Sunfish

Silvertongue700

Exodon
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Jul 22, 2021
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Outside I have a 55g with three very large dojo loaches. I'm interested in sunfish, either bluegill or pumpkinseed. How would these do with the loaches?
 
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MultipleTankSyndrome

Giant Snakehead
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Sep 25, 2021
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Loachaholica
If you ask me, it would not be a good idea. It's been years since I (illegally and somewhat unwittingly, but nonetheless) kept sunfish, but my guess from my experience is that the weather loaches would be bullied a lot.
 

AaronKWolfe

Piranha
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Oct 24, 2019
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If you ask me, it would not be a good idea. It's been years since I (illegally and somewhat unwittingly, but nonetheless) kept sunfish, but my guess from my experience is that the weather loaches would be bullied a lot.
Agreed with above. I think if anything, the pumpkin seed would be the best bet as they're smaller and potentially less capable of hurting the dojo loaches. I would at the very least have some secure structures in there to give the loaches somewhere to hide.
 

MultipleTankSyndrome

Giant Snakehead
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When I was keeping sunfish, the pumpkinseeds were around 5 times as aggressive ('aggressive' defined as persistence in tankmate bulliying) as the bluegills. It might be down to the individual fish, but I think it is worth noting.
 

AaronKWolfe

Piranha
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When I was keeping sunfish, the pumpkinseeds were around 5 times as aggressive ('aggressive' defined as persistence in tankmate bulliying) as the bluegills. It might be down to the individual fish, but I think it is worth noting.
I have relatively limited sunfish experience. I figured them being smaller might make them less capable of harming the loaches, but I stand corrected if that is the case. I think some better native fish tankmates could be pygmy sunfish, minnows, shiners, or daters. But now that I think of it more, I'm not sure how good of an idea it is having a long, slender, worm shaped fish in with sunfish...
 
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Silvertongue700

Exodon
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Jul 22, 2021
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Alright I'm convinced it wouldn't work. I am interested in other coldwater species. I believe shiners are illegal in CA but may be wrong?
 
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