predator for my tank.

[rjssniper]

i am currently rehoming a few fish from my tank. im keeping a crawdad, 1 bullhead at 8 inches, and one black crappie. im looking for a interesting predator to apply to my 75 gal. i have a fx5 for filtration. i thought the crappie would be a good one but for months now he just sits low in the tank and only moves in complete darkness or when a minnow hits the water. im considering grass pickerel but it seems to be a hot item lately and theyve become rather dificult to get ahold of. any sudgestions on predator fish would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance

 

[Mr.Catfish]

Have you tried to catch your on Grass Pickerel? I find them all the time in my part of the state. My crappie do the same thing.

 

[mainbutter]

Predators that are lazy and not too active except for a split second at feeding:
esox species, crappies, walleye, largemouth bass

Predators that are light shy but active at dark:
bullheads

Predators that may be too big, but less light shy and more active:
channel cats, smallmouth bass, bowfin

If you'd be happy with something the size of a crappie but more active, certainly consider a bluegill. While not exactly what you think of in a predator, they are active, fiesty, not too light shy, intelligent, and surprisingly trainable. Reinforcing behaviors regarding feeding time is certainly fun, I like teaching them to jump out of the water 2-4 inches to grab nightcrawlers from my fingers.

Perch around here in the lakes don't seem to be terribly light shy in warmer water and certainly active, but I don't see that kind of behavior from them at the big tanks in big-box outdoors stores.

 

[Owain4]

i've got 4 yellow perch in a 56gallon with about 25 minnows, 1 female is about 4" 1unknown is about 3" and the other two are just babies at under a 1" every morning when i turn on the lights the perch are bulging fat because of eating minnows every night. they are very active in my tank and even come up the glass to look at you haha. i'd just Yellow perch if you can get a hold of them, also man they look amazing, they have a really cool back fin that sticks up when they are hunting or swimming around, and their stripes look very cool. they also eat like pigs (i've had yellow perch on freeze dried shrimp, blood worms, earth worms and they will destroy them) i had a 4" inch perch that once ate 10 minnows in one day.

i've never seen a bluegill or caught one (they are not native where i live in canada) but they seem very active and beautiful. i'd say get a bluegill and two yellow perch!

 

[franklinfish]

i would get the grass pickerel from zimmermans fish. they have them in stock for 10 dollars right now.

 

[fisher12889]

If you think crappie are boring, lazy fish, just wait till you get a pickeral! They are even less active! I would second the suggestions for yellow perch or bluegill. Green sunfish would be another good choice.

 

[I31]

if you want an active predator, get a larger tank and catch yourself a rainbow trout. didn't know that they were aggressive

 

[MN_Rebel]

if you want an active predator, get a larger tank and catch yourself a rainbow trout. didn't know that they were aggressive

IMO that's terrible idea. Rainbow trout do get big and need chiller.

However I would suggest a green sunfish....more predatory than bluegill.

 

[FLESHY]

If you think crappie are boring, lazy fish, just wait till you get a pickeral! They are even less active! I would second the suggestions for yellow perch or bluegill. Green sunfish would be another good choice.

+10

Heres my response...if you want active fish...dont go native.

Most native preds are more or less ambush predators. More or less, all native fish are ambush predators. You want movement, get some minnows.

 

[Kaosu]

SCULPIN!!

lol amusing predators that most people don't keep..they get about 8 inches and are bottom dwellers.