# A Fishermans Aquarium !!!!!!!



## Fish On

It's a great way to see if the flies I tie will really catch fish ....LOL!!!!!








THIS CRAPPIE IS TURNING TO CHASE A PINK BLOOD DOT 








SLAB CRAPPIE ABOUT TO INHALE A ESTAZ WOLLY 








EVEN THE LITTLE GUYS GOT TO EAT ..NOTE THE MINNOW TAIL STICKING OUT OF HIS MOUTH ..LOL









10" GILL









MONSTER GILL 









WE FOUND OUT THAT MUD TURTLE WAS A FEMALE ..AFTER SHE STARTED DROPPING EGGS ALL OVER THE TANK


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## ShoreBoundOne

Fish On...nice tanks...i have a 90 Gal i am trying to swap out for a 40 or 50 gallon...let me know if your interested.

Mitch


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## Fish On

Mitch
I currently have all my fish in 55 gallon tank , and they have plenty of room 
I saw a 150 gallon tank the other day at the local pet shop , that would be sweet , you should have no problem getting rid of a 90 gallon tank , I will check with a friend of mine he maybe intrested


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## ShoreBoundOne

I will post a full pic of my tank when i get home....i really want a reptile tank. Just a straight up trade.

Mitch


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## Ðe§perado™

All those fish in a 55?? You got to have a serious filter system.


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## LakeRaider

Thats nice.  Raider


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## gofish

Awesome FEESH tank,I'd love to chuck a lure in there.


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## NewbreedFishing

Without a lot of cover and space dont those fish beat on eachother???

I have tried that before and 'ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE'

Newbreed


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## Fish On

Newbreedfishing
they all seem to get along good for me


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## Banker

I really enjoyed the pics of your fish tank. Thanks for posting that. Those are some beatiful fish. For as many fish as it appears you have they look quite healthy and peaceful. How often do you change your water (and how much do you change at a time?). I used to have some tanks (55, 40 breeder) and can't wait until I get another. I think I'm gonna get a 90. When I do, I plan on stocking it and raising the next state record green sunfish (all its got to be is a pound)......

ps - I really liked your "even the little guys gotta eat" pic ! 

also, are there any fish at the bottom of the pecking order with really thrashed fins that always gets picked on, or do they all appear to get along? thanks gill, black crappie, largemouth, channel cat/bullhead?, painted turtle, perch?, sunfish, anything I missed or got wrong?


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## Banker

I see you already answered my ? whether or not they get along...is that a rock bass under the turtle? I think I missed him first time around. also I could only see black crappie, do you also have white?


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## Jason6644

I have tried to keep small bass in an aqarium before and was wondering what type of filtration system you use, do you use water out of your sink or water from a lake or stream. What do you feed them? What water temp do you keep them at? thanks
J


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## ashtonmj

Any tap water from city or municipality must be treated with a dechlorinator. A good thing to add to any tank of natives is rain water, if you can collect it. For smaller non gamefish the best foods are frozen brine shrimp and blood worms along with freeze dried versions. You can also suppliment with live foods from the wild. Some fish like shiner and minnow species will avidly take flakes and small pellets. Gamefish will take anything really. I have feed goldfish, fatheads, frozen krill, frozen beefheart, nightcrawlers, pellets, so on and so on. Variety is the key to any diet for a native fish too.

Impressed with the density of your crappie and gamefish in general especially with them not having caved in stomachs. That must be one hell of a diet you have them on. I had a hard time keeping up with a few grass pike and I had an endless supply of fatheads at my disposal, they just eat that much. Ive found that always the biggest shortfall with gamefish is they become rapidly starved when people try and feed them relative to a tropical fish.

Filtration can vary and also needs to by the type of fish you have. I have multiple 55 gallon tanks before with various species of Sunfish, Logperch, Stickleback, and Muddminnow, and used only a hang on the back power filter rated for about a 40 gallon tank. Ive also had tanks set up for riffles and pools set up of the same size with double the filtration recommended and multiple powerheads to increase oxygen and flow. It all really matters on your fish load and their life history. 70 gallons and up I recommend canister filters and a small powerfilter just to agitate water at the surface.

Right now I am down to one tank (55 gallon) that does have or did have - Rosefin Shiners, Warpain Shiners, Southern Redbelly Dace, Shorthead Redhorse, Black Redhorse, Rosyface Shiner, Silver Shiner, Mountain Madtom, Bluebreast Darter, Rainbow Darter, Snubnose Darter, Greenside Darter, Banded Darter, Redline Darter, Logperch, Tangerine Darter, Northern Studfish, Northern Hogsucker, and Stargazing Minnow. If you havent guessed, I live in a place with alot more (and cooler) fish than Ohio right now.


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## ashtonmj

Central Longear (2), Spotfin Shiner, Rosefin Shiner, Northern Hogsucker


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## ashtonmj

Redline Darter, Greenside Darter, Gilt Darter , Shorthead Redhorse.


