Native tank plans
- Thread starter alter40
- Start date
Thanks for the info brian, I will have to look for it or order it. I was at Borders yesterday and couldn't find any magazines on fish keeping there and I never see them around here.
As for the native tank, in the chat last night Orion suggested looking into setting up an under gravel jet system to help keep it clean. This is basically a system of PVC piping under the gravel with outlets through out the tank that shoots out jets of water. The idea is that when a fish poops it normally falls to the bottom of the tank, with the UGJ system the fish poops and the jets will blow the poo up so it will get picked up by the filter and never hit the substrate. I think I might setup a system like that in this tank, any thoughts on this or has anybody ever done this before?
Here is a link to how to setup one of these systems http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ug_jets.php
As for the native tank, in the chat last night Orion suggested looking into setting up an under gravel jet system to help keep it clean. This is basically a system of PVC piping under the gravel with outlets through out the tank that shoots out jets of water. The idea is that when a fish poops it normally falls to the bottom of the tank, with the UGJ system the fish poops and the jets will blow the poo up so it will get picked up by the filter and never hit the substrate. I think I might setup a system like that in this tank, any thoughts on this or has anybody ever done this before?
Here is a link to how to setup one of these systems http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ug_jets.php
I will stick with my name 
lol
I haven't decided on my exact stocking of this yet. I'm pretty set on 2 yellow perch right now and maybe 2 rock bass, but once things warm up some and I can start trying to scout some things out I will see if I can find some baby bluegill or pumpkinseed. I will also be scouting the various minnows available locally on these scouting trips as well. I will be picking up a minnow trap and probably a one person seine so I can figure out what I can find.
I know I can easily get some small perch and rock bass so that is the reason I have the on my list right now. I love the looks of the yellow perch, but the rock bass is a little more bland and from what I have read they can be slightly aggressive.
lolI haven't decided on my exact stocking of this yet. I'm pretty set on 2 yellow perch right now and maybe 2 rock bass, but once things warm up some and I can start trying to scout some things out I will see if I can find some baby bluegill or pumpkinseed. I will also be scouting the various minnows available locally on these scouting trips as well. I will be picking up a minnow trap and probably a one person seine so I can figure out what I can find.
I know I can easily get some small perch and rock bass so that is the reason I have the on my list right now. I love the looks of the yellow perch, but the rock bass is a little more bland and from what I have read they can be slightly aggressive.
Yeah that is exactly the kind of fish I will look for with the minnow traps and the seine. Shiners, darters, chubs, and hopefully a few small bullhead cats for bottom cleaners.
As for the crays I will probably search for some of them once I get the tank all setup because they aren't too difficult to find.
As for the crays I will probably search for some of them once I get the tank all setup because they aren't too difficult to find.
Glad to read that you are NOT going with the crappie. The length is only part of the prob with those. Once they get mature, about 14-16 inches, they really start to 'round out' and get very tall. About 10" top to bottom for a 16" crappie. Our state(NE) record crappie was 4.5 pounds, 18" long and 12" tall.
Of course they won't get that big in captivity, but they are very aggressive feeders. and would quickly outgrow their environment.
I had a much smaller 'native' tank a long time ago. My sunfish grew pretty large over the course of a couple years. I only had one in a 29L.
Of course they won't get that big in captivity, but they are very aggressive feeders. and would quickly outgrow their environment.
I had a much smaller 'native' tank a long time ago. My sunfish grew pretty large over the course of a couple years. I only had one in a 29L.
wow i've missed a great thread. i've been MIA for the past few weeks since we just brought home two parrots recently and i've been destracted with them....
EEP! i didn't have time to read through the entire thread. i''ll get on MFT tomorrow to add my two cents
real quick - some of my past tank pictures:
EEP! i didn't have time to read through the entire thread. i''ll get on MFT tomorrow to add my two cents
real quick - some of my past tank pictures:
Not really any new updates on this. Just looking forward to things unfreezing so I can start working on this tank. I'm not sure exactly when I will be setting it up but it all depends on when the water warms up enough and when I will have enough money to get everything I need for it. I should be able to start checking out what species of minnows I can find in a month or just a little bit longer. I might use my spare 10g tank to setup a small native minnow tank until I get all my funds together for the 75g. This should also give me some place to put the fish I catch while scouting for my 75g that I really like and want to keep.
eric... I have a marineland penguin bio wheel 350 that im not using.. if you need it for your new tank. let me know.. Im not using it on my 75.. I have the two Rena xp3's.. I would buy one of those eric.. they are an awesome filter.. easy priming, no bypass.. lots of media choices. quite as hell. it makes my tank clear.. crystal clear! but I do have the other filter.. so let me know if you will want it or need it! you know im good for it!
You may be able to catch some fish earlier/sooner than you think!
I was out moving sheets of ice and flipping over rocks while hunting for crayfish yesterday (outside temperature hit about 60 degrees F). Most times when I flipped the larger rocks, I'd see a bunch of small fish darting out all over the place. Some swam off into the open, but several others would often swim toward shore and wedge themselves under some rocks. So I positioned the net in behind one of them, moved it's rock, then watched it swim into the net. I now have a 3-4" green sunfish in my 20 gal. long tank!
(which I'll probably replace with a black crappie once I'm able to catch one)
I was out in hip waders, and they kept my legs and feet plenty warm enough.
Upon catching the crays (I found lots of them) and the fish, I'd toss them into a 5 gal. bucket filled about 1/3 of the way with lake water.
Anyway, just thought you might find this interesting.
BV
I was out moving sheets of ice and flipping over rocks while hunting for crayfish yesterday (outside temperature hit about 60 degrees F). Most times when I flipped the larger rocks, I'd see a bunch of small fish darting out all over the place. Some swam off into the open, but several others would often swim toward shore and wedge themselves under some rocks. So I positioned the net in behind one of them, moved it's rock, then watched it swim into the net. I now have a 3-4" green sunfish in my 20 gal. long tank!
(which I'll probably replace with a black crappie once I'm able to catch one)
I was out in hip waders, and they kept my legs and feet plenty warm enough.
Upon catching the crays (I found lots of them) and the fish, I'd toss them into a 5 gal. bucket filled about 1/3 of the way with lake water.
Anyway, just thought you might find this interesting.
BV