Native fish keeping

[Moontanman]

No matter where you live (unless you live in the middle of a burning desert and sometimes even then) most people have access to fish native to your area. How many people take the time to explore the fish available to them by collecting the small species of fish that live nearby instead of buying exotics from another place? I collect and keep pygmy sunfish, dwarf sunfish(bluespotted and black banded are my favs) madtom catfish, redfin pickerel, inland silversides, hog choker flounders, least killie fish, mollies, bluefin killies, dwarf crayfish, and various colorful minnows. Not to mention a wide variaty of aquatic plants. I'd like to hear what others are keeping in the way of fish native to their area.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

I've kept-

Mad Toms, creek chubs, brown bullheads, perch, assorted minnows with really pretty colors, cray fish, and a sunfish (Bluegill) which made life lots of fun for the 6 years I had him. He liked to give me the evil eye until fed:hihi: and picking the claws off the crayfish before munching em:doh:I miss him though... mischievious lil bass turd!!:thumbs_up

[Moontanman]

I've kept-

Mad Toms, creek chubs, brown bullheads, perch, assorted minnows with really pretty colors, cray fish, and a sunfish (Bluegill) which made life lots of fun for the 6 years I had him. He liked to give me the evil eye until fed:hihi: and picking the claws off the crayfish before munching em:doh:I miss him though... mischievious lil bass turd!!:thumbs_up

 

yeah, blue gills are mean little buggers, i once kept a flat head catfish I trained to come to me and take food from my hands. around here i can get dwarf sunfish like blue spotted sunfish (which make blue gills look drab) and black banded sunfish. Pygmy sunfish are cool too as well as red-fin pickerels.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

around here i can get dwarf sunfish like blue spotted sunfish (which make blue gills look drab) and black banded sunfish.

Aparently I can too...according to Schultz and Axelrod. I haven't seen them before though.

There's a Red Bellied sunny (Labrus auritus) as well....supposedly found from Maine to Virginia...Never seen that one either.

[Moontanman]

Aparently I can too...according to Schultz and Axelrod. I haven't seen them before though.

There's a Red Bellied sunny (Labrus auritus) as well....supposedly found from Maine to Virginia...Never seen that one either.

 

I do have some friends in Pa. Lepomis auritus (Labrus auritus is a synomyn) is a rather large fish but if it's what you want I will ask about hot spots for it. The blue spotted sunfish is mainly found on the coastal plain, it doesn't occur in natural populations in Pa. It gets to be around 3" and keeps it's color year round. The red breasted sunfish would fade fast in most aquarium situations. I use "Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware" as my main reference, a friend of mine is one of the authors. He has shown me some really unusual things that live in the freshwaters of the east coast.

[freeztar]

I use "Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware" as my main reference, a friend of mine is one of the authors. He has shown me some really unusual things that live in the freshwaters of the east coast.

 

Do you know how many of the fish listed in that book would be applicable to Georgia (piedmont and coastal plain)? I've been needing to get a native fish book for a while and the best I've seen for Georgia is this one http://www.amazon.com/Fishes-Alabama-Mobile-Maurice-Mettee/dp/0848714857/.

 

Consequently, I came across this book:

How to Catch, Keep, and Observe Your Own Native Fish http://www.amazon.com/Fascinating-Freshwater-Fish-Book-Observe/dp/0471586013/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210207229&sr=1-9

 

Has anyone read it?

[Moontanman]

Do you know how many of the fish listed in that book would be applicable to Georgia (piedmont and coastal plain)? I've been needing to get a native fish book for a while and the best I've seen for Georgia is this one.

 

Consequently, I came across this book:

How to Catch, Keep, and Observe Your Own Native Fish

 

Has anyone read it?

 

I'm betting more than 90% would be the same, you probably have a few we don't have but not many we have wouldn't be there. I'll ask if you want. you probably have a bigger population of aquatic amphibians that we do.

[Moontanman]

Do you know how many of the fish listed in that book would be applicable to Georgia (piedmont and coastal plain)? I've been needing to get a native fish book for a while and the best I've seen for Georgia is this one.

 

Consequently, I came across this book:

How to Catch, Keep, and Observe Your Own Native Fish

 

Has anyone read it?

 

My buddy says this book will do a better job of discribing the fishes of Georgia than his book will.

 

Amazon.com: Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin: Maurice F. Mettee,Patrick E. O'Neil,J. Malcolm Pierson: Books http://www.amazon.com/Fishes-Alabama-Mobile-Maurice-Mettee/dp/0848714857

[freeztar]

Thanks for checking on that for me Michael. :(

 

My colleague has the Alabama book and it is quite nice...and expensive.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

I do have some friends in Pa. Lepomis auritus (Labrus auritus is a synomyn) is a rather large fish but if it's what you want I will ask about hot spots for it. The blue spotted sunfish is mainly found on the coastal plain, it doesn't occur in natural populations in Pa. It gets to be around 3" and keeps it's color year round. The red breasted sunfish would fade fast in most aquarium situations. I use "Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware" as my main reference, a friend of mine is one of the authors. He has shown me some really unusual things that live in the freshwaters of the east coast.

Okeydokey:) Probably none or not too many here on Lake Erie...though a trip to my ol stomping grounds along the Susquehanna may be in order sometime this summer...Interestingly on two different occasions Pihrana have been caught in the lake...so who knows what's hidin out there!!!

[Moontanman]

Okeydokey:) Probably none or not too many here on Lake Erie...though a trip to my ol stomping grounds along the Susquehanna may be in order sometime this summer...Interestingly on two different occasions Pihrana have been caught in the lake...so who knows what's hidin out there!!!

 

If you really want some blue spotted sunfish I might be able to help you out at some point.

[Moontanman]

I would like to tell every who has responded to this thread that I have started a social group called "Aquarium Keeping" Please feel free to join and share your expertise.