grass pickerel

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
yes, you can keep several in 1 tank, other good tank mates would be some large sunfish species.
 
Hang on, most lepomis species do not mix with pickerel very well. If they are small than pickerel, they will get eaten. If the sunfish are bigger than pickerel, they will bullying the pickerel and outcomplete them for food. Pickerel are better off in species only tank with no tankmates. Crappie is possibly would be good tankmates for pickerel. Pickerel often eat each other if keep several of them in same tank till you have a fat big pickerel. Its really tricky to have all tankmates to have be same size and not aggressive if you want any tankmates at all.
 
I figure as long as there the same age/size you can keep several together but if the age/size difference is to great i can see them eating each other. Now sunfish maybe a single pumpkin seed or crappie. Stay away from green sunfish and bluegills.
 
As rebel says, those fish are not really good for a community tank, but make a nice species tank, if you think youll never tire of watching one long skinny fish just hangin out waiting for something to come along to eat :popcorn:
 
i'm thinking a lesser aggressive sunfish, trained to eat flakes/pellets would work. My Pickerel is an extremely fast eater, he nails the feeders almost as soon as they hit the water. A trick would be to feed the sunfish its flakes/pellets, then drop the feeders in. I have not done this yet, but really think it will work. As far as bullying, as long as the sunnies have each other to bully, I think the Pickerel will be fine. I'll let you guys know how this works, and post pics
 
You could mix pickerel with sculpin or darters if you have enough hiding places for them. Madtoms, hogchokers, or black bullheads could work too.
Another thing to remember is that pickerel like a lot of cover, so they can hide and ambush. They'll love a planted tank.
 
don't sculpins/darters require a fast current to be healthy? It seems this would conflict with the Pickerel's needs
 
Darters are just 3 inch long snacks for pickerel. So are sculpins too, will end up in pickerel's belly. Bullhead are terrible tankmates for pickerels as they often nipping other fish' fins or even try to eat their own tankmates.

As for the sunfish, the best tankmate it would be adult flier.
 
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