Need advice on 29 gallon freshwater tank

[Native Keeper]

New 29 gallon aquarium

In the next week or two I plan on setting up a 29 gallon fresh water aquarium with a power filter, and heater. I would like to put blue spotted and black banded sunfish in it, but I don't live in an area where I can catch them and am having trouble finding them for sale. I would also like to add bumblebee catfish but I don't know it they're compatible. I don't know what substrate to use but I would like to use live plants. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[venymae]

Well first thing I would do is read like crazy about how to do a planted tank, they can get pretty complicated and for now it's something you CAN do while trying to figure out how to get your desired fish. I do low tech-planted tanks and they are lots of fun, but I learned a bunch about lighting and such before hand.

not sure how reputable but they are USA based and claim to sell them Jonah's Aquarium - We sell native fishes - Shipping to the USA - Fish List

Also, looks like the sunfish are coldwater (max temp 72) and the bumblebee are warmer (minimum 70) so they probably won't work in the same tank very well, or if you did one would be out of his temp range (I'm just pulling this off the internet just so you know!)
Bumblebee Catfish - Microglanis iheringi
Blackbanded Sunfish, Enneacanthus chaetodon Fish Guide

they are both peaceful though.

unless spawning. haha. sex makes a lot of fish turn into jerks. lol

 

[Native Keeper]

Yeah, I had a bluegill and he was downright mean in the spring and early summer. I had thought about the temperature difference and since doing some research earlier today have decided to get some tadpole madtoms instead. Any advice on substrate or cool water plant species?

 

[venymae]

Most aquarium plants will do surprisingly well in cold water. Java fern, java moss, frogbit, duckweed , tiger lotus, Anacharis, I believe these are all cold water friendly and also low-tech easy beginner plants. Just read up about planting them proper and all that.

some, like java fern, will rot if planted in substrate and need to be tied to driftwood/rocks instead.

 

[azmodan]

Sounds like an awesome build! I wish more people did native builds, and it'd be awesome if you could do it as a biotope with only native plants. There are a few neat native builds on the cold water subforum.

Also, sorry this is off topic but Venymae you can also click your post and hit edit (within 6 hours of posting I think) to avoid double posting.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi, not sure a 29 gal will hold those fish.

Sunfish are messy like cichlids and can be quite aggressive, refer to the max size of the fish above for reference. A standard 55g works for many species. In a 55g you could house a single bluegill or crappie while if you were getting smaller sunfish you could get away with a couple. Keep in mind that sunfish are aggressive and will often not tolerate their own kind, as with cichlids it is pretty much hit or miss. Some sunfish like the largemouth bass grow to such an immense size that keeping them in aquaria is not often practical.
Tanks should be setup with driftwood, rocks and other natural décor. Make sure you add some open swimming space as sunfish often prefer that. If ever you have gone to a sunfish pond you will notice that many of them often hang out in plain view in the shallows. Most sunfish live in quite still waters in lakes or ponds so a powerhead or fast flowing water is not needed, if you look at the body shape you will see that they aren’t made for fast water. An exception to this is the smallmouth bass, they prefer oxygen rich fast flowing water. As for plants, you can try them but most sunfish will often attempt to eat them or destroy them/dig them up. A heater is not needed for any of the sunfish. Filtration should be excellent but avoid UG filters because like cichlids, sunfish are messy and often like to dig.

Keeping Sunfish

 

[Brookster123]

Sunfish should not be kept in anything less than a 90 gallon tank, they are wild fish.. They need space to swim and hunt and spawn. Not a box to sit in one spot and be depressed... If you get a 90 I'll catch you some and ship them...

 

[Native Keeper]

Thanks for all the help, i will have to see what my local store has. I have thought about native plants before but all I can ever seem to find is algae.

 

[Native Keeper]

Sunfish should not be kept in anything less than a 90 gallon tank, they are wild fish.. They need space to swim and hunt and spawn. Not a box to sit in one spot and be depressed... If you get a 90 I'll catch you some and ship them...

Normally yes they would but these two species have a maximum size of about 2-3 inches. I use my 55 gallon for the larger species and release them when they get too big.

