Keeping a White Perch in a 55g

[G/k Arts and aqauticYT]

Hey so I have a 55 gallon tank that I might put a White Perch in. I have always wanted a bass and then I found out that the White Perch is part of the temperate bass family. And then i found out they live in a local lake. I was wondering if the tank would be to small, or if they don't get along with other fish.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

It would be both most likely

 

[NoahLikesFish]

White perch is white bass iirc and they get very big and will slaughter your fish if you want natives I’d do darters and such they don’t get super big and a 55g with tons of flow and encrusting green algae on rocks and freshwater bryozoan and tons of native fish is so cool

 

[G/k Arts and aqauticYT]

Hey thanks, but if you look up the differences, you will see different size and shape

 

[NoahLikesFish]

How big do they get

 

[G/k Arts and aqauticYT]

W Perch 7-10ins. W Bass is 12-15. and not to mention they live many states away and in different water temps and qualities

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Ah that’s fine idk If they are social but id give it a try

 

[Sprinkle]

I wouldnt. They may get up to like 12-16”. I remember one thread that Wyomingite posted its real size. And no, they are not considered as social, perch fishes are predatory if im not wrong.

 

[Wyomingite]

This is the exactly what I posted when you brought this up in the other thread:

"Commonly 7" to 10" but it's not unusual for them to reach larger. Frequently up to 16". The IGFA record is almost 20" and 3 lbs. So the question becomes do you assume you'll have a small fish that may actually be stunted because you kept it in a too small tank or do you try to give the fish it's best chance to grow as much as possible by providing larger quarters. I vote for the latter and advise against keeping this species in a 55 gallon tank."

16 inch 2.5 lb. White Perch

14.75 inch 1.9 lb. White Perch

18 inch 3 lb. 8 oz. White Perch

17.75 inch 3 lb. 2 oz. White Perch

And there are a lot more like this if you dig into it.

This is a species (Morone americana) that has the potential to reach sizes rivaling the largest cichlids. That 7-10 inch size should actually be considered a bare minimum, not a guideline, for adult size. A majority of pictures seen on-line are at least 10" and many are much larger. As a true bass, it's also going to be much too active for a four-foot tank like a 55 gallon, or even a 75 gallon.

With no idea what research was quoted to determine the 7-10 inch size , or the context of that research, it should not be considered as a reliable source on its own. It is very possible that 90% of the information on the internet is coming from one or two sources which may not be completely accurate outside a certain context and which very well may be quoting each other, creating internal circular validation. These sources may have been studying size inhibition in the species in a certain body of water for all we know (although I do doubt this). Regardless, there can be a wide range of sizes and water conditions for any species. Always do thorough research on any species before determining what conditions are suitable for its maintenance, and always cross-reference multiple sources. A very good place to start is FishBase. I recommend finding consistent information from at least five independent sources before feeling comfortable.

WYite

 

[G/k Arts and aqauticYT]

This is the exactly what I posted when you brought this up in the other thread:

"Commonly 7" to 10" but it's not unusual for them to reach larger. Frequently up to 16". The IGFA record is almost 20" and 3 lbs. So the question becomes do you assume you'll have a small fish that may actually be stunted because you kept it in a too small tank or do you try to give the fish it's best chance to grow as much as possible by providing larger quarters. I vote for the latter and advise against keeping this species in a 55 gallon tank."

16 inch 2.5 lb. White Perch

14.75 inch 1.9 lb. White Perch

18 inch 3 lb. 8 oz. White Perch

17.75 inch 3 lb. 2 oz. White Perch

And there are a lot more like this if you dig into it.

This is a species (Morone americana) that has the potential to reach sizes rivaling the largest cichlids. That 7-10 inch size should actually be considered a bare minimum, not a guideline, for adult size. A majority of pictures seen on-line are at least 10" and many are much larger. As a true bass, it's also going to be much too active for a four-foot tank like a 55 gallon, or even a 75 gallon.

With no idea what research was quoted to determine the 7-10 inch size , or the context of that research, it should not be considered as a reliable source on its own. It is very possible that 90% of the information on the internet is coming from one or two sources which may not be completely accurate outside a certain context and which very well may be quoting each other, creating internal circular validation. These sources may have been studying size inhibition in the species in a certain body of water for all we know (although I do doubt this). Regardless, there can be a wide range of sizes and water conditions for any species. Always do thorough research on any species before determining what conditions are suitable for its maintenance, and always cross-reference multiple sources. A very good place to start is FishBase. I recommend finding consistent information from at least five independent sources before feeling comfortable.

WYite

This was more of a if, in the 55g i already had fish so even if I caught one it would probably be in the future where at that point I would have bigger tanks