View Full Version : compatability question
ocgearhead
07-20-2008, 6:32 PM
hopefully someone can answer this question for me. rite now i have a freshwater tank with a bluegill in thats about 3-4 inches long... i know its kinda illegal but i tank raised it from around 1/2 inch in size. i would like to put a few cichlids in the tank to add a bit more color and livelyness to it. i just dont know if my bluegill will eat them because for the time being i feed it rosey minnows, pellets and flake food. ill try to get some pics of my tanks up soon.
current setups:
55g saltwater f.O.W.L.R
10g freshwater
6g saltwater fish only
Hooked Newbie
07-20-2008, 6:37 PM
Do you have plans for a larger tank? The Bluegill will overstock the 10G by itself. I wouldn't advise adding anything and would say you'll likely need a 75G+ tank to properly house the BG.
Leaving aside anything else for the moment you've taken on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluegill
Maximum size 16 inches.
So you can't keep it in the 10G a whole lot longer let alone add fish with it.
nano cichlids
07-20-2008, 6:59 PM
i wouldnt because of the fact its wild a tank raised cichlid and wild caught cold water cichlid just wouldnt really mix plus blues ge big like Coler said 16in you need a 55 from 4-7in then a 75 for anything above a 100 would be even better, ounce you got all this down we can talk about adding other cichlids
ocgearhead
07-20-2008, 7:03 PM
i know bluegills get large but it takes awile. i plan on getting a bigger tank but dont have the money for it at the time. most of it is goin into my saltwater. heres a pic but it turned out kinda yellow looking
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/Dangerdoll_album/32zrpj4.jpg
heres the stand ant top i built for my 55g
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/Dangerdoll_album/2e6h5lk.jpg
nano cichlids
07-20-2008, 7:08 PM
hes a nice blue gill but hes goin to get large fast save your money and get him a new tank or release him back into the wild assuming he hasnt been with any other freshwater fish you have bought
Don't release him...if its illegal to catch and tank raise where you live it will equally be illegal to release him if kept in an aquarium irrespective of whether he has been kept with other fish.
ocgearhead
07-20-2008, 7:13 PM
heres some of my livestock
black trigger
http://i36.tinypic.com/1sjhoz.jpg
mandrin goby
http://i36.tinypic.com/2k2ezt.jpg
citron goby
http://i33.tinypic.com/2yzlxet.jpg
maroon clown and school of green chromis
http://i38.tinypic.com/kexabb.jpg
i know bluegills get large but it takes awile. i plan on getting a bigger tank but dont have the money for it at the time. most of it is goin into my saltwater. heres a pic but it turned out kinda yellow looking
Ok well then get the bigger tank before you get more fish.
If you can't kept that fish in a proper size tank in the near future, do the decent thing and knock him on the head (i.e. euthanize properly). As I said above, don't release him.
Pic is nice.
heres the stand ant top i built for my 55g
The stand and top are very nice.
As are your other fish.
Hooked Newbie
07-20-2008, 7:25 PM
It sure is a pretty BG. They are gorgeous fish and if properly kept have alot of personality. I'd suggest to start looking for a cheap 55 (Craigslist, etc.) to buy you time. If you truly want to keep it (if I had the room for a native tank, I would in a heartbeat), start saving and don't worry about adding. Colors are nice, but there are behavioral traits that can be appreciated past the pretty colors. I'd also suggest that you mix up it's diet with earthworms, etc. Rosy reds aren't the best plan since the stock is often infested.
jm1212
07-20-2008, 7:30 PM
never release a fish into the wild. it can introduce so many diseases that will decimate wild populations.
you can also go out and buy a giant rubbermain container to house the bluegill in for now until you can get a new tank. you'll have to be able to get a big enough filter for it, but it will be better than the ten gallon.
BigFishKeeper
07-20-2008, 7:34 PM
Nice bluegill.
ocgearhead
07-20-2008, 8:20 PM
i normally do mix up the diet. i only feed minnows maybe once a month because my BG will eat bout a dozen at a time, then hes good for a week or 2. i actually have a filter and heater in the tank. its hidden by the rocks and i do frequent water changes.
no disrespect to anyone thats giving me advice because i definetly want to hear it, but ive had fish for over 12 years and the whole "so much inches of fish to so many gallons" thing doesnt really phase me. as long as you have good filtration, fish get along and they are healthy i feel you can put in more than most ppl say. im mainly wondering if the cichlids being agressive and the bluegill being agressive, will they hopefully coinside togeather?
Aggressive specimens will never coincide with each other in a tank that size especially when it comes to cichlids with hulking sizes. The inch per gallon has many flaws so you rely on space, bioload, temperament and other factors to consider what fish you can place in a tank of any size.
Hooked Newbie
07-20-2008, 8:27 PM
i normally do mix up the diet. i only feed minnows maybe once a month because my BG will eat bout a dozen at a time, then hes good for a week or 2. i actually have a filter and heater in the tank. its hidden by the rocks and i do frequent water changes.
no disrespect to anyone thats giving me advice because i definetly want to hear it, but ive had fish for over 12 years and the whole "so much inches of fish to so many gallons" thing doesnt really phase me. as long as you have good filtration, fish get along and they are healthy i feel you can put in more than most ppl say. im mainly wondering if the cichlids being agressive and the bluegill being agressive, will they hopefully coinside togeather?
