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NFC: Fw: Orange-spotted sunfish

help

    Dear Mr. Robert Rice
         I read your article "The orange spotted sunfish as an aquarium 
species". A
   Great article, and I agree with your contentions. I would like to see
this 
fish enter the aquarium hobby, Mainstream.
           Anyway; I've been searching for a place to buy a few but I
can't 
find one. In my search, I came across a company called Pondsolutions.
They 
offer them for $7 a piece with a minimum order of 200. Good Lord!!! I 
e-mailed them anyway, but haven't received an answer. Another company was

"The Native fish company". They offered Them as well, and in lower
numbers as 
well; but, their e-mail address is non-functional.
        In your article you stated that you send them to friends. Is
there a 
way we could work something out. I would really appreciate it. Also,
weather 
or not you can, it seems you have quite a lot of experience with them as 
aquarium fish. There are a few details I'm having a hard time finding out

about. 1. I understand that they are a pretty territorial fish. I have a
20 
gal. long aquarium, with four fish, would a ratio of one male to three 
females be advisable? 2. could I get away with five or six fish with a
ratio 
of 2m/3f or 3m/3f ?  3. Also, I have two 5 gal. aquariums, would a single

fish do OK in a tank that small.(I know that in your article you said
that 
you've seen them spawn in 2 and 5 gal. tanks ;but, maintenance can be
quite 
another thing)? 4. I also had a question concerning compatibility. would
they 
do alright with Corydoras, Loaches, Plecostomus' , or Ottocinclus sp.? I 
think the plecostomus' likely but, the niche I would really like filled
is 
one of gravel cleaner. 5. Are there any natives that would fill these
roles 
adequately? Darters have underslung mouths, but I don't think they would
fill 
the role. besides, I believe that the're river fish. 6. And finally;
could 
guide me to a resource that contains there entire known range. If I do
keep 
them. it will be inevitable that I breed them. that would mean selling
the 
excess to local pet shops. Once seen, I'm sure they would buy them. The
thing 
is, They could easily be sold as pond fish. As the companies listed above

undoubtedly do. I personally do not want to be responsible for unleashing
a 
non-native sunfish on the biome. By the way,
I live In MD.
        I know I've asked a lot of questions. Thank you. I do appreciate
your 
time. And as for the Orange spots, I'm practically begging!
                                                    Thank You
                                                    Paul Jugel
                                                    Arrowna at aol_com