Recommendations for Native fish for a 300+ gallon tank (I would say keep in mind this would happen in a few years)

[SyTheSnakeGuy]

So I really like native fish and I will be getting a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank or building a pretty big (400+ gallons) plywood tank and want native fish preferably bigger but that's ok if they aren't, also I will be getting a separate big tank for some grass pickerel so that's off of the list.
Thanks,
Sy

 

[Matteus]

Awesome idea. I think a start point is finding out what is legal to keep in your area, then locate a hatchery to start sourcing out what is available out of those.

 

[tlindsey]

Awesome idea. I think a start point is finding out what is legal to keep in your area, then locate a hatchery to start sourcing out what is available out of those.

Excellent advice. Jonahsaquarium in my state sales natives and has a compatibility list on their website.

 

[SyTheSnakeGuy]

Got it thanks for those suggestions, I live in Iowa and as I understand (this may be wrong) it is indeed legal to keep fish in the way I plan on doing but if you know better that would also be helpful.
Thanks,
Sy

 

[C. Breeze]

Got it thanks for those suggestions, I live in Iowa and as I understand (this may be wrong) it is indeed legal to keep fish in the way I plan on doing but if you know better that would also be helpful.
Thanks,
Sy

Iowa fish and game will have a section in The sport fishing regulations about keeping/transporting native and introduced fish.


And you can probably buy fish from the state also, from their stocking programs. For instance you can buy fish from DNR hatcheries in Georgia.


Apologies for not knowing what the native sunfish are in Iowa but whatever you have equivalent to pumpkinseeds would be nice to watch pound bugs on the surface in the evening.

 

[SyTheSnakeGuy]

We have pumpkinseeds I believe but I do not know

 

[SyTheSnakeGuy]

also and fwi I mean us native in general

 

[C. Breeze]

Where are you in Iowa? Will a 300 freeze or will it only get a few inches of ice? I’d be thinking some madtom catfish or some sculpins or minnows or possibly even gambusia and a handful of small sunfish. Might need a tent/ greenhouse over it in the winter, might need. Shade cloth and power head moving water in the summer depending the species you go with. But madtoms pumpkinseeds and gambusia or whatever will live there would be a solid little ecosystem and interesting to net stuff out of periodically


A pair of rock bass would be cool also

 

[SyTheSnakeGuy]

It would be indoor
Also I live in Des Moines

 

[C. Breeze]

It would be indoor
Also I live in Des Moines

Oh- my bad- it doesn’t matter where in Iowa if it’s indoor. Heck, that’s just an aquarium hahaha. I’d look at gambusia holbrooki, madtoms, sculpins, sailfin mollies, bullheads, ceeekchub thread finshad sticklebacks , with pumpkinseeds or equivalent sunfish as my center piece, if it was me and pick amongst the “dithers” according to your interest and their needs.