Starting a Native Tank, need some help

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
maybe get a couple of blue spotted sunnies
 
i had a perch 4 10 month's i swear if the fish grew a 1/4 in. ill be shocked/look at mt albums youll see / i had two at one time the small one was lke 4 inces and the big one was like 12 inces / they are the easiest im my opnion
 
That sounds like a 40 breeder size tank, and would look really great set up with rocks, driftwood, and some live plants, then stick to smaller sunfish species like obesus, blue spots. orange spots, dollars. I have a similar set up and also keep a few darters, that just skip around the botto, dont get too large and so far my small sunfish dont even act like they know they are there.
 
jimv8673;2783279; said:
That sounds like a 40 breeder size tank, and would look really great set up with rocks, driftwood, and some live plants, then stick to smaller sunfish species like obesus, blue spots. orange spots, dollars. I have a similar set up and also keep a few darters, that just skip around the botto, dont get too large and so far my small sunfish dont even act like they know they are there.
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I was looking at dwarf sunfish from this website:
http://www.aquaculturestore.com/fwverts.html


Some pretty interesting looking species, some very cool looking darters as well.


As far as sunfish stocking, I was thinking
1x Lepomis marginatus
1x Enneacanthurus obesus
1x Enneacanthurus chaetodon


Darters:
4x Etheostoma spectiabile
 
Don't mix Lepomis and Enneacanthus species. The Lepomis are much more aggressive; even if they don't directly attack the Enneacanthus, they will keep them from getting much to eat and generally stress them out.

I would go for a mixed group of Enneacanthus in that tank, especially if you're going to plant it. Most darters like more current than Enneacanthus do; cyprinids and killifish are better tankmates. Of the darters that do like low flow, the swamp darter (E. fusiforme) and Iowa darter (E. exile) are the most readily available.
 
In that case,
2x Obesus
1x Chaetodon

Instead of the darters how about a group of four Pteronotropis signipinnis?
 
I haven't kept any Pteros, but I think they'd be a good combo. That's a very light stock; you have room for more fish if you want them.
 
Hmmm.
If theres room for more, I was thinking 4x Jordanella floridae?
Would bring some nice color to the tank.
 
They are nice, and help keep algae down. Just be aware that they can be nippy.

I'm a big fan of bluefin killies (Lucania goodei) in that kind of tank. They're little, so get a bunch of them!
 
Noto;2784818; said:
They are nice, and help keep algae down. Just be aware that they can be nippy.

I'm a big fan of bluefin killies (Lucania goodei) in that kind of tank. They're little, so get a bunch of them!
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The bluefin killies do look nice.
So
2x Obesus
1x Chaetodon

4x Pteronotropis
8x bluefin killies.


I think this is going to look really nice once I'm done.

Also, another question.
The tank is set-up as a warm water tank right now(82F) and if I am going to switch to coldwater, do I need to remove the existing water and re-cycle the tank with cold water? Or can i just remove the heater, and have the tank water drop to room temp (about 70F in my room) then add my plants and driftwood, then add fish?
 
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