Natives for a 20 Gallon Long?

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nickag9

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 9, 2009
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Cincinnati, OH
Ok so I just got a new 20 Gallon Long Tank setup in my study to hold me over while I finish my basement and my big tank. The tank is running two AC30 filters and is currently cycling. I figured while I wait for the cycling process to finish, this would be the best time to decide on what to stock it with. The problem I'm having is that I do not want to heat the tank (my study is fairly small and maintains a consistent temp bewteen 70 and 72 degrees) and the only fish I can find at my local LFS are tropical fish. That is unless I go with Goldfish or Rosy Reds, but I don't really want to go that route either. So, the question becomes what kind of Natives can live in a 20 gallon long tank for at least a year maybe longer and where can I get them? I know that most sunfish are out of the question so I'm open to suggestions at this point. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. I want to get some fish in this tank as soon as it is fully cycled!

Oh and I'll try to get some pics of the tank when I get home from work :D
 
If you dont want natives white cloud mountain minnows and some inverts would do good in the tank.

If you do want natives, darters, shiners, and small minnows from your area would be nice (you can collect rocks, driftwood, plants and even the fish from a local stream and save some money but be sure to check OH law on the collection of wild animals)

Also, If the fish get sick, to big, or if there is ANY other reason you cannot keep them DO NOT release them back into the wild.
 
I definitely want to keep Natives and I would never release an aquarium fish into the wild. I will have a much larger tank within the next 3-6 months so if any of the fish grow too large I should have somewhere to put them.

And ok, I will check with the local DNR and see what I can find out about the collection of wild fish. As for tank decor, I intend to scour the woods/creek behind my house once the snow melts for anything interesting. Out of curiosity, what about purchasing shiners, shad, other baitfish from a local bait shop? Would this be recommended or would those fish pose too much of a disease threat? I just can't seem to find a good local source for native fish and with it being the middle of winter I'm open to ideas...
 
Baitfish are usually pretty sickly in my experience. Fathead minnows (tuffies) would be fine in your tank but most other baitfish would outgrow it.

The Ohio River drainage has a ton of attractive small minnows, darters, and killifish that would do well in your tank. There are even more species in parts of Kentucky, especially the Green and Cumberland drainages. You won't be disappointed by the selection, I can promise you!

Winter is actually a good time to collect fish, if you can handle the cold. They tend to acclimate better when collected from cool water; fish collected in summer often have a harder time when captured.

The NANFA forum (http://forum.nanfa.org/) is a great place to learn about native fish in your area and talk to locals about good collecting spots and techniques. I know there are several regulars on the forum from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky who would likely be able to help you out.
 
I didn't think you would release any fish but it's one of those things better said than assumed :D

I don't see any problem with buying natives from the bait shop and you can always quarantine them if you are worried about disease.

Here is a link that will help you with your state laws, etc...
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56884&
 
How about you get some Bantom sunfish From smbass on Nanfa
 
Baitshops are a great place to get natives, if you can manage to cnvince the shop owner to net out a few of em. You'll have to tell him you'll pay more than normal, or be very freindly.
 
Ok well after doing a bit of research and a friendly PM from a member of this forum I think I'm going to stock my tank with a few of the smaller sunfish species. I think I'm going to order a Bluespotted Sunfish, a Banded Sunfish and possibly a Black Banded Sunfish if I can find one. I figure those three fish will be plenty for the 20 Gallon tank then if (more likely when) I upgrade to a larger tank I can add some more.
 
Some guy named Paul Sachs has a website that I found. He is located in FL and his site is the only place I can find these fish for sale online...
 
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