Tankmates for a Redfin Pickerel

[simple man]

Crappie should be very compatable with the redfin. They are really docile and shouldnt pick on the redfin at all. From my experience a lot of sunfish are rather aggressive and territorial and just may pick on the redfin a lot. IMO, crappie would be a much better choice.

I would disagree only because the crappie would hit the feeders as soon as they entered would and the redfins would get out competed for them. They take their time on the feeders. And crappies could still punk the redfins as well. I would find other fish that coexist within the redfins range and see if you could pick them up perhaps daces or darters big enough to not fit in the redfins mouth.

 

[teleost]

Orangespotted sunfish should be fine. They get a bit larger than enneacanthus and have a very mild temper.

 

[fishyz]

I would disagree only because the crappie would hit the feeders as soon as they entered would and the redfins would get out competed for them. They take their time on the feeders. And crappies could still punk the redfins as well. I would find other fish that coexist within the redfins range and see if you could pick them up perhaps daces or darters big enough to not fit in the redfins mouth.

Would long perch darters work? I know they can get to about 7" long but they're still kind of thin.

 

[simple man]

Orangespotted sunfish should be fine. They get a bit larger than enneacanthus and have a very mild temper.

The problem with all sunfish is they mistake the brightly colored red fins on the pickerel as food and nip them and the fins dont grow back fast and this can actually kill the redfin.

 

[teleost]

The problem with all sunfish is they mistake the brightly colored red fins on the pickerel as food and nip them and the fins dont grow back fast and this can actually kill the redfin.

That is not true.

Sunfish do not mistake fins of fish for food. This is an aggressive response to the predator. The sunfish intend to drive the pickerel away when they "nip".

Not all sunfish will behave this way towards pickerel.

As I said orangespotted sunfish will be fine with a redfin pickerel, provided you consider size when indroducing the two together.

 

[drewish]

Darters and dace will not be good tankmates for redfin pickerel. Unless of course you are using them for food.

HUGE shiners or chubs may also be used as long as they are big enough to not be eaten. Just remember that pickerel are capable of eating fish just about their size.

 

[Skipjack]

A pickerel will not, under most circumstances, defend itself.
A pickerel will eat anything that fits in its mouth
These two simple facts about pickerel should help you pic tank mates.
Small fish, shiners, darters, logperch darters, etc will only be temporary tankmates.

Pickerels will not defend themselves against aggressive ( meaning territorial) fish. It can be done, but centrarchids are really not a good choice.

 

[fishyz]

Darters and dace will not be good tankmates for redfin pickerel. Unless of course you are using them for food.

HUGE shiners or chubs may also be used as long as they are big enough to not be eaten. Just remember that pickerel are capable of eating fish just about their size.

What species of chubs are we looking at here?

 

[fisher12889]

Lake and creek chubs probably. And IME sunfish dont nip in aggression, they flat out swim up to a fish and hit it. Ive only seen them nip at food, never for aggression. They are very curious fish, and will bit almost anything that looks like food (a quivering pickeral fin)

 

[Skipjack]

I am going to assume here, that Drewish is referring to LARGE creek chubs, but more likely Fallfish