Hey all,
First time poster, so sorry if I did this in the wrong thread.
I am interested in keeping a large mouth bass at home. A friend of mine had one years ago and I fell in love with the idea. I am not very experienced with fish (had an aquarium when I was in middle school) and want to make sure this is something I can handle. While I do not have much experience, I am very thorough and cautious. I have been doing a lot of research on the subject and plan to do more before I take this on as a project. Also, my fiance is a veterinarian, so I have a healthy respect for animals. So my questions are the following:
1. Is a LMB a good first large fish or is this biting off more than I can chew? I am not afraid of putting in the work, but I want to make sure the care/upkeep etc. isn't too complex for a beginner.
A LMB is as good a first large fish as any. But as with any hobby, I wouldn't recommend going so big so quickly. Why not setup a smaller tank and keep some Convict Cichlids (or other hardy species) so that you can learn the ropes? If you decide it's not for you, no big deal because you haven't spent the big bucks you would be spending on a setup large enough for a LMB.
2. What is a good reference manual for LMB care? Any posts or books highly recommended?
You will want to read up on the Nitrogen cycle-lots of good info here: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?224559-Cycling-and-You
A basic fishkeeping book would also be a good place to start: http://www.amazon.com/Oscars-New-Ed-Neal-Pronek/dp/086622212X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 - Although this book is specifically written in regards to keeping oscars, a lot of the general principles covered would apply to keeping any fish.
3. What can I expect in terms of start up costs? I do not own a tank or anything else necessary for this project.
For a setup large enough to keep the fish for life (in my opinion a 6'x3' footprint is a minimum tank size), brand new you would be looking at anywhere from $2,500 to $3,500 for a turnkey system (Tank, Stand, Lights, Filtration etc). You might be able to find a good deal on a used setup (Craigslist is typically a good place to look for used aquariums).
4. Any ideas where I can buy a single baby LMB?
Check your state laws as to whether or not it's even legal to keep them. In CA it's illegal to keep this fish without a permit, which from what I understand is not easy to obtain (I'm not familiar with NC laws.) The department of fish and game monitors this website and people have been busted, so don't take the laws lightly. The fines you can get hit with are no joke. I unfortunately don't know where to purchase them.
Thanks for the help guys. I look forward to becoming an active member of the MFK community.
- cd823x
