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Recent article ............
Here comes the Sunnies
the temperate sunfishes make a comeback in the home aquarium
!
Robert Rice
2213 Prytania Circle
Navarre Florida 32566
email- robertrice at juno_com
Just a few short years ago there were just a few Aquarist
interested in the keeping temperate sunfishes. A few old
timers held the torch. The rest of us were to busy keeping
Cichlids, Discus and Tetras to consider the lively and
colorful sunfishes all to seriously. Slowly almost
imperceptibly things began to change. Aquarist like myself
stumbled upon local species that were stunning and a
pleasure to keep. Aquarium magazines began to pick up the
ball giving temperate species much needed exposure. Lastly
conservation organizations like the Nature Conservancy and
Audubon Society have begun to realize that the keeping of
Native fishes is as legitment a use of our natural
resources as bird watching and hunting. So now the tide is
turning in favor of our native fishes. Aquarist all across
the North American Continent are getting involved locally in
conservation issues and our waterways and fishes are the
better for it.
The North American Continent holds 10% of the earth's fish
species. So it is only natural that Aquarist begin to
reacquaint themselves with our continents fishes. The
shiners and sunfish are most peoples first exposure to
temperate fish. They are attractive durable and available
with just a bit of sweat ! Unfortunately in America most
sunfish are only commercially available at bait shops. That
may change in the near future but for now we need to find
alternative means to stock our tanks. The simplest way is
to contact your states Fisheries personnel about keeping and
rearing sunfish. In most cases you can collect , keep and
rear common sunfish with just a fishing license and a
fishing pole. Often times the most desirable sunfish are the
smallest ones and they are considered trash or bait fish by
most states. If your quarry is classified as a bait species
you can usually use a net or seine to collect which makes it
all the easier. If that does not work out for you , or you
desire a species that is out of your range you can try
NANFA's trading post at their WEBSITE WWW.NANFA.ORG often
times their members will gladly trade native for tropical
and vice versa. If you chose to do a little personnel
collecting I know you will find the experience a pleasant
way to spend a few hours. The quite times spend in the
outdoors is my main pleasure in collecting.
Before you get started in setting up a sunfish tank you will
want to familiarize yourself with your local species . I
highly recommend you look into Peterson's Field Guide to
Freshwater Fishes by Brooks M Burr and Larry Page. It has
color plates range maps and general descriptions all the
things that you will need to pick your prize. What it is
lacking is rearing and breeding information. The reason it
is lacking is that in most cases it does not exist. Here is
a very practical way Aquarist can pitch in. We can breed and
rear native species then document our results. Sharing that
data with local university and fisheries will help our
fellow Aquarist and fishes at the same time. The university
and fisheries folks just do not have the resources to breed
and rear every species of fish in this country. We Aquarist
do . This shared data would greatly help in the conservation
of our temperate species.
OK you say, I am ready to do that Sunfish thing but what
species do you recommend ! Here is my all-star list in no
particular order with as much breeding and rearing data as I
have personally observed. You will probably find others
outside this list that are excellent aquarium specimens. If
you have success please let me know.
Central Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) - 6-9 inches,
Kansas to Ohio south to North Carolina. In my opinion the
best of the American Sunfish. Its colors are simply
stunning. It is incredibly durable as with all the sunfish
throw away the heater they like room temperature. The
Longear will take prepared, frozen and live foods with
ease. Their mouth is small enough that they are unable to
prey upon many of the smaller tankmates. To breed this gem I
have found a temperature of 72 degrees F. A rich diet of
shellfish and insects and a barebottom tank do the trick. In
Dr. Beckers classic book the Fishes of Wisconsin he reports
that with an increased photoperiod , enriched diet and a
temp of 72 degrees F. they were able to spawn the same trio
every 14 days for over 3 years. So this species should be
very prolific for a serious minded aquarist. The longears
show an incredible diversity in color and form over their
range. So no matter what your taste, with a bit of
searching you will find a strain that fits your taste.
Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) - 3 -5 inches, Texas to
Atlantic coast North to Tennessee. Basically a miniature
Longear Sunfish. They are aggressive insectivores with
beautiful gill plate vermiculations . Their tolerance for
temperature changes and poor conditions makes them an
excellent species for the pond or home aquarium. The are
suitable for community or single species tanks. They have a
unique personality in the tank and will commonly eat from
your hand. They are common in the swamps, backwaters and
sloughs where they occur .
Orange Spot Sunfish (Lepomis humilus) 3-8 inches , midwest
south to coastal Florida and Texas. A incredibly interesting
species. The males show breeding colors as intense as any
tropical fish out there. They are true survivors of the
aquatic world. I have collected them in ditches that I was
sure would hold nothing but mud and weeds. They have a
larger mouth than many fishes their size and are serious
predators. Males will often beat each other to death when
forced to live together in an aquarium. The secret to
keeping them together in a tank is either a lower temp or a
large group of them. When that temperature tops 74 F. They
are ready to spawn and males will set up territories and
defend it vigorously. So keep that in mind when setting up
your tank.
Blackbanded Sunfish (Enneacanthus obesus) 4-8 inches East
Coast USA New Hampshire to Florida . Imagine a cross between
a discus and an Angel fish. Close your eyes and think real
hard .Wouldn't it be cool ? Well it is , it is the
Blackbanded Sunfish. It is small ,gentle and incredibly
beautiful. It requires conditions similar to a Discus or
Angel fish. With soft , acidic water and good food this
species will thrive in the home aquarium. They, like all the
temperate species, do well at room temperature. Their
cousins the Bluespotted sunfish and Banded sunfish make my
almost made it list and are worthy of serious consideration.
However for me the Blackbanded sunfish is my choice .Their
golden body, deep black stripes and red tinted fins are eye
catching and worthy of a single species display tank.
While this list is by no means complete it gives you some
idea of what wonderful species are available out there for
those of us interested in temperate sunfish. So please take
a moment and consider setting up a local species tank. I
know you will find it an exciting new aspect of your
Aquarium hobby. European fanciers of temperate species can
acquire many of these sunfish along with many fascinating
shiners from Keld Hanson via Credo fish, Damsigvej 9 , 9352
Denmark, Dybvad, Denmark. Until next time good luck and
good fishing.
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