Sunfish

[Markstanfill]

So my question is... Im heading out to do some crappie/sunfish/perch/bream fishing this weekend, and im going to angle for at least one hand or less sized fish and throw him in my tank. Is there any reason that I should not do this? Other than it might be illegal, check your local listings, blah blah whatever. Im under the impression they are somewhat mild mannered and I am planning on tossing it in with some larger goldfish and a koi. Anyone have a reason like temperment or disease that should bar me from doing this?

 

[mfdrookie516]

My only thoughts are it might be illegal, you may want to check your local fish and wildlife laws, blah blah blah Of course, if your "my tanks" is up to date, i dont see that you have a tank big enough for any larger goldfish, koi, or sunfish

 

[Markstanfill]

Its not up to date, they are in a 100g. My goldfish and koi are about to go back into the pond outside anyway, but untill that happens I dont want to have any issues with the fish I already have.

 

[Evilameba]

just make sure you check for visible signs of illness before you add it. and be prepared to medicate in case something comes up. but other than that, should be fine

 

[jestes]

I kept a sunfish/bream a long time ago. Here's the issues I remember, in no particular order.

1. In Tennessee, fish in aquariums are exempt from the exotic pets law. Here's your laws for Texas: State Laws Governing Private Possession of Exotic Animals

2. Since you're gonna catch him with a hook, make sure your water is about as clean as you can possibly get it. He's already going to have an open wound, after all... Mine took a while to heal, but it did.

3. Mine was only a few inches long, but he was a poop factory that would make a Common Pleco seem constipated.

4. I kept mine without a heater. Since you're in Texas, the fish you catch down there may be used to warmer waters though.

5. In the wild, large schools of them live near submerged trees and such. You may want to consider some driftwood, and getting a couple of them. Mine was alone, and he just never seemed "natural".

6. You'll feel guilty the next time you go fishing, and you fry up one of your pet's relatives though. Now if you blacken it over the grill with some Italian dressing, lemon, and spices, you'll get over it.

 

[willsta2000]

Legalities and disease aside, you may run the risk of subjecting your koi to some fin-nipping. Sunfish have a lot in common with cichlids... don't remember for sure, but I think they occupy the same genus. I donated a sunfish (that was captive bred in a goldfish farm) to a nearby university. He now holds his own amongst a tank of convicts. I know you wouldn't want to put convicts in with your koi, and I would venture to say the same runs true with the sunfish.
Also, the reason why I separated "him" was he was chasing/nipping on my goldfish, (in my pond) who were 5-6".

 

[BigJim]

Green sunfish are known to be absolute terrors. I think a greenie would actually kill your koi. Other sunfish aren't as aggressive, but they're not exactly mild-mannered either.

 

[WhiteDevil]

I think sunfish are part of the bass family.

if you want some sunfish, look into the orangespot sunfish, they stay relatively small and are some of the most beautiful sunfish out there. they are not common and resides in certain parts of the country, I have a pond 15 miles from me that has them, the next body of water that does have them for sure is over 100 miles away, I am in the upper midwest kinda I am close to chicago.

Sunfish will nip those goldfish to death, any subspecies.

try bluegills instead, they arent that aggressive except at spawn time a dn to be honest, no fish spawns as gracefully and entertaining as bluegills.

sunfish are not cichlids at all they are cousins of the small and largemouth bass
Sunfish - New World Encyclopedia

 

[Lowryder]

Cichlids are close to bass. Look at the cichla cichlid aha peacock bass.

I agree, go with bluegills or even crappies.

 

[strokinbyeu]

i would worry about aggretion. freinds of mine put a 4in short ear bluegill in there tank for crayfish and it ate 9 in a 24hour peirod and killed 2 more but didnt mess with the 30+ creek chubs and darters that they put in there for the crayfish it then went into a tank with 2 red bellyed peranas and 1 was getting hurt so they ended up grilling up the glue gill lol

 

[WhiteDevil]

close but not quite. most cichs are mostly warm water fish, where as bass are mostly cold water fish. no cichlid can survive a northern midwest winter thats for sure. peacock bass is a name due to its bright colors and body shape resemblance to the north american largemouth bass. There is a huge difference in the peacock "bass" to a LMB or SMB or many of the others in the bass family.

they are territorial around spawn time, the rest the time they are found in school, panfish that is as well as SMB's and LMB's heck even musky and pike school as well as predator catfish, aggression comes out during pecking orders and breeding mainly with natives.

If they were aggressive they couldnt be kept like this

LMB, black crappie, bluegill and 45# channel cat.
other tank mates
walleye
musky
jumbo perch
rainbow trout
black and white crappies
LMB's and SMB's

There is a natural order to things and with natives it really shows.

I study natives like no other, I wear waders to go on walks cause I always end up in the rivers and creeks around me. Dont take any of this harshly. Ive been doing this for 15+ years and got my kids doing it now as well.