Can I Have 2 Bluegills in a 75 gal?

[MonsterCichlids75]

Hey guys, sunfish spawning season will be here in about a month here in massachusetts and i want to do natives again! I was thinking of catching a healthy looking male and female bluegill and acclimating them to my 75. I'm aware of the massive size that bluegills CAN reach in the wild but it seems that they can live long healthy lives in captivity while rarely growing over 12 inches. Plus, i've heard that souther bluegills (population from florida, for example) have a much larger average size in the wild than the bluegills here in Mass. So anyway, do you guys think i can get away with having a pair in a 75? I do weekly 40% water changes on my tanks already like clockwork, and the tank i would be putting them in is running a Marineland Emperor 400 and a Fluval 406. I also have a spare emperor 400 i could also add if need be but i'm not sure id need it, as the current emperor 400 and the fluval do a killer job. Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks!

 

[Gill Blue]

out of the 4 I have, two are 12" at 2 years old. the other two are about 8" and 10". all came out of a local pond at 1.5" or smaller. brought them home and put them in a 90 for just under 2 years before I put them in a 245G. don't forget you'll want deco to break up line of sight so they aren't fighting all the time. that will take up some space.
at this point, I wouldn't. at 2 years they're already to the top point that I'd keep in a 75. see if you can catch some longear or pumpkinseeds. I've got them too. I'd even rank the PS's a little more interesting because they've got their own group dynamic that the longears and gills don't really have.

 

[MonsterCichlids75]

hey Gill good to hear from you again, I understand what your saying. How large can i expect P.Seeds caught from a local pond in Mass to grow in captivity? How many would you advise in a 75? Only males? or a mix?

 

[Gill Blue]

I have no idea. I've never even seen a massachusetts sunfish. I'd figure an average of about 7"-8", with a top size of 12". I'd say 5 or 6 would be ok, you do want to overstock some, otherwise you can end up with just one. if you look at my 90 I like to divide up the tank so there's hiding spots and tight openings so the smaller fish can escape from the larger. I had the 4 gills and 5 longears in there, and only saw the 2 smallest when feeding. the rest of the time they were in hiding.
if you can go with all one sex, you'll probably be safer than with a mix. pumpkinseeds are supposed to be typically insane in their guarding of the nest. I have one longear that likes to make nests, but there hasn't been any mating, so he chases the other fish off, but doesn't get overly violent about it.

 

[JIM]

IMHO a 75 is gonna eventually be too small for a pair of gills, ive had a longear in a 75 with a few other cichlids for about a year now, got him as a 2 inch fish,

He has made his nest and guards it closely, but the smaller cichlids are forever pushed to one side of the tank, He never actually beats anyone up intentionally, just makes them stay at one end all the time.

But im thinking two full sized fish of any sunfish species would maybe be trouble at some point in a 75.