What would be good tank mates for a native rock bass?

[Richbinduga]

I have an 8 inch rock bass I caught in the creek over the summer. I love it so I really want to keep him. He's currently in a 55 gallon with a 4 inch largemouth bass. The largemouth bass is going back to the creek in spring. I just wanted to watch it grow haha. So what I'm wondering is what would be good central/South American cichlids to put in with it?


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[Quo Vadis]

Like cichlids sunfish vary in personality so it all depends on the individual. But I have small Rock bass with Oscars, vieja, carpintus, severum, thorichtys, and cryptoheros, as well as a few other sunfish. It is a grow out tank though, so there are lots of fish and most are <3in. Also it is not usually good to rerelease wild fish after the have been kept in captivity, so you may want to find someone with a closed pond you could put the LM bass in. Rock bass and Oscars behave very similarly.

 

[xraycer]

Also it is not usually good to rerelease wild fish after the have been kept in captivity, so you may want to find someone with a closed pond you could put the LM bass in.

Reason being you could introduce aquarium disease(s) into wild population, and I know in some states, if not all, it is illegal to re-release a captive specimen

 

[piranhaman00]

Reason being you could introduce aquarium disease(s) into wild population, and I know in some states, if not all, it is illegal to re-release a captive specimen

Definitely illegal.

I had a rock bass who was quite aggressive with his tank mates in a 180.


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[Richbinduga]

Yeah the largemouth was probably a bad idea but I just really wanted to watch him grow haha


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[RD.]

In a 55, that 8" rock bass should probably be flying solo. And IME, an adult wild rock bass acts nothing like a domestic born & raised oscar. Most are stone cold killers. Just as in most species, one cannot compare the aggression level of a juvenile, with a sexually mature adult. If you got lucky, and the rocky isn't overly aggro, you might try posting this question in the native folder. This is not an ideal set up for most CA or SA species.

 

[Quo Vadis]

Definitely illegal.

I had a rock bass who was quite aggressive with his tank mates in a 180.


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Yeah, sorry should have clarified, Rock bass definitely tend to be more aggressive than Oscars, but their behavior is similar. Both spend more time near the top than most sunfish/cichlids, both get quite tame and puppy dogish. Even the way the look at you and "wag their tails" (so to speak) when you are near the tank is similar. I think they also fill similar niches in nature, and even look a bit alike in general shape.

 

[Darth Nandopsis]

Native species like RB are coldwater......Oscars are a tropical species......shouldn't be kept together......& any disease that RB may have will be transferred to your captive bred cichlids. Keeping native fish & tropical fish together? Bad idea all around.

 

[RD.]

Darth, you might as well save your breath on that one. Start at post # 45.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?591958-Vieja-zonatus-and-regani/page2


And Quo, exactly how long now have you been successfully keeping Rock Bass, or any type of native bass/sunfish, mixed with CA cichlids, oscars and/or otherwise? You speak as though you have been doing this a long time, and understand the various behaviours, temperments, etc, yet ironically just a few short months ago you had this to say about oscars and keeping sunfish in a 55 gallon.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?579827-Native-fish-wet-pet-for-a-55g

I have always wanted an oscar because of they're cool pet like qualities.

I am open to if anyone has any Native community ideas, although I have found the sunfish I have kept to be too aggressive for the 55g footprint.

The truth is all you have done is recently mixed a bunch of baby fish together in a grow out tank, big deal.
There's no long term success story, in fact your actual experience seems to be extremely limited in this area. Even you suggest that due to their aggressive nature, a 55 was too small of a footprint for the sunfish that you have kept in the past, yet when the OP specifically states he has his RB in a 55 you start referring to mixing sunfish with oscars, vieja, etc, fish that you clearly have almost no experience with. WTH?

 

[Quo Vadis]

I am newer to Oscars and Vieja, but I am not new to cichlids in general, or sunfish. I have been keeping sunfish for ten years, only taking a break when I was in college. I kept several sunfish (with convicts) for about five years in water that was mid 70s, until I gave them to my Dad for his classroom aquarium. I currently keep six species of sunfish, including an adult bluegill with sexually mature Synspilum and Severum. That specific group has been together about 6 months. The sunfish I was referring to that I said was too aggressive for tankmates was a Green Sunfish, that was especially aggressive (and an aggressive species) and he would not allow any other sunfish in the 55g tank. He did allow catfish and plecos. So yes, I have kept adult sunfish with adult cichlids, and yes I have kept sunfish for a long time. I have noticed no difference in disease resistance, vitality, aggression, or color, based on whether they are kept in low tropical temps, or without a heater. You may want to actually know me and my experience level before discrediting everything I say.