Any ideas for a 55 stream tank?

[divemaster99]

green and pumpkins will grow about the same size, but pumpkins potentially get over 10" which is doable but will start to be tight. Greens will be fine for life, but if a pumpkin grows to its full potential it will be cramped in a 55, but that will take years. In my opinion and experience, your tank will look most natural and most interesting if you got with a community of shiners, dace or minnows. If you add a sunfish, small species will get eaten. IMO, shiners are messy and sporadic. All baitfish for that matter tend to be sporadic, but dace and minnows tend to settle down a bit more than shiner species. You also have a native killi which make great aquarium species, and also a native madtom which is a very small catfish perfect for a 55

No madtoms in my area that aren't endangered, other than stonecats which get a bit big. I do like the shiners and dace idea. You think a green would be fine in there?

Here is what I could do (hear me out). Go get all the stuff for the tank and set it up. Get the plants and plant them. Cycle it. Get a single green sunfish and grow it out until I get my 180 which will be either natives or cichlids (I've heard many cases that they do well together). Only thing I worry about with that is the solitary life for the first year to two years would make him/her to nasty to be moved into a tank with other fish,

 

[MN_Rebel]

Green sunfish do get large and it is not uncommon for a green sunfish surpassed 10" mark in captivity. Of course they will be super aggressive, no matter what the size at.

 

[divemaster99]

Green sunfish do get large and it is not uncommon for a green sunfish surpassed 10" mark in captivity. Of course they will be super aggressive, no matter what the size at.

Talked to some people on nanfa and this one guys showed me his setup with black background and black sand with some orangespots, shiners, and darters and it was so pretty so I think that's what I'll do, or something similar.

for substrate, could I just get some mud from my creek or would that make a hideous mess? If it would I'd get some stuff from my LFS that's really good for plants (not sure what it's called, not dirt).

 

[divemaster99]

Well, I said before if I did minnows, darters, etc. I'd want them from my local creek....now I think I'm stuck on two different options and can't decide so which one sounds better in your opinion.

option 1) local creek


6 emerald shiners
6 dace of some species
6 darters of some species

decor: local aquatic plants, rocks from my creek.
substrate: very loose small gravel mixed with (can't remember the name but it's red flaky stuff good for plants)
temp: room temp (64-82 F)
ph: 7.6
filter: hob of some kind (suggestions open, I like aquaclear)
aeration: powerhead set on medium high



option 2) Lake Erie shallows


6 emerald shiners
6 gold shiners

decor: rocks and just a few (if any) plants
substrate: mostly sand with loose gravel mixed in
temp: room temp (64-82 F)
pH: 7.6
filter: hob
aeration: wave maker (to simulate waves crashing onto the shore)

 

[klmt]

golden shiners wil get too large. go with option 1

 

[divemaster99]

Ok it's official I've decided if I'm doing native I'm doing either a pumpkinseed or a green sunfish after much research and looking around. Just to make sure though my house my house can go over 80 in the summer, will the sunny be ok? I'll be sure to crank up aeration so that won't be an issue but I'm just making sure.

 

[warmouth]

Ok it's official I've decided if I'm doing native I'm doing either a pumpkinseed or a green sunfish after much research and looking around. Just to make sure though my house my house can go over 80 in the summer, will the sunny be ok? I'll be sure to crank up aeration so that won't be an issue but I'm just making sure.

For a green Sunfish alone you want at least a 60g for one in a community tank you need other similarly sized fish that are aggressive, and would need at least a 90g, tank.

 

[divemaster99]

A 60 has the same footprint as a 55 only it's taller which with natives height isn't very important I've heard. Plus most greens won't make it past 10" which is still considerably big but I have a feeling it would really slow down its growth no matter what after 8" or so which would give me time to upgrade. I'm not really looking for any more feedback on tank size, decor, or filtration at this point I just need to know whether the temp will be ok.