I've never kept gills (hopefully will soon) but from what I've observed when I scuba dove on top of their nests they will build them in any substrate they can move. I'd do mostly sand with pebbles mixed in.
Breeding Bluegill
- Thread starter bfriz00
- Start date
My Bluegills in NE TN spawn around 74 degrees starting in late June. Mine tank will only get up to about 76 though. I use Safe-T-Sorb as substrate & that made a major mess in tank. This year I've added some pea gravel on top hoping to keep the mess down. But they can move polished stones & small rocks with ease. That tail is very powerful !!
The eggs are sticky & will stick to EVERYthing. I had some on the driftwood at top of tank, on floating plants and all the way to the other end of tank on stuff. I tried to save some fry once but didn't have any luck. The next year I just let the fish eat them. Still fascinating to watch the whole process though.
My tank is kept in unheated basement so it mimics natural temps.
The eggs are sticky & will stick to EVERYthing. I had some on the driftwood at top of tank, on floating plants and all the way to the other end of tank on stuff. I tried to save some fry once but didn't have any luck. The next year I just let the fish eat them. Still fascinating to watch the whole process though.
My tank is kept in unheated basement so it mimics natural temps.
