125. What am I doing with it

[Hybridfish7]

Yeah ive heard of the distinction before...northern and southern redbelly. I didnt know people bred them, but i know several places where i can always find them if i had the time and tank.

If you go that route consider bluehead chub for tankmates. When the males get big they are spectacular and in breeding ritual they will collect small stones and build pyramids. Idk if they range with the southern variety though.

The northern and southern redbelly dace are actually different species, with MRBD being c. oreas, and the northern/southern being c. eos and c. erythrogaster respectively. I was talking more along the lines of the variants you find in the James river vs the Roanoke. I believe the blueheads do occur in the Roanoke however. However however, their tubercles kinda look gross to me... I am not entirely sure I want them, and I found out the other species don't exactly need them for spawning. Not having the blueheads build nests allows me to put in artificial nests and collect eggs from the other species if I choose to.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

The northern and southern redbelly dace are actually different species, with MRBD being c. oreas, and the northern/southern being c. eos and c. erythrogaster respectively. I was talking more along the lines of the variants you find in the James river vs the Roanoke. I believe the blueheads do occur in the Roanoke however. However however, their tubercles kinda look gross to me... I am not entirely sure I want them, and I found out the other species don't exactly need them for spawning. Not having the blueheads build nests allows me to put in artificial nests and collect eggs from the other species if I choose to.

Maybe you could get a yellow bullhead they have great personality, feeds out my hand, lays and balances very strangely on decor and plants, doesn’t really chase other fish and are pretty! Just a suggestion.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Maybe you could get a yellow bullhead they have great personality, feeds out my hand, lays and balances very strangely on decor and plants, doesn’t really chase other fish and are pretty! Just a suggestion.

 

[Fishyboy🐟🐟🐟]

In my experience I forgot to add

 

[Trouser Cough]

Unfortunately I've looked on CL and FB marketplace... my area isn't exactly the best for fishkeeping stuff, no 125s cheaper than what I'd get at the LFS, except for ones drilled for sumps or ones with wooden rims. The latter would be fine, if my rack wasn't painted black to match the rim of standard ranks.

It's philosophical rambling but consider injecting a comforting logic to your tank hunting even when there's nothing in your town that might be of interest. Here's the path:

1) You can buy a brand spanking 125g at the local pet shop for $1000.00 or...

2) You can enlarge your search to any town w/in a two hour drive that is large enough that you might find a 125g for maybe a couple hundred bucks or less.

If it's two hours there and two hours back plus the hour or so it would've taken to stuff the tank in the truck anyway then the money you've saved was $800 and the time spent to save it was 4 hours. During that 4 hour period you made $200 an hour to go snag the tank a couple hours from home. There is always a way to make whatever you want to do seem like a logical choice.

The eight c notes saved can be put into an expedited build or stashed for a rainy day. I always bring a hand truck w/ me and a couple towels just to make it easier and I don't go to fetch tanks larger than 180g by myself as they're pretty heavy, particularly the older models w/ thicker glass.

When you can snatch these pebbles from my hand, grasshoppa...

 

[Trouser Cough]

The natives in your pics are what I'd select. That pink dude is strikingly colorful and the others are beauties as well.

 

[Hybridfish7]

It's philosophical rambling but consider injecting a comforting logic to your tank hunting even when there's nothing in your town that might be of interest. Here's the path:

1) You can buy a brand spanking 125g at the local pet shop for $1000.00 or...

2) You can enlarge your search to any town w/in a two hour drive that is large enough that you might find a 125g for maybe a couple hundred bucks or less.

If it's two hours there and two hours back plus the hour or so it would've taken to stuff the tank in the truck anyway then the money you've saved was $800 and the time spent to save it was 4 hours. During that 4 hour period you made $200 an hour to go snag the tank a couple hours from home. There is always a way to make whatever you want to do seem like a logical choice.

When you can snatch these pebbles from my hand, grasshoppa...

Like I said, brand new from the lfs is $550, but the lid + tax makes it 700. With tax the petsmart one is nearly $1100, which I of course will not be going with. Still saving a good amount of money, but I agree it could be better. Unfortunately however, I haven't found any for a reasonable price within a 3 hour radius of myself.

The natives in your pics are what I'd select. That pink dude is strikingly colorful and the others are beauties as well.

I agree. Pink one is luxilus cerasinus, one of my top 3 favorite fish of all time.

 

[Omrit]

I would go with the non-native tank. First off when they breed they can turn into more money for you to put towards other fish stuff. If the native fish breed selling them would be difficult, and potentially even illegal?


I will also say some of those pictures you posted of the native fish are not likely to be what you experience the majority of the time(or ever as some of those pics are a bit color enhanced IMO). Most of the time you will be looking at some fairly plain fish.

I kept some sunfish for a while, mine were what we call "pumpkinseeds" I believe. Very similar to the fish you showed I think. Their feeding response is strong, lots of begging, but definitely made a huge mess. I imagine the chubs/shiners/river minnows require pristine water( so not going to appreciate the mess), and probably also colder water(so a chiller which is expensive). If it were me and I was going to do natives in a 125 I would get some sunfish, a pickerel/pike, and a maybe a small catfish.



Still I would go with the non-native set-up for now. Also if you eventually want both the non-native set-up will take some time to come into their own(you will likely start with small juveniles which won't look like much for almost a year) which would make me want to start them sooner.

 

[Hybridfish7]

I would go with the non-native tank. First off when they breed they can turn into more money for you to put towards other fish stuff. If the native fish breed selling them would be difficult, and potentially even illegal?


I will also say some of those pictures you posted of the native fish are not likely to be what you experience the majority of the time(or ever as some of those pics are a bit color enhanced IMO). Most of the time you will be looking at some fairly plain fish.

I kept some sunfish for a while, mine were what we call "pumpkinseeds" I believe. Very similar to the fish you showed I think. Their feeding response is strong, lots of begging, but definitely made a huge mess. I imagine the chubs/shiners/river minnows require pristine water( so not going to appreciate the mess), and probably also colder water(so a chiller which is expensive). If it were me and I was going to do natives in a 125 I would get some sunfish, a pickerel/pike, and a maybe a small catfish.



Still I would go with the non-native set-up for now. Also if you eventually want both the non-native set-up will take some time to come into their own(you will likely start with small juveniles which won't look like much for almost a year) which would make me want to start them sooner.

I have already decided on the native tank. I have been scanning the nanfa forum for any information I can get on keeping all the desired species and so far I'm in luck for the species I've selected in regards to keeping them. Obviously the pristine water is a must and is doable, flow is doable, but as for keeping them comfortable temperature wise, the room temp of my basement is perfect for them. That, along with giving them about 15-16 hours of light a day should keep them all colored up for most of the year.

As far as selling either of them goes, I think it cancels out, because people want and would pay for the natives but I can't because it's probably illegal, meanwhile the non natives I can sell but no one in my area wants them. I've seen all of the sucio species in auctions at my local club go for less than $10 a bag. Either way I make no money. I have colonies of other species for that purpose.

Also you'd be surprised that only one of those pictures is probably color enhanced (the rainbow shiner one). I caught the sunfish in that picture. Some more pics (and a video) of the other species:

 

[Hybridfish7]

It's philosophical rambling but consider injecting a comforting logic to your tank hunting even when there's nothing in your town that might be of interest. Here's the path:

1) You can buy a brand spanking 125g at the local pet shop for $1000.00 or...

2) You can enlarge your search to any town w/in a two hour drive that is large enough that you might find a 125g for maybe a couple hundred bucks or less.

If it's two hours there and two hours back plus the hour or so it would've taken to stuff the tank in the truck anyway then the money you've saved was $800 and the time spent to save it was 4 hours. During that 4 hour period you made $200 an hour to go snag the tank a couple hours from home. There is always a way to make whatever you want to do seem like a logical choice.

The eight c notes saved can be put into an expedited build or stashed for a rainy day. I always bring a hand truck w/ me and a couple towels just to make it easier and I don't go to fetch tanks larger than 180g by myself as they're pretty heavy, particularly the older models w/ thicker glass.

When you can snatch these pebbles from my hand, grasshoppa...

Almost got lucky... found a guy selling a 125 with a stand for $350, asked if he'd go lower if I didn't buy the stand, and he declined the sale. And with that goes the only one selling a 125 for under $550 within 2 hours of me