Pickerel tank mate?

[Mr.Catfish]

They are all fed the same thing. From my experience the pickerel I have had have not had any problems competing for food. The problem most have is by not feeding enough and the fish are always hungry. I feed mostly live foods and keep a few extra in the tank until next feeding. This way the fish can feed when hungry. I know everyone is going to freak out and say that it is unhealthy and what not. But this system has worked for me for over twenty years. I have had grass pickerel spawn in 125 community tank doing what I do.

I have been keeping and breeding natives since I got into this hobby 26 years ago. I have traveled all over this country collecting,sampling,observing and photographing them. I would not misinform someone. I know what I am doing and keep my fish healthy. If I in anyway thought you could not successfully keep pickerel with sunfish and keep everyone in the tank healthy. I would not post it.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Maybe you shouldn't post it then because it does sounds like too much work and pain in butt. Plus extra $$$ if you have to buy feeders for all fish to just keep that pickerel fed....that sounds like waste of money.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Research has proved that sunfish is #1 favorite prey for these redfin and grass pickerels. 95% of pickerel diet is made up of sunfish while 5% made up of invertebrates/other fish species in several lakes. I've had larger sunfish out competed pickerels when it comes to feeding them and various sunfish species are highly aggressive than that passive pumpkinseed.

I'm fairly certain I've read opposite regarding redfins that most of their diet is made up of small schooling baitfish, invertebrates, and in some instances insects. I can hardly imagine, even growing to wild redfin lengths of around10-12", that they are primarily taking sunfish as the main food source. Like I said I could see YOY or fry, but I cannot see them phsyically being able to take anything larger.

 

[MN_Rebel]

I'm fairly certain I've read opposite regarding redfins that most of their diet is made up of small schooling baitfish, invertebrates, and in some instances insects. I can hardly imagine, even growing to wild redfin lengths of around10-12", that they are primarily taking sunfish as the main food source. Like I said I could see YOY or fry, but I cannot see them phsyically being able to take anything larger.

Sources please? Like I said, they did research on grass/redfin pickerel's diet in the wild and they just found out they preferred sunfish over other fish species. Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel play a huge role in it in same lakes. Redfin/grass pickerel avoid competing with these larger cousins for same food sources so they optioned less desirable prey fish and leave highly desirable prey fish to their larger cousins. Larger redfin/grass pickerels didn't have any problem eating 3-4" sunfish as they opened their stomachs up in this research and see what the pickerels are eating.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Sources please? Like I said, they did research on grass/redfin pickerel's diet in the wild and they just found out they preferred sunfish over other fish species. Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel play a huge role in it in same lakes. Redfin/grass pickerel avoid competing with these larger cousins for same food sources so they optioned less desirable prey fish and leave highly desirable prey fish to their larger cousins. Larger redfin/grass pickerels didn't have any problem eating 3-4" sunfish as they opened their stomachs up in this research and see what the pickerels are eating.

thats insane, I would have never thought they could eat a sunfish being so small. Grass pickerels I could see, but not a redfin haha.

My sources are scattered articles I've read over time...I couldn't point you to one, but what Ive read was along what you posted, about the larger cousins out-competing them, and forcing them to retreat to streams and tributaries, at least in the redfin's case. Thats intense to think a redfin to swallow any species of sunfish that gets over 4" in length.

 

[Siddons11]

I kept mine with bichirs, gars, sd's, smaller pbass, and a small ray. They quickly took frozen tilapia and pellets since they would attack anything that hit the water (even my fingers).
They will tolerate just about any temperature, but I found them to be sensitive to water parameters.

Sent from my D6708 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Siddons11]

While young I've always found grass pickerel to eat mosquito fish and bugs, and the larger ones eat brook silver sides. That could just be in my lake though.

Sent from my D6708 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Mr.Catfish]

Maybe you shouldn't post it then because it does sounds like too much work and pain in butt. Plus extra $$$ if you have to buy feeders for all fish to just keep that pickerel fed....that sounds like waste of money.

That's just YOUR opinion.It's only a waste of money if you don't care. If someone is passionate about keeping their fish healthy they would do just about anything. It can be expensive if you want it to be. but with some work collecting your on feeders. Or there are other live food options(worms,shrimp,crayfish,other small fish crickets,grasshoppers)

Not to post something just because it requires some work is foolish. In that case this site would have a lot less thread and post. The OP asked about tank mates for pickerel. So I responded with some that can and will work. Just because you think it's a waste of time and money doesn't make it wrong.

 

[aaron7353]

Mr. Catfish, you're absolutely right. MN Rebel, as always, is trying to play internet cop. No wonder I haven't posted here in so long. I have two red fin pickerels myself. One in a 125 with yellow perch, a bluegill, and a warmouth. When feeders or freeze dried krill hit the water, the pickerel nails it before anyone else. My other, that is in my 75 with some tropicals due to conspecific aggression among the two pickerels, thrives equally in that tank. Seriously, MN Rebel, you don't know everything. When you're informative rather than judgemental, you're a great resource to native fish keepers seeking advice. When you constantly belittle others with your opinions, you're obnoxious and aren't helping anyone.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Tsk tsk, you jumped on it and judged me too quickly. I, too had pickerels and northern pikes in the past. Tried keep them with sunfish(mostly bluegills and green hybrids) and it didn't work out due to the competition with the sunfish and bullheads. Problem is that my sunfish is always waiting for me to drop the foods, they are first ones that will jump out to grab foods. I ended up feed sunfish more than I fed to pickerel/pike and I have to change water constantly due to too much feeds (trying to keep pike/pickerel stays well fed). Now who's the obnoxious one here?