# My 75 Florida Native Tank



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

This is my newly populated 75g native tank. All fish, were caught from a small creek up the street from my house, as well as the driftwood. I cheated a little on the plants since I have anubias and java fern, but everything else can be found in Florida. I even got some free anacharis from a small pond at a park up the street. As far as fish go, I have what appears to be a green sunfish, as well as two other smaller unidentified sunfish, two russetfin topminnows, a black crappie, a bunch of mosquito fish, a bunch of blackspotted topminnows, what appear to be two bullhead catfish, and four unknown creek chub looking fish. Running two 54w T5HO bulbs, but one is a leftover blue actinic that does nothing for me, as well as a 48 inch 32w T8. Also have two "EHEIM Ecco Pro Easy 60" canister filters that I bought for about 50 dollars a piece. Still a lot of work to do on it, but I think it's coming along nicely.









Green Sunfish?









Catfish









Spotted Topminnows









Some type of bream/sunfish









Creek Chub? Blurry picture, but if anyone has an idea I would like to know.


----------



## Difrano (Apr 17, 2011)

Amazing setup! I believe that the small sunfish its a juvi bluegill

Very nice tank


----------



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

That's a great looking native setup, wish there were some nice natives up in the north...


----------



## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Yes green sunfish
Yes blue gill
last one looks to me like L. Goodei - Blue fin Killi? how big about is that fish?
GREAT looking tank, I love to see native tanks!! Good job!!


----------



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

dirtydutch4x said:


> Yes green sunfish
> Yes blue gill
> last one looks to me like L. Goodei - Blue fin Killi? how big about is that fish?
> GREAT looking tank, I love to see native tanks!! Good job!!


Definitely not a blue fin killie. I have four of them and they stick together pretty tightly. I managed to snap a better picture. Their fins actually have a little red in them that I never noticed. They're all four an inch to an inch and a half at best. And thanks for all the kