I have a question about mixing sunfish in a community tank.
The aquarium is a 135 gallon river tank with filter output (powerhead) at one end and two large sponge filters as intakes on the other end. It is heavily planted with mostly native plants (Sagittaria, Jungle Val., plus a bit exotics: Rotala indica and Java fern), it has large pieces of driftwood and a few rock, fine gravel bottom. Four 4' T-8 6500K bulbs for lighting, CO2 injection.
Currently the fish are (again mostly native except for the clean up crew), 3 bluespotted sunfish (the largest is about 2"), 4 golden topminnows (3-4"), one blue fin killie (haven't been able to find more yet) plus several bushy-nosed ansistrus, one large Siamese Algae Eater (4"), and one dwarf clawed frog for snail control.
I just removed a dozen American Flagfish, they were far too nippy toward the other fish and went into my outdoor native fish garden pond, and also one lone golden shiner which seemed too large compared with the other species and was a pig!
I would like add more sunfish, my choices would likely be: 1. more bluespotted, 2. banded, or 3. dollar. It is the dollar sunfish that I am uncertain about, the bluespotted are quite peaceful and I hear banded are about the same, but is is a good idea to add dollar sunfish to this mix? There are a lot of hiding places but right now all the fish in the tank are easy going and I hate to "start trouble".
Also was wondering about adding rainbow shiners and/or southern red-bellied dace. I have the latter in my pond and they do not seen to be aggressive.
Lastly (sorry for so many questions) I have some wild-type gold strain of guppies. I thought about added some to the tank to provide live food (baby guppies) as a continual food source to supplement the bloodworms, brine shrimp and flake food. Yea or nay on the guppies? Thanks!
The aquarium is a 135 gallon river tank with filter output (powerhead) at one end and two large sponge filters as intakes on the other end. It is heavily planted with mostly native plants (Sagittaria, Jungle Val., plus a bit exotics: Rotala indica and Java fern), it has large pieces of driftwood and a few rock, fine gravel bottom. Four 4' T-8 6500K bulbs for lighting, CO2 injection.
Currently the fish are (again mostly native except for the clean up crew), 3 bluespotted sunfish (the largest is about 2"), 4 golden topminnows (3-4"), one blue fin killie (haven't been able to find more yet) plus several bushy-nosed ansistrus, one large Siamese Algae Eater (4"), and one dwarf clawed frog for snail control.
I just removed a dozen American Flagfish, they were far too nippy toward the other fish and went into my outdoor native fish garden pond, and also one lone golden shiner which seemed too large compared with the other species and was a pig!
I would like add more sunfish, my choices would likely be: 1. more bluespotted, 2. banded, or 3. dollar. It is the dollar sunfish that I am uncertain about, the bluespotted are quite peaceful and I hear banded are about the same, but is is a good idea to add dollar sunfish to this mix? There are a lot of hiding places but right now all the fish in the tank are easy going and I hate to "start trouble".
Also was wondering about adding rainbow shiners and/or southern red-bellied dace. I have the latter in my pond and they do not seen to be aggressive.
Lastly (sorry for so many questions) I have some wild-type gold strain of guppies. I thought about added some to the tank to provide live food (baby guppies) as a continual food source to supplement the bloodworms, brine shrimp and flake food. Yea or nay on the guppies? Thanks!
