Anyone keep Florida spotted sunfish?

[Louie]

Hello
Going fishing this coming week . I have caught spotted sunfish before using small hooks baited with earthworms (was targeting Talapia)

Naturally let them go however I installed a pond in the yard which is way to small for bass but should be fine for some spotted suns.
Its a 220 gallon plastic style buried in ground with 2 inch lip above ground cause it POURS during summer.

I added dwarf cattails and floating lilies buried in pots .

I was thinking a couple spotted small sunfish but never kept any . Any input would be great.

Thanks

 

[rjmtx]

If they're L. miniatus or punctatus, they're easy. Will readily take pellets and flakes in my experience..

 

[Louie]

If they're L. miniatus or punctatus, they're easy. Will readily take pellets and flakes in my experience..

Thanks
Its L. miniatus . Have you had any problems with keeping more than 1? . I would like to keep 2 (hopefully a pair but have no idea how to sex them)

The "pond" is 5 feet long . I added visual barriers with clay pots where plants are planted

Thanks

 

[rjmtx]

L. miniatus are what I've kept, and never had problems keeping more than 1 in a 200 gal. Just as an old fishkeeping rule of thumb (for what it's worth), go with three. There seem to be fewer domination problems with an odd # of fish.

 

[Louie]

L. miniatus are what I've kept, and never had problems keeping more than 1 in a 200 gal. Just as an old fishkeeping rule of thumb (for what it's worth), go with three. There seem to be fewer domination problems with an odd # of fish.

Thanks would you know how to sex them -color-size,etc ?

Or thats something not possible unless breeding season which is what I imagine?

 

[rjmtx]

Isn't it always breeding season in Miami? If they aren't goin at it year round, they should be starting up soon, and the males will be colored up. We were catching miniatus in the San Marcos River (spring fed ~70*) all winter, and the males stood out. I don't know if they were breeding, but depending on how much they depend on photoperiod, it's a possibility. There might be a little size difference, too, but they are small sunfish as it is. When you catch a male in breeding condition, it'll be obvious. All the other are subdominant males or females. I'd just get a few and see what happens. If that's all you're going to keep in there, throw more than three in. If there are problems, just plant the one in trouble under a tomato or something.

 

[Louie]

Isn't it always breeding season in Miami? If they aren't goin at it year round, they should be starting up soon, and the males will be colored up. We were catching miniatus in the San Marcos River (spring fed ~70*) all winter, and the males stood out. I don't know if they were breeding, but depending on how much they depend on photoperiod, it's a possibility. There might be a little size difference, too, but they are small sunfish as it is. When you catch a male in breeding condition, it'll be obvious. All the other are subdominant males or females. I'd just get a few and see what happens. If that's all you're going to keep in there, throw more than three in. If there are problems, just plant the one in trouble under a tomato or something.

If one gets in trouble I will let it go in area lake as thats where I plan to catch them that is if I get to it intime sure I will.
I thought so to when I first moved here that fish would breed all yr long but not the case in freshwater ofcourse saltwater another story.
The bass and most sunfish breed Late March think to Sept depending on the fish. It does get cold here in winter we had days of 50s rare but cold enough to drop temps in lakes etc .
I think it averaged low 70s high 60s for 2/3 months a year.
I need to wait another week as want the pond water to get "old" and the plants to start going.
The sun has been strong so they should.

thanks again

 

[rjmtx]

The breeding season in Miami line was really a joke... Most fish down there have ancestors that did deal with more extreme temp cycles, so they depend on photoperiods to trigger breeding (with some influence of temp). Good luck with it all. BTW, don't let those fish go after keeping them for disease and contamination reasons and because it's probably illegal anyway. They make great fertilizer, very old school. The Seminole probably did it, too. Pay your respects.