New to natives

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silverstream123123

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2013
24
0
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GA
Just got a 50 gallon, and while googling around for something for the tank I found a picture of a orange spotted sunfish. So of course I just had to have them! The tank will be a biotope of the sunfish's habitat, with mud I collect from a pond, and an neat piece of oak wood. That's all that is in the tank as of now, but later I want to add some native aquatic plants, and may be a madtom or two. I have never kept natives before, but I do have a lot of planted biotopes and communities. Just need some help on stocking, so far I don't know how many fish I would like, but here is what I was thinking of for the tank:

Orange spotted sunfish (males and females)
Madtoms of some type
Some type of schooling fish (native)

How many of each could be kept in the tank, and what type of madtom could I get for the tank, and, last but not least, what type of schooling fish could I get?
 
If you get both male and female sunfish. You will not like having just mud as substrate. The are nest builds and will fan out a depression causing the whole tank to cloud up. If you are collecting you own fish any madtom will do. Orangespotted sunfish don't get very big so most likely won't bother the madtom. Some kind of shiner will be nice. But Yellowfin shiners would look good and are found in GA.In a 50 Gallon I would do 3 male Orangespotted sunfish,10 shiners and 2 madtoms,and maybe 4 topminnow of some kind.
 
Thanks! Since mud would cloud the tank, could I cap it with some thing? I really would like to have both male and female sunfish, even if I have to make it a species only tank. I won't be collecting my own fish, so would a black madtom be good? Over all I like what you suggested for the tank!
 
You could cap with sand or gravel. But do at least two inches as they will still fan it out. If you do male and female keep at least three females with the male. That way not just one fish gets singled out and takes all they beatings.If you had one male and one female the male will pick on her and chase her constantly. Black madtoms will be fine.
 
Okay, thank you! I will more than likely cap it with sand( I don't like the look of gravel) would the sun fish breed in this set up?
 
It's possible. The thing with Orangespotted sunfish is that everyone has trouble rearing the fry. Not sure what the problems have been but the ones that I have talked to that got them to breed was unable to keep the fry alive.
 
silverstream123123 said:
Just got a 50 gallon, and while googling around for something for the tank I found a picture of a orange spotted sunfish. So of course I just had to have them! The tank will be a biotope of the sunfish's habitat, with mud I collect from a pond, and an neat piece of oak wood. That's all that is in the tank as of now, but later I want to add some native aquatic plants, and may be a madtom or two. I have never kept natives before, but I do have a lot of planted biotopes and communities. Just need some help on stocking, so far I don't know how many fish I would like, but here is what I was thinking of for the tank:

Orange spotted sunfish (males and females)
Madtoms of some type
Some type of schooling fish (native)

How many of each could be kept in the tank, and what type of madtom could I get for the tank, and, last but not least, what type of schooling fish could I get?
Click to expand...

mR catfish is right about the substrate,male to female ratio and tankmates.....but unless your using cured driftwood your oak wood can kill all your fish, please make sure that your using cured driftwood.
 
I have use oak many times in my tanks with out any effects except for tannins. Why would oak kill your fish? I have never heard of this before and has never killed my fish.
 
warmouth said:
but unless your using cured driftwood your oak wood can kill all your fish, please make sure that your using cured driftwood.
Click to expand...

Just to be on the safe side... how do you cure wood? I collect this wood from a lake, It was all ready weathered and fish were all around it. I did scrub it to get rid of any little critters in it.
 
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