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## dnm

thats an awesome tank!!!! Id love to do that


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## easternflyfisher

VERY cool. ive wanted to do this with a tank ever since i was little. very cool.


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## ashtonmj

Check out NANFA.org - North American Native Fish Association

If you are in NEOH check out the Cleveland Aquarium Society webpage too. They team up with Ohio NANFA members and do a day trip collecting, surveying, snorkeling, the great fish fauna we have. It has been on the Grand River in the past and we have seen 40+ species of fish.


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## H2O Mellon

That has to be the greatest thign I've ever seen. Man I felt like I was at Bass Pro Shops in Cincy!!!


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## Fish-N-Fool

Nice pictures and a beautiful tank!

I have a 150 gallon that is currently down. I have a large canister filter built into a large pump that keep all the water circulating. I also have a charcoal wheel filter on each end and 2 oxygen airators. 

I used to go through a dozen goldfish and 3-4 dozen fatheads every week when it was up and running! They are very nice, but expensive also!


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## CShaver8

did you catch the fish and put them in, or buy them as fingerlings? What do you feed them?


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## ill be on the water

Now thats what I call an aquarium.


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## BornToFish

I currently have a 29 gal with sunfish, and brown bullhead. I've had several other species(crappie,carp,shiner,chub,bluntnose,redbellied dace,sucker etc.) I'll be seining soon for the fall bite, and hopefully get some new fish. Hoping for warmouth, bottom darter, or another sunfish. I keep a chest freezer for minnow supply from Fall to Spring. I kept 3 dozen for 7 months last season.


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## Wormdunker69

How big is your tank to have all those fish?


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## Fish On

it is a 55 gallon


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## Fish On

CShaver8 said:


> did you catch the fish and put them in, or buy them as fingerlings? What do you feed them?


Me and my son's caught them and put them in


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## Fish On

H2O Mellon said:


> That has to be the greatest thign I've ever seen. Man I felt like I was at Bass Pro Shops in Cincy!!!


I think that is how the idea started after we took a trip to cabelas


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## ashtonmj

I'm eagerly awaiting the opening of the Atlanta Aquarium. If you haven't been to the Tennessee Aquarium you are missing out. Blows away any tank cabela's or bass pro has. It is currently the largest aquarium of freshwater, until the Atlanta is opened. Shows off alot of the great north american fish diversity, they have some great displays like a touch tank of small sturgeon, juvenille paddlefish, a appalachian headwater stream, and the area itself of Chattanooga is a really fun family oriented area, with a minor league team next door, a childrens museum, an art museum, all in walking distance of each other.


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## Fish On

NewbreedFishing said:


> Without a lot of cover and space dont those fish beat on eachother???
> 
> I have tried that before and 'ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE'
> 
> Newbreed


Then only time they get aggressive is when they are hungry ,other than that they get along ok


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## RiverRat

I used to have a 13" flathead catfish in a 55 galon..kept it for 2 season then let it go in a nice quiet stream.
My buddy had a very cool Grass Pickeral named "Mr. Pickles" for a season or 2, he even sent me videos he shot while feeding it..awesome.

Another buddy of mine had a nice 55 gal. with some LM's, SM's and Pumpkinseeds.

I used to have(growing up) at one time 6 fish tanks going at once in my room..i had most of them with Salamanders and newts, but also had a few with exotics from South America.
My son had a nice 20 gallon this past year with some Koi in it...then we released them into my brothers 1000 gallon outside heated Koi pond...i think hes got around 30 Koi in it with some in the 4 lb range....and you can hand feed them.

Most aggresive fish i have had would be red bellied Pirannas and Oscars...now those are some nasty fish.

Nice looking tanks guys, thanks for sharing.

Scott


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## Bamboo Jones

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Click on the pictures to enlarge them.


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## johnboy111711

the most aggresive two types of fish that I have owned, bar none are the the snake head and the Aztec, the aztecks are the much cooler of the two, they could easily kill a oscar two-three times thier size.


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## ashtonmj

Awesome Longears!!!!! That picture really makes me miss mine. Definately my favorite sunfish species and those pictures show why.


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## PAYARA

John,You should see my breeding pair of Aztecs  And their son!


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## johnboy111711

greg, that must be a disfunctional family...I had one kill a bullhead of mine, thats how tough they are...almost killed the snakehead too. I'd def. like to see them though. what and how much do you feed them?


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## PAYARA

Accually John,This pair is very gentle with each other.The male
is a ''loving'' husband  I have had them confined together for 
over 5 years now with out a single 'dispute', other than the normal 
aggresive outbursts from the female during spawing and tending fry,
ect.

I had another pair of Aztecs,but they did have some domestic 
problems and one night the male beat the female with in an inch of 
her life.All attempts to nurse her failed and she died a short time later.
I then traded the male.

I now have only one other Aztec in my down sized 'collection' now.A 
very fast growing male that I raised from a batch of fry (from the pair 
I have now).Hes almost the size of dad! 

