ok ive never kept any US native fish before. i want to set up a cheep indoor pond in my basement. i would like to keep LMB, bluegill, and a channel cat. will i need a heater. my basement is always like 65-70 degrees. also, i would like to try and catch my own fish exept for the cat. will they be ok. any certiant type of hook i should use.
some questions
- Thread starter arowana man
- Start date
You shouldn't need a heater, those temperatures are just fine.
I personally just dipnet any nongame species (majority of sunfish have no limits on size or method here) and use small panfish hooks if netting isn't permitted.
We transport them back in an aerated bucket and then allow them awhile in a bag with an aerator to acclimate to our water temperature and haven't had any deaths at all. If you don't aerate them during transport you will have a lot more trouble.
I personally just dipnet any nongame species (majority of sunfish have no limits on size or method here) and use small panfish hooks if netting isn't permitted.
We transport them back in an aerated bucket and then allow them awhile in a bag with an aerator to acclimate to our water temperature and haven't had any deaths at all. If you don't aerate them during transport you will have a lot more trouble.
use barbless hooks, it does less damage on the fish, but that size pond could have 3 channel cats, a school of bluegills (6 or 7) and 2 or three lmb. just make sure that when you get your fish that the bluegills should be the biggest, beacause they will get outgrown by the bass and cats. if the bluegills are too small they will get eaten. get the biggest bluegills you can, 5 or 6 inch bass and 4-7 inch cats. keep us updated .
instead of channel cats i would go with bullheads, they eat smaller foods and will be much less likely to eat the blugills, if you keep bass it doesn't matter what size the blugill are unless they are a world record they will get eaten by the bass eventually
Instead of Micropterus species, which make great single specimens (because they are serious bullies), you should try Moronids aka temperate basses, like white bass or yellow bass. They are very active and the one I take care of (a yellow) is high on my list of cool fish I've kept. You could also put them in with a nice collection of sunnies with no problem. If I were you, I'd make it a goal to either have every local type of sunfish, or a large group of longears or other attractive species. Bluegill just don't really do it for me (even though I have a couple in my pond). I think the bullhead idea is a good one, too.
You can also get true perch up there like yellows, I think. Pickerals might also make cool specimens. IMO the coolest thing about native tanks (or ponds) is that you can put fish in them that are local and you hardly ever see in tanks. In other words, you have lots of options.
You can also get true perch up there like yellows, I think. Pickerals might also make cool specimens. IMO the coolest thing about native tanks (or ponds) is that you can put fish in them that are local and you hardly ever see in tanks. In other words, you have lots of options.