Aquariums

[JP Z]

I remember the old rule of thumb is that you will need 1 gallon of water for every inch of fish in your tank. I believe that still has some merit.

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Tight Lines,

JP Z

[Crawlerman]

I have a 30 gal with a crappie and Bullhead in it. I was able to keep one small sunfish in a 10 gal (about 3 inches long).

But really it's ideal to atleast have a 50 gal tank. Something between 55 and 90 should be good to get you started. Right now were moving in a few months, and I don't have the $ for a bigger one either. When we do move we will have quite a bit of room in our new basement and I will be 200 feet from a metro pond that has sunnies and carp in it.

Also, Bluegills in particular but it applies to all panfish: can be VERY teritorial and agressive. Make sure the fish you put in are almost the same size, as even an inch can make a HUGE difference. I have had cases where they have beaten each other to death. They seem to leave other fish, such as walleyes, bass, bullheads, etc alone. So espically in a smaller tank it might not be a good idea to have more than one of any given species of panfish.

The exception to this is Perch. Perch don't seem to survive unless they are kept with other perch. I don't know why, but they tend not to eat and mysteriously die. I have not had a whole lot of luck keeping them, but then again I am limited to a 30 gal tank for the time being as well

[EBass]

The price all depends on the size and the quality of filters you use. Can range from about 50 - 500 or more. But it doesn't cost that much to maintain unless something bad happens, like a leak, or ammonia build up, etc..

I used to be into aquairiums big time when I was in high school. So I may be a bit out dated. Also I was into African cichlids.

The bigger the better. But they get spendy. However the more water the more stable it is from viruses and bacteria/ammonia build up. You can always look to a used tank though but make sure it doesn't leak. You can get them re-sealed as well.

You want 2 bass and some pannies. Well you want enough room so no one is getting their arse kicked by the bass and crappies. They like space as well and will fight for it. There's a pecking order in a fish tank if you will. You'll see if you over crowd it. Fish fights at their best!

Make sure you have rocks and real plants or fake plants. Drift wood looks nice and bass love cover. This all adds up pretty quick.

You have the cost of the fish tank, filters, gravel, structure (you can find on your own or buy)then the cost of chemicals and the fish.

I hoped this helped you'll get a ton of responses.

Good luck and lettus know how it goes if you gt one!

There you go it's gone!

[This message has been edited by EBass (edited 04-16-2004).]

[SCCO9803]

When this post was first put up, I instantly began to monitor it, as to when someone would say something about, needing a license or "don't forget to count that as part of your limit." Well my hunch was correct and it didn't take long (third post). Then I got to thinking about the post on whether or not a "mounted" fish counted against your possesion limit. I'm not ripping people here but how can people be so unpractical?

[This message has been edited by SCCO9803 (edited 04-16-2004).]

[EBass]

Never mind...

Have a great day!

[This message has been edited by EBass (edited 04-16-2004).]

[CornPirateKiller]

Back when I was young and single and had money, I lived alone and had plenty of room for a big aquarium. I hooked into a 55 gallon tank and filter system and filled it with natural river rock that I got on my own... free. For structure, I picked over rock piles in farmer's field and kept my eyes open for interesting looking rocks. Used a huge pile of agates that I'd collected over the years. Basically, my only expense was the tank, hood and filter (plus a few chemicals to balance the water.)

When I stocked my tank, though, I ran into a snag. I had talked to a dnr officer at a DU banquet about what I was doing and he was pretty skeptical about it being legal. No one really seemed to know but then I found a loophole. Several metro pet stores sell farm raised gamefish. I plopped down $20 and got three sunnies, 2 crappies, and a bass. Kept the receipt right beside the aquarium just in case there was ever a question. I never did find out if keeping caught fish was legal, but I was assured that the fish that I bought were legal to keep.

Something to consider!

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati (When all else fails, play dead)

[SCCO9803]

EBass, seriously I mean no hard feelings, sorry.

[EBass]

It was all about the cost and trying to save a few $$ for the guy, but thought that if I opened that can up I should at least let him know the rules if he didn't know. That was my intention anyways.

No hard feelings. I was ticked for about 1 min, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Bend those rods

[hanson]

I've been thinking about doing this for a couple years now and just don't have the money or the room to do it. I want to do it right when I get the chance.

You can do some searches about Gamefish & Aquariums and find that a lot has been discussed in the past but its also interesting to get new points of view and stories on this subject. Hopefully some other FMers with experience on this will jump in.

As far as whats legal and stuff, a lot of it sounds silly and pointless but I'm sure the DNR has some rational reasoning behind it. Its basically illegal for me to catch a 3-4" perch, bring it home and put it in an aquarium. If I buy it from a pet store its fine. If I had a kid and he caught it and brought it home, its fine. The fish does count toward my limit. Thats fine I guess, just won't keep walleyes in my aquarium. Once the fish reaches 10" in length, it is illegal to keep it in an aquarium. Guess that would be one heck of a sunny in my tank but there goes the idea about having a little snake northern.

This is definitely an interesting topic and an entertaining hobby!

[psegriz]

Why is it illegal once the fish becomes 10". Can someone have a bass 9" in thier aquaium then when it reaches a length of 10" it becomes illegal??

GRIZ

[jeff127]

I pulled out my 55 gallon I had stashed in the basement this winter and got 2 sunnies and 4 crappies(that I pulled out of a lake in the process of a winterkill). It is amazing watching those crappies smack the minnows when I drop them in. The strangest thing is each of them have different ways of eating. The absolute instant I drop a minnow in the far side of the tank(about 3 feet from where they hang out) one will shoot all over the tank chasing it----like a bass---- and eating more until it is bulging at the seams, while one only eats at night. The other two are fairly reclusive, only moving a few inches for an easy meal. I think it is interesting watching them eating bait that you would normally have on the end of your line----you can see what happens when you feel that hit or when you see your bobber go down.