 

[Brookster123]

Normally yes they would but these two species have a maximum size of about 2-3 inches. I use my 55 gallon for the larger species and release them when they get too big.

fish you've caught on your own or purchased?

 

[Native Keeper]

I plan on purchasing the two small species from this place Jonah's Aquarium... Need Fish?
But if I want any of the larger species I usually just catch them.

 

[Wy Renegade]

If you are designing a build for native sunfish, you won't need the heater. The site referenced is a nice source for them, as is this one;

Fresh Water Vertebrates at Sachs Systems Aquaculture

These fish require a heavily planted tank and live food. North American native plants can be ordered from;

AquariumPlants.com

as well as other sites. They do well with hornwort, as the hornwort provides hiding spots for microfauna in the aquarium.

They also require live foods, so I suggest that you get your live food cultures up and going before you order these fish; fruitflies, grindleworms, whiteworms, daphnia, and amphipods are all good choices.

Substrate choice will be determined more by the plant choice than the sunfish themselves.

HTH - If I get a chance in the next couple of days, I'll post up a picture of my native set-up.

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

There is a compatability chart here:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

 

[Native Keeper]

If you are designing a build for native pygmy sunfish, you won't need the heater. The site referenced is a nice source for them, as is this one;

Fresh Water Vertebrates at Sachs Systems Aquaculture

These fish require a heavily planted tank and live food. North American native plants can be ordered from;

AquariumPlants.com

as well as other sites. They do well with hornwort, as the hornwort provides hiding spots for microfauna in the aquarium.

They also require live foods, so I suggest that you get your live food cultures up and going before you order these fish; fruitflies, grindleworms, whiteworms, daphnia, and amphipods are all good choices.

Substrate choice will be determined more by the plant choice than the sunfish themselves.

HTH - If I get a chance in the next couple of days, I'll post up a picture of my native set-up.

That's where I plan on getting the tadpole madtoms from but I'll have to order the other fish from here
Jonah's Aquarium... Need Fish?. Do you think they would eat freeze dried blood worms, I've had success with that in the past when feeding young brim and bass.

 

[Wy Renegade]

That's where I plan on getting the tadpole madtoms from but I'll have to order the other fish from here
Jonah's Aquarium... Need Fish?. Do you think they would eat freeze dried blood worms, I've had success with that in the past when feeding young brim and bass.

I have read about people successfully converting some species of the pygmies over to freeze-dried or frozen bloodworms, but from all I've seen and read, you have to start them on live food and convert them yourself, as they will not start out eating these.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Fish that you have captured or ordered in should not be released back into the wild. In fact most states have laws against it, violation can result in loss of fishing privileges as well as a fine.

 

[Brookster123]

Fish that you have captured or ordered in should not be released back into the wild. In fact most states have laws against it, violation can result in loss of fishing privileges as well as a fine.

ya I was going to say it's really a bad idea to put anything from your home aquarium into the wild.. But Wy is absolutely correct in everything that was stated.. Depending on states.. Fish and game can hit you with some serious fines/penalties.. In Maine they may even take you for a ride...

 

[Native Keeper]

ya I was going to say it's really a bad idea to put anything from your home aquarium into the wild.. But Wy is absolutely correct in everything that was stated.. Depending on states.. Fish and game can hit you with some serious fines/penalties.. In Maine they may even take you for a ride...

Oh wow, I was under the impression that as long as you released the fish into the water you got it from it was fine.

 

[Brookster123]

Even if it was "ok" legally, why would you chance risking an ecosystem with any disease or parasite it may have been introduced too in your care?? Its one thing to rescue a falcon with a broken with and nurse back to health to release, keeping wild pets until they get to big and releasing them is a different story..

 

[Native Keeper]

Even if it was "ok" legally, why would you chance risking an ecosystem with any disease or parasite it may have been introduced too in your care?? Its one thing to rescue a falcon with a broken with and nurse back to health to release, keeping wild pets until they get to big and releasing them is a different story..

Good point, I do plan on upgrading my 55 gallon to a 100 gallon in the near future so I shouldn't have to do that anymore anyway.