Like danios are going to annoy the crud out of these fish. Something that "can" defend itself if needed but are likely to avoid fights.
Thank you BuildingBlocks, your post was very helpful. Would bluegills be compatible with an oscar and green terror in 55? I don't know if I will for sure get a bluegill though. Still deciding.
Bluegills shouldnt be mixed with a GT and oscar. The latter two are tropical and sunfish are temperate (though they can tolerate high temps)...Also, the oscar will be too big for the 55 in a couple of months at most.
Oh, okay. Is there a smaller sunfish I could possibly keep in a 36?
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Not too familiar with bluegills, never kept them. But I think for a single adult a 55 gallon is suitable. For your 36 gallon there is dollar sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, banded sunfish etc.
