Largemouth Bass in a 55 Gallon Aquarium?

[SW Florida Kid]

I have a 55 Gallon Aquarium that is in the process of cycling. I have a 185 GPH Canister Filter and two 18 inch bubble bars for aeration.

Do you think the 55 gallon tank will be large enough for the largemouth. I'm wanting to start out with a 6 inch bass for room for growth. Thanks.

Here is a picture of my tank:

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Not even close. Largemouth Bass need probably a 250 for life, and that's pushing it.

 

[Noto]

Largemouth grow quickly. A 6" fish will be fine in a 55 gallon tank, but he won't be 6" for long. Go ahead and get the final home, whether a pond or a several-hundred-gallon tank, ready before you bring the fish home. You can still use the 55 for a growout if necessary.

 

[SW Florida Kid]

Ok.... that sucks.. lol

I spent $450 on the tank, filter, aeration, stand, gravel, and water test kit thinking of putting a bass in there the whole time. I'm already on day 5 of cycling the tank.

So I guess I should resort to putting a couple bluegill in there instead?

 

[SW Florida Kid]

Largemouth grow quickly. A 6" fish will be fine in a 55 gallon tank, but he won't be 6" for long. Go ahead and get the final home, whether a pond or a several-hundred-gallon tank, ready before you bring the fish home. You can still use the 55 for a growout if necessary.

Thanks for the reply.....

What is a growout tank?

 

[Nate77]

A growout tank is a tank used to let fish grow out before moving to the main tank/pond or whatever other vessel that is the final home.

 

[Noto]

It's not wasted- there are plenty of cool fish you could keep in that setup! Bluegill would be OK for a while, but they can get too long for such a narrow tank. Fliers or shadow bass would be a good choice, or any of the small-to-medium sized sunnies such as green, dollar, blackspotted, etc. Redfin/grass pickerel are another option.

 

[SW Florida Kid]

It's not wasted- there are plenty of cool fish you could keep in that setup! Bluegill would be OK for a while, but they can get too long for such a narrow tank. Fliers or shadow bass would be a good choice, or any of the small-to-medium sized sunnies such as green, dollar, blackspotted, etc. Redfin/grass pickerel are another option.

Where can I get those types of fish at?

 

[Noto]

All those fish are native to Florida, though shadow bass and green sunfish are restricted to the northern areas. There are also various places online that you can order them from. A few of my favorite sites:

http://www.jonahsaquarium.com
http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php/topic/1948-pricing-current-stock/
http://www.aquaculturestore.com/

The trading dock at http://forum.nanfa.org/ is also a good place to pick up fish. Be sure to introduce yourself on the forum and maybe ask a few questions before posting a want ad.

 

[Noto]

You might also consider just going out to your local waters and seeing what you can catch with hook and line or a dipnet (get a fishing license first!). If you're not very familiar with your local fishes, just take pictures and post them here or at the NANFA forum for IDs and care info. South Florida has plenty of nice natives, and is also overrun with hardy exotics.