It's not about inches or gallons. It's about the fact that you are thinking of adding African rift lake cichlids to a (too small) tank that house a NA cichlid. It's a bad idea. They have very different temperature, pH, and overall water need differences. You say you wanted to hear advice, but I get the impression that you don't care what that advice is. Have you ever seen a fully grown bluegill in a tank? Ok, so you've been keeping fish for 12 years... have any that are 12 years old?
ocgearhead
07-20-2008, 8:37 PM
no i dont have ones that old because i get bored with some and give them to friends. ive had my saltwater for 3 yrs now and my blue gill and various other native fish for 6 years in a 30 gallon. i had to get rid of that tank because it started leaking bad and i didnt need a flood in my room if it would crack.
no disrespect to anyone thats giving me advice because i definetly want to hear it,
None taken :)
but ive had fish for over 12 years and the whole "so much inches of fish to so many gallons" thing doesnt really phase me.
Yep the inch to gallon thing is nonsense - none of the good advice given here has been based on this discredited concept.
as long as you have good filtration, fish get along and they are healthy i feel you can put in more than most ppl say.
Absolutely (as regards the filtration, get along and health) and the last bit, depends on what most ppl say. Its not wrong, or indeed right, just because most ppl happen to say it. Depends on the ppl :) And the tank size.
im mainly wondering if the cichlids being agressive and the bluegill being agressive, will they hopefully coinside togeather?
Well that depends on the cichlids and the bluegill, and the space available. In a sufficiently large tank yes, depending on what you put in there and the personality of the individual fish, and how they interact with each other. In your 10G tank, anything large enough not to be food that goes in will either kill the bluegill, or be killed by it. Quickly. So in relation to your question :
will they hopefully coinside togeather? :
Naw.
(footnote...its not possible to overstock a 10G properly with cichlids to manage aggression...you can't get enough in there in the available space)
And the bluegill will outgrow the 10G anyway so why add more when you know that is so ? Bigger tank first...then more fish.
And look, seriously, do you honestly think it makes sense to add more fish to that 10G ? Have a look and consider what would generally be considered appropriate fish for a 10G. What would you generally consider to be appropriate fish for a 10G ? Is a bluegill which is growing out on that list ? Come on...I think you know the answer...
In any event, its only advice and you are of course free to go in completely the other direction.
p.s. your SW looks great as do your fish. I know nothing about them. If some new to SW person asked what could they put in a SW tank (edit : of similar size)...what would you tell them ?
Tongue33
07-21-2008, 10:52 PM
I would just get another species of the sunfish family... Pumpkin seeds are excellent for color!! Their color is Awesome... Also others....
If you go cichlids... I would say HRP's Archocentrus Centrarchus.... A. Lyonsi... And if you go with any cichlids I would suggest at least bumping to a 55 with the Archocentrus or other small to medium sized cichlids... And better yet a 75.
The biggest problem i see with the mix is disease prevention.. The fish you have has un doubtedly been mixed with cichlids and other tropicals successfully .. Though if your cold water species gets sick... The treatment options are different.. You cannot lift your tank to certain temps without risking other fungus and disease to your Cold water species like you can your tropicals..
Tropicals the common and most widely used treatment is heat and salt.. This is not the same with cold water species... Good filtration and excellent water for one continent and climate is the worst you can do for another in some cases..
Just some food for thought.
Tophat665
07-21-2008, 11:44 PM
Nice fish. Very nice. I couldn't recommend that you do anything illegal with him, but if it weren't for the pesky, panicky laws that lawyers make for other lawyers, I see no reason why returning a native fish to its native habitat... Scratch that, the feeders expose him to diseases. Yeah. Get a 4' tank or a good recipe for bluegills (a favorite breakfast of mine.)
With that said, skip the cichlids. Once he's good an big and installed in a 100 gallon tank (120 would be even better), get a bullhead.
jpappy789
07-22-2008, 11:21 AM
I think quite a lot of good advice has already been said so I really am not going to repeat it. Just wanted to say that I am in agreement. I think it's now up to the OP...
ocgearhead
07-24-2008, 1:06 AM
thankx everyone for the advice it is definetly noted. a larger tank is in the near future but prolly not a 55 maybe a 30 but ill look round.
a side note. im running a heater in that tank and its been at round 76 since i set it up and i havnt had one bit of trouble with disease or even algae. even though bluegills are cold water fish it didnt phase it at all the warmer temp. if anything its better.the bg is more active than in colder water.
dent20
07-24-2008, 1:35 AM
You can usually find 55 g set ups at a pretty good price, especially in the starter kits. I bought a kit last year for $150. Same goes with a 29 g though. I've never tried Bluegill, but wouldn't a Texas Cichlid, given that it's also North American, make a little sense as a tank mate. They're aggressive enough to hold their own and are a colorful fish.
jpappy789
07-24-2008, 10:27 AM
Look on Craiglist, there are a number of people looking to get rid of tanks (especially 55's) and you can get them cheap.
Tophat665
07-24-2008, 11:22 AM
Look on Craiglist, there are a number of people looking to get rid of tanks (especially 55's) and you can get them cheap.
And if you're patient, you can probably get a 75 for about $100. I saw a post not long ago for two 75s and a double decker stand for $200.