Can't get pet crappie to eat.

[Erick87]

I fished out 6 black crappie all 5 inches. I used a red tube jig. They're in a 55 gallon aquarium, there's plenty of hiding places for them.

I've been trying to get them to eat for over 10 days now. They won't eat anything I put in the aquarium. I've tried little worms, large worms, minnows, gold fish, pellet food, and crickets. They won't take anything.

What should I do at this point?

My girlfriend and I also caught 2 large mouth bass 6 inch, and 4 bluegill 7 inch, they're all at her house eating anything that's get tossed into the aquarium.

Frozen food, krill, goldfish, crickets, they LOVE WORMS.

I'm confused as to why they won't eat. Should I release them?

 

[SandNukka15]

Yea you prob should considering the size tanks u have for them are way too small for them anyways

 

[predatorkeeper87]

that's way to many crappie in one tank, crappie are highly predatory and active as well. my pair in my 310 eat anything that moves and if I were a betting man yours are most likely stressed due to cramped conditions. crappie get pretty big, mine are about 9-10" long and probably 4-5" top to bottom (I maybe way over estimating that)

 

[predatorkeeper87]

also, because I'm a huge fan of keeping NA natives and all...what size tank does your gf have those bass and gills in...because I'll be that guy and tell you unless its a 400 gallon tank, those bass will slay the bg's and eachother sooner or later then outgrow the tank, probably doing both at the same time.

 

[SandNukka15]

also, because I'm a huge fan of keeping NA natives and all...what size tank does your gf have those bass and gills in...because I'll be that guy and tell you unless its a 400 gallon tank, those bass will slay the bg's and eachother sooner or later then outgrow the tank, probably doing both at the same time.

Im not bashing keeping natives but i just dont get the point....if you go fishing enough which i guess majority of us on here do you see and interact with them enough.....also you could just keep them in a backyard in a stocktank .....like i said before im not bashing keeping natives i just dont get the point of keeping them in a tank...

Especially the local fish in PA....majority if not all are dull in color and boring

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Im not bashing keeping natives but i just dont get the point....if you go fishing enough which i guess majority of us on here do you see and interact with them enough.....also you could just keep them in a backyard in a stocktank .....like i said before im not bashing keeping natives i just dont get the point of keeping them in a tank...

Especially the local fish in PA....majority if not all are dull in color and boring

I like the native personalities better than all my SA and African fish 100%, plus catching fish and putting them back doesn't allow you to actually experience the fish themselves and how they interact when they aren't being drug out of the water by their faces.

its a niche part of the hobby I'll give you that, but I enjoy my grass pickerel, crappie, catfish and p-seeds far more than my other fish.

the BIG PLUS is they were all free, and are replaceable without having to order them from somewhere.

EDIT: I'm not one of those freakin' colorful fish nerds either lol, I like how a fish behaves more than what it looks like, but during spawning time my alpha male P-seed will put 99.9% of exotic cichlids to shame color-wise.

 

[ECW]

I would throw them back.

 

[Frank Castle]

Im not bashing keeping natives but i just dont get the point....if you go fishing enough which i guess majority of us on here do you see and interact with them enough.....also you could just keep them in a backyard in a stocktank .....like i said before im not bashing keeping natives i just dont get the point of keeping them in a tank...

Especially the local fish in PA....majority if not all are dull in color and boring

I like the native personalities better than all my SA and African fish 100%, plus catching fish and putting them back doesn't allow you to actually experience the fish themselves and how they interact when they aren't being drug out of the water by their faces.

its a niche part of the hobby I'll give you that, but I enjoy my grass pickerel, crappie, catfish and p-seeds far more than my other fish.

the BIG PLUS is they were all free, and are replaceable without having to order them from somewhere.

EDIT: I'm not one of those freakin' colorful fish nerds either lol, I like how a fish behaves more than what it looks like, but during spawning time my alpha male P-seed will put 99.9% of exotic cichlids to shame color-wise.

Yea, I agree....our Panfish are rather attractive in colors and patterns, but I still must say, despite not wanting to see one cramped into a tank and robbed of the ability to leap into the air w/ high-energy bursts and dance across the water, I love Smallmouth for a variety of reasons, the multiple variations of how many individuals can look different being one reason of many. They don't call them "Bronzebacks" or "Bronze Bombers" for no reason, ya know.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Yea, I agree....our Panfish are rather attractive in colors and patterns, but I still must say, despite not wanting to see one cramped into a tank and robbed of the ability to leap into the air w/ high-energy bursts and dance across the water, I love Smallmouth for a variety of reasons, the multiple variations of how many individuals can look different being one reason of many. They don't call them "Bronzebacks" or "Bronze Bombers" for no reason, ya know.

I'd love to keep a smallie, but I'd only do that in a pond. same with LMB's, I've tried raising some from YoY I net in the ponds, but one way or another something eats them. I settled on getting a coosae bass, only get like 6-10" long and look real close to a smallmouth.

 

[Frank Castle]

I'd love to keep a smallie, but I'd only do that in a pond. same with LMB's, I've tried raising some from YoY I net in the ponds, but one way or another something eats them. I settled on getting a coosae bass, only get like 6-10" long and look real close to a smallmouth.

Coosae? IS that like a Suwanee or what? Pix? Heard of 'em, but never seen one