Wild bluegills in an aquarium?

:) Good luck with the fish. I hope everything works out well for you.
 
Maybe I'm just interpreting in incorrectly but I read through that link to the Florida rules and to me it seems that as long as you caught the fish legally, bluegill was listed as a game fish which could be legally caught with a fishing pole, that you are ok. I might have missed some specific thing that says even if you catch it legally you can't keep it alive.

For the most part the rules simply prohibited the use of certain equipment and such. As well as each specific lake having limits such as no blugill over 12 in, etc.
 
Melafix is all marketing. Do you really think one "medication" can treat so many things? It does work on minor injuries that would get better on their own.

For bad bacterial infections, which is surely what the fish has (at least its main problem), I would use both Maracyn One and Two. I'm not familiar with Maracyn Plus. Mardel has Maracyn One and Two for Gram positive and negative bacteria. Use them in combination when you're not sure if the bacteria is Gram positive or negative.

The other problem you're probably dealing with is an uncycled tank. You'll have to slave away daily changing a significant portion of the tank's water. There's no need to replace it with bottled water. Use tap water with dechlorinator (simply letting water sit doesn't work these days with the new chemical being used--chloramine). Add the replacement water gradually otherwise the fish will be further injured by pH or osmotic shock.

Don't feed very much while the tank is cycling. Fish can go w/o food for quite awhile and don't need as much food as you'd think.

I did keep green sunfish as a kid so I have some experience.
 
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bussardnr said:
in most of the country it is illegal to release a fish you've had in captivity. the only thing you may beable to do is kill it, get a bigger tank, or give it away.

I think you may be in reference to non-native fishes, correct me if I am wrong please.
 
The sick one died...

He was really bad when I came home that day with the new medicine. I think my changing the water pushed him over the edge. Within 2 hours, he died. I feel so bad. I don't know if he would have survived being let go or not, where his mouth was so damaged by the hook, but I feel like he would have had a better chance...not as many strange things to shock his system.

I am continuing the treatment of the Maracyn Plus for the remaining fish, just to make sure she doesn't end up with the same thing. This is made by Mardel. It says it is for Mouth fungus, Popeye, Dropsy and Ulcers. The active ingredients are Sulfadimidine and trimethoprin. This fish (my daughter named her Jill) seems to be doing great. I really think she has grown since we got her (or him?). She watches us, like she is waiting for us to feed her. She is really pretty too...kind of a pale yellow color almost. I still feel like we should let her go, but the medicine said not to use for fish that could be used for human consumption, so I don't know if it would be legal to let her go. I am pretty sure it probably is illegal to keep her. We don't live in Florida, but in Tennessee, and I know it is illegal to keep any wildlife you find, so I am sure that applies to fish as well. The father of one of my daughter's friends from school is a TVA police officer. We might ask him what he thinks we should do. My husband would probably listen to him.

Thanks for all the input! One last question, once I am done with the Maracyn treatments (it said to do it on day 1, 3, & 5), how often & much should I cycle the water? I don't have the carbon filter in right now, because it said not to use it.

Kristen
 
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