I will be bringing them back to the lake I got them from in a few weeks and they should do pretty good since they won't have much competition after the winterkill.

jeff

so many lakes..........so little time

[Valv]

I have 2 crappies and 2 perch in my aquarium for about over 1 year now.
Native fish are the easiest to keep, and funny to watch.
I have a 55gals aquarium with just tap water (mine is well water), and an air pump with charcoal to air tank, that's it.

I haven't changed water in 6 months (I have to, now)
They are very easy to keep, alittle spendy to feed, but local bait shop knows me and gives me few minnows for few cents.
Before this bunch I had 3 largemouth, 2 crappies and 2 sunnies.

Bass are the funniest to watch, nobody (and I mean NOBODY in the tank) eats anything until they are full, and even with 6 minnows in their belly and half of one sticking out their mouth they still chase some bait, but when they get to know you they do really wiggle tail when they see you are going to feed.

Total cost is very minimal, I believe wife found tank at a garage sale for $ 40, pump and little charcoal filters $ 20. That's it.
If you use city water, you might have to add something to neutralize clorine, and add some minerals.

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Val Vignati

www.kvesurplus.com
[email protected]

[DTro]

I hate to let the "cat outta the bag" because I've found some pretty good stuff there.......but if you go to twin cities free market dot com there is quite often a tank for free. In fact there is one there right now.

[local boy]

jiggingspoon

my dad is in the aquarium buisness, we have many tanks around my house, many of which that we are willing to sell, i would recomend a 55 gal plus, it gives the fish extra room plus u can have othere fish to, i would use and undergravel filter system and hydroclean the gravel once or twice a month and change water once or twice a month, and u need to get declor for your water

e-mail me if u wanna know more or want to get a tank

[email protected]

[analyzer]

I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank and have had it up and running 2 years. It crashed once badly. I found out the lights that were in it were for salt water. When I ran the lights the algae grew really quickly and eventually the water turned green and all the fish died. I don't turn the lights on much anymore and don't have any trouble. I also change out about 1/4 of the tank once every 6-8 weeks.

I too hunted around for natural rock and and a stump, and saved a bunch of money. I don't recommend putting any natural sand in there though. It holds the waste products too much. They sell a syphon for pulling some of the large waste products out of the rocks and changing water without buckets and all the hassel. It comes with 25 ft of hose and you can hook it up to the sink. It allows you to run water either direction with the twist of a nozzle.

The rule on lake fish is as follows. A child under 16, may catch 4 fish, under 10 inches, by hook and line, and keep in an aquarium. I believe it only applies to panfish/roughfish. If you want game fish you have to purchase them through a dealer and have the receipt. Haven't had many CO's walk through my family room though.

It is very interesting watching them devour minnows, but it costs me $12.00 a month to feed them.

I would stick with fish that tolerate warm water. Your tank will run a little warm for some species, like trout. I originally bought 2 largemouth, and one killed the other. I picked up a small mouth later and they had it worked out pretty quickly. Mine are getting close to too big. I got them when they were 2 inches and now they're about 3/4 of a pound. I definitely think the bass and bullheads are more fun to watch then the sunny. I never bought one, but the fresh water barracuda were lightning fast.

I know it sounds sick, but once I brought home a feeder mouse and let them go after it. The smallie played with it twice but never took it down. On about it's 6th lap around the tank, believe it or not, one of the bullheads went up and got it. I felt bad. I probably won't do that again. Although that mouse would've just been snake food anyway.

I bought my bass at underwater caverns, off century and 10th st in south Maplewood. But they went under for lack of business. I haven't seen them anywhere else. I tried putting a little channel cat in there once. It was much rowdier than the bullheads and jumped out the back...oops.

I think the CO's real concern, is that people aren't transporting live fish to stock their backyard pond. If they don't have the aquarium rule in there, every time someone got busted with live game fish, they'd use their aquarium as an excuse.

[JiggingSpoon]

I see that some of you have talked about haveing freshwater fish at home in aquariums, i was wondering the estimated cost of a large enough one to hold a bass or 2 and some panfish, and the cost to maintain it, i think this would be very cool, and want to get one.
JS

[vac1]

Great post - very informative and interesting. 10 minutes ago I had no thoughts of getting an aquarium and now I will have to think about it. The kids would have a blast watching fish they caught swimming in the tank.

[early007]

Has anyone tried keeping a musky. I was in a pet store about a year ago and the lady was feeding one, pretty neat.

[shortfatguy]

you name it ive had it. crappie, sunnies. bass, perch, muskie, northern, bullhead, walleye.... the northern and muskie were the coolest. watching them eat minnows is awesome!!! they are cheap to keep and fairly clean. make sure there are no holes in the top of the tank or they will end up on the floor. and the northern and musky end up getting big and eating the smaller fish which is cool if you didnt pay for the fish, i got most of my fish with a seine out of small loca ponds. but i did buy alot too. you can even buy sturgeon!!!!!! i think that would be cool! but sad to say the women put a stop to my fish.... she says they are creepy cause they dont blink. but as soon as i get a bigger house so i dont have to keep the aquarium in the living room i will get more!!!

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a bad day at the lake is better than a good day at work

[Moose-Hunter]

Hey local boy....

You've got mail!!!

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M-H (aka: Dan)