starting a native 55

[Snook000]

Yeah I went down a river and caught like 60 panfish but didn't know what kind they were as soon as my camera works again I'm going to post lots
of pics. As for catching catfish I have caught some big yellow ones
on
live shinners fishing for snook but don't know
how to target them.

 

[critter_bob]

I would suggest you find a good dip net - that is the best way to catch fish for a tank. Seeing as you only have a 55, you really want to try for smaller fish that won't outgrow your tank. I think that the best sunfish for you to try and find is the dollar sunfish - only gets about 4" long, and one of the more colorful of the sunfishes. As an added bonus, they are supposed to be more common in further south in FL.

As to trying to target bullheads, try netting really thick balls of vegetation floating in ditches and places like that - bullheads tend to hide in deep cover during the daytime.

 

[warmouth]

I would suggest you find a good dip net - that is the best way to catch fish for a tank. Seeing as you only have a 55, you really want to try for smaller fish that won't outgrow your tank. I think that the best sunfish for you to try and find is the dollar sunfish - only gets about 4" long, and one of the more colorful of the sunfishes. As an added bonus, they are supposed to be more common in further south in FL.

As to trying to target bullheads, try netting really thick balls of vegetation floating in ditches and places like that - bullheads tend to hide in deep cover during the daytime.

I would like to add I used to catch alot of Bullheads on live worms weighted near the bottom.

 

[Umbra]

I agree that keeping greens and warmouth together in that size tank could be a problem. But if it's densely planted and has lots of hiding places, they'll probably be all right. Most other Lepomis sunfish species would also work; avoid bluegill and redear, as they grow too big for a 55.

Madtoms will get et. I suggest you try for a snail or spotted bullhead; these are smaller than the common brown, black, and yellow bullheads (any of which would outgrow your tank, and possibly kill your sunnies), but bigger than madtoms. Both occur in northern FL. They could be hard to catch, though, and hard on your plants too.

Sculpin are not native to FL, and can be tricky to keep. A somewhat similar species that would work better for you is the fat sleeper, Dormitator maculatus (AKA jade goby). This is a robust cousin of gobies and mudskippers.

You could keep a greater diversity of fishes, and keep your aquascaping intact, if you went with smaller, less aggressive species. The Enneacanthus sunfishes (black-banded, blue-spotted, and banded) are small and peaceful, and could be kept with native cyprinids, killifishes, livebearers, darters, and so on.

Lots of info on FL's aquatic plants here: http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/34?categoryId=13

I completely forgot that it was florida specific - up here in Ontario Canada we have larger madtom species like stonecats. I agree with snail bullheads, great choice (that I unfortunately don't have up here )

 

[basskid081990]

i would suggest payin the 5 dollars for a minnow trap especially for bullhead, almost any minnow will go into one with either a can of wet catfood or bread one or the other both catch different fish, any catfish id definatly go with cat or dogfood....

 

[critter_bob]

But a dip net is more fun!