What to stock next?

[Broski]

I have a 120g, that I use as a grow out tank for my friends who own a small lake/large pond. Right now I have 2 greenie/Pseed hybrids which have grown from 1" to 4" in about 4 months, and a LMB which has gone from 3" to 5". I now have a new LMB thats 3". Once the older guys get to 6" I'll be giving them to my friends. These guys seem to grow like weeds in 78° water which is great.

I've really started to like natives, but I'd imagine a 120 gallon tank would not be able to house any of those fish permanently. I'd like to try yellow perch, but I need cooler water, and my tank is unheated and is still at 78°.

 

[Gearhead]

The sunfish could live in the 120g permanently, but the bass will outgrow the tank in just a year or two. You could always make a DIY chiller for the perch. I have always wanted to keep perch but I have no clue where to get them from. I say keep the sunfish, add one brown bullhead, a couple bluegill or warmouth, maybe a couple pure pumpkinseeds or greens, and some big gold shiners.

 

[FLESHY]

+1 for DIY chiller...I havent seen any build threads on here on one, then again I havent looked very hard. It would be cool though.

120's can be a bit small for the bullheads long term, but for the small, active ones it is fine. Once they get to the awkwardly large stage, they will be almost completely sedentary anyways.

 

[warmouth]

You could try Stonecats, Slender madtoms or even Creek Chubs. I completely agree with Gearhead that Lmb Bass will outgrow the 120g in a couple of years and that Large Golden Shiners are a good choice, but I will have to disagree on Bullheads (unless they are the Snail, Spotted or Flat which are very hard to find) being good tankmates with Sunfish the older and larger they get the more aggressive they get.

 

[Umbra]

You could try Stonecats, Slender madtoms or even Creek Chubs. I completely agree with Gearhead that Lmb Bass will outgrow the 120g in a couple of years and that Large Golden Shiners are a good choice, but I will have to disagree on Bullheads (unless they are the Snail, Spotted or Flat which are very hard to find) being good tankmates with Sunfish the older and larger they get the more aggressive they get.

I've kept yellow and black bullheads with large C.A. cichlids without any problems. I'm sure the bigger bluegills, rock bass and green sunfish could handle themselves around bullheads just fine.

 

[Gearhead]

You could try Stonecats, Slender madtoms or even Creek Chubs. I completely agree with Gearhead that Lmb Bass will outgrow the 120g in a couple of years and that Large Golden Shiners are a good choice, but I will have to disagree on Bullheads (unless they are the Snail, Spotted or Flat which are very hard to find) being good tankmates with Sunfish the older and larger they get the more aggressive they get.

Really, my 10" brown bullhead has gotten less aggressive as hes gotten bigger. I used to be worried he would eat my 2" brichardi cichlid, but he seems to have lost interest in anything live. He wont even eat rosy reds if I hold them to his mouth. He eats shrimp, chicken and any other thawed meat that I offer. He has also become less active and less territorial. I do think that the stonecats would probably be the best option though.

 

[KvltBird]

Trout tank would be really cool

 

[Broski]

I'm not going to try trout, too much temptation to eat them I would do gar, but those are sadly illegal here in CA, so no. Catfish never have appealed to me, I'd rather do grass carp again. Maybe I should do an all LMB tank, the two I have get along well, very sociable.

I'm wondering if my diet is questionable, I feed as a staple food Freeze dried shrimp, and jumbo krill and some earthworms. occasionally I feed live fish, but not often.

 

[p2daj21]

pike,walleye, or a small sturgeon species would be really cool

 

[warmouth]

I've kept yellow and black bullheads with large C.A. cichlids without any problems. I'm sure the bigger bluegills, rock bass and green sunfish could handle themselves around bullheads just fine.

I agree, but I feel they would have to be around the same size.