Pygmy Sunfish and Darters

[jmitchell]

Do these fish need cold water, or could they live in a heated aquarium?

Also, would I have to feed the sunfish live? I have a small pond near me I could scoop bugs and stuff from, would this be sufficient?

Thanks!

-LJ

 

[jmitchell]

Anyone?

 

[sandtiger]

This thread would have been better placed in the "Coldwater and Native" forum on this site. Pygmy sunfish do fine in warmer water, darters typically prefer cooler/well oxygenated water. Both will eat live food but will typically take frozen and freeze dried. Sometimes they can be converted to pellets/flakes.

 

[cmj15]

sunfish will eat flakes, or anything else you try to feed them

 

[fishlvr]

sunfish will eat flakes, or anything else you try to feed them

I think he's talkin' about pymy sunfish, not Centrarchids.

 

[teleost]

Are you talking about enneacanthus or elassoma?

 

[jmitchell]

elassoma

 

[drewish]

It takes a bit to train the Elassoma spp to take non-live. If you have a supply for live blackworms, that would make feeding simple at a decent price.

What temperate are you talking about? I'm also not so sure about mixing these with other species.

 

[jmitchell]

I know now the Pygmys can live in warmer waters, but I'd keep the water around 72 to accommodate the darters. Other than that I'm accepting suggestions for tank mates.

Thanks!

-LJ

 

[rjmtx]

what kind of darters are they? If they're from Mass., they probably will like cooler water, but there are some darters down here that I know of that live in warmer temps.