dollar sunfish as target fish?

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SomeStonedFish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 11, 2015
95
6
8
SW PA
would this work in my 75 with a JD and red spotter severum? if so how many? I see it as similar to adding a couple same sexed convicts, would I have to keep same sex of them as well? i'm aware of the dangers of keeping native fish in a tropical tank.

Thanks in advanced
 
If you're aware then why try it?

But in my opinion you aren't going to need to target (punching bag) fish with that stock.

But then I don't like the idea of target fish.





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Plus different temps

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First I am not a fan of Target fish either.

Second with you current stock you don't need target fish

Third if you use Sunfish your current stock (especially the severum) will become target fish for your Sunfish as they get larger and more aggressive than convicts.
 
I suppose it depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
Wherever I have seen JDs and other cichlids (or cichlid-like fish) together in nature, the JDs seem to suffer.
Where they are the main (or only cichlid in the habitat), but surrounded by live bearers and catfish, they seem to do much better. Of course it may be different 20 miles down the road where I haven't been.
But here a are a couple videos to illustrate my point.
1st a small cenote they share with uropthalmus, click on pic to start

below a larger cenote where JDs have the upper hand, but even here, for every 1 JD, there are probably 100 live bearers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txmi1mng_XQ
 
I'd like to distract them from each other. my sev is boss right now but as they grow out I kind of expect that to change. I have 12 zebra danios in the tank that they pay no attention to. The danios don't even feel the need to school. So I thought something smaller that will try to claim a territory and be seen as a threat. I've been told a convict or two of same sex could work. If they can why not a couple dollar sunfish? besides that they might be a little more aggressive, I don't see the downside compared to just getting a convict.

Dollar sunfish are native all the way down to the gulf, so (while not optimal) 78 isn't a bad temp in my eyes. As far as parameters go, regardless of what fish they were kept with they'd be in my tap water.


Now if I'm being told by everyone I don't need anything like that then I won't get them, you guys know better than I do, that's why I'm here. I have just yet to find a tetra, danio, barb, rainbowfish that I'm the least bit interested in getting.
 
Rivers2k said:
First I am not a fan of Target fish either.

Second with you current stock you don't need target fish

Third if you use Sunfish your current stock (especially the severum) will become target fish for your Sunfish as they get larger and more aggressive than convicts.
Click to expand...

I don't really think target fish are necessary. Maybe dithers for some sp. breeding. But I don't see a problem with adding these. Maybe 6.
 
Different temps aside--You really don't have a big enough tank to try that. Not to derail this thread or anything but I was thinking of adding some piranha dithers to my goldfish tank. Does anyone think that would work? They're in a ten gallon with some oscars right now and the oscars seem a bit aggressive...
 
I'm sorry that wasn't helpful -and rude. I'm having a bad day. Giant danios- get at least 7. Dithers are there to ensure nobody gets hurt or eaten. A school of 7 or better yet 9 giant danios will look like the biggest fish in the tank to the other fish. Leave the Lepomis in ponds where they belong. They get very aggressive especially when 80+ degree water tells them its time to get ready to spawn and kill all rivals.
 
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