Keeping Sunfish...an article

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Great thread, I wish that I had seen it before my last trip or this little guy may have found his way into my tank.

Round Lake 2006 005.jpg
 
they dont go well with oscars or jacks or any africans i know ijust tryed i live on a lake full of them and let me tell ya i think it would be a great fish to keep in a tank with more na fish such as perch and rock bass
 
I have 6 Bluegill ranging from 1 and a half inches to 4 inches,and there the hardiest,hungriest,most interesting fish i've owned,storebought or otherwise!!!!!!!!!!FONT]
 
I really would like to have some of those illuminescent pumpkinseeds though.just dull brown Bluegill at my Fishin' hole,i think there hybrids,BUT!!!they still are awesome fish,i will keep Lepomis until i pass,or i get an addiction to Peacock Bass,and i'd still keep the little toughies:):):):)):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
 
The bluegill should become more colorful as they grow, but I am sure you can find other Lepomis species around you if you look hard enough. You must exercise caution during your search, or you will become addicted to collecting like I am.
 
To late dreadcon,too late...........really cant wait to get a minnow trap and get 'em at like 3/4 of an inch long!!!!!!!! THEN i'll be happy
 
Largemouthbadbass;563560; said:
To late dreadcon,too late...........really cant wait to get a minnow trap and get 'em at like 3/4 of an inch long!!!!!!!! THEN i'll be happy

Be careful, it is probably not legal to collect them with a minnow trap. But there are ways around this. If you trap them in a private pond, then it should be perfectly legal.
 
It's messed up,i havent seen one game warden in the 25 years iv'e been alive,i'd hate to be the guy always getting busted by 'em!!!
 
Do the minnow trap while your really fishin', if someone comes up...."how did those guys get in there?" or just try to go to a private pond.

We did have a lot of luck with a shrimp net, think giant dip net.
 
I recently set up a 90g native tank with 5 shadow bass (Ambloplites ariommus), 1 orange throat darter, 1 banded sculpin, 2 checkered madtoms and 1 black bullhead. The biggest fish in the tank is the bullhead at a whopping 3 inches. The shadow bass are all right at 2 inches and the sculpin darter and one of the madtoms are about 2.5 inches...the baby madtom is barely 1 inch though! It's amazing to watch them interact with each other and i get far more enjoyment out of my free native fish I collected myself the my store bought tropicals. If anyone in missouri ever wants to trade native fish drop me a line. Any input on my tank setup or suggestions would be welcome as this is my first native tank.

Tank is filtered with:
1 Emperor 400
1 Penguin 350b
1 Rena xp3
1 H.O.T Magnum HOB cannister
 
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