I ussually feed all my fish cheap fish pellets that you get at feed 
stores.Theres no differance in them than any of the comercial cichlid 
pellets out there,except price!But,I also feed heavy with Nightcrawlers,
Krill,liver,ect.I never feed my fish feeders!


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## johnboy111711

I always fed with brine shrimp and feeders sometimes, since i had the wild cat it didn't matter if the fish got sick I guess. sounds like a sweet set up that you have.


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## catfishrich

RiverRat said:


> Most aggresive fish i have had would be red bellied Pirannas and Oscars...now those are some nasty fish.
> Scott


I have 4 tanks up and running now, also a 55 that I'm in progress seting up. I have to put my Oscar in the 55. Hes great, eats out of my hand and has such a personality swims to me in the tank. Oscars realy are not mean they will just eat anything they can get into their mouth. My African Ciclids are way more aggressive. I never had Pirannas. Oscars can be aggressive to tank mates if they are in too small of a tank. I would love to set up my old 29T that my Oscar is in for "freshwater" fish. I should have keep one of those 1" channel cats I cought out of the river. Anyways I have to tend the animals before bed catch ya all later.

Nice set up keep it up and let us know how there doing frome time to time.


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## ashtonmj

In an interesting keeping native fish note I thought the board here might like to know. I was up at the Pet Supplies today in Lakewood and got two Swamp Darters for .10 a piece. Poor kid had NO CLUE what they were. They were in the Ghost Shrimp tank, along with two Killiefish which were so small I couldnt identify. This is the second time this has happened to me before. I got Bluefin Killiefish this way in the past. When they get these plants from dealers in Florida the fish come in as hitchhikers.


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## Phil Carver

I saw some fish at the pet store tonight that I just dont think I will be able to live without .  The bad thing is that they are a fish that I have always dreamed of going fishing for sometime in my life , Peacock Bass .  I think I will just have to get a couple and hope they grow up and I can amaze myself with them .


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## ashtonmj

haha I hope you have about a 200+ gallon aquarium and a big budget to feed them....sometimes it makes me wonder why places sell those and redtail cats and other behemouth fish knowing full well they will outgrow the owners tank and then end up like hundreds of thousands of fish every year being tossed into our own water ways.


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## Phil Carver

astonmj 
I asked myself the same questions . I decided to have a custom built tank in my basement . It is going to be 6' high , around 4' wide and be 15' long . I hope that it will be big enough for 2 of them . As far as feeding them , that part wont be that bad . I will just keep the tank replinished with 1-1.5" bluegills from the pond .  The Peacocks are only supposed to get around 27" . I think being in a tank will keep them from reaching that size . I agree with your point that it takes alot of $$$ and the right set up to accomidate these types of fish and believe that if someone does not have the $$ for the things it will take to raise the fish , they need to let them stay at the pet stores .


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## peple of the perch

how many fish do u have in that tank


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## Fishing-Miller23

That would be awesome having peacock bass! Where did you get them/ see them at? And how much were they?


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## ashtonmj

What are you going to light this tank with? 6 feet is deep whew could take a swim with your fish. Whats the thickness going to be on that too? glass or acrylic?


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## Phil Carver

The Peacock Bass are at Jacks pet shop here In Canal Winchester . I bet the store they have up by Easton will have them also . As far as the tank goes , It will be made from 3/4 thick glass . Havent figured out the lighting as of yet .


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## johnboy111711

phil, do the make submersible lights? like the holagen tubes?


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## ashtonmj

Yeah being the length and depth dimensions really present a challenge to you on the lighting. Your best bets would probably be to hang something over it like multipe compact or VHO flourescent ballasts. If someone trys to sell you pendant or ballast style halide lights they are pulling a fast one on you and aren't necessary for that tank unless you plan on growing alot of live plants in it too. Even if you were going to a mix of halide and VHO would be adequate. 

I would kill to get my hands on that much water, I can't wait to see the finished prodcut.


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## crappielooker

phil.. get a good dehumidifier to go along with that tank in the basement..  and try to find a pair of Arowana to go along with that peacock bass.. maan.. i would love to see the tank myself.. if u need any help, gimme a shout..


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## johnboy111711

why not just raise some bass and study them so you can win a tournament every now and again???


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## Phil Carver

Heck Johmboy , I dont think theres anything that could help me do that . Thanks for the lighting tips Ashtonmj . AK , I know exactly what you mean about the moisture .


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## Bamboo Jones

crappielooker said:


> phil.. get a good dehumidifier to go along with that tank in the basement..  and try to find a pair of Arowana to go along with that peacock bass.. maan.. i would love to see the tank myself.. if u need any help, gimme a shout..


Both of those fish are available at RJ's Aquarium in Hebron just north of buckeye lake on St. Rt.79. The number is 740.928.2913. The Peacocks are $7.99 a piece and I think the Arowanna is around $25 for a solid 15" fish. They are crazy jumpers so unless you have a top for that glass pond, you might want to reconsider the Arowanna (badass or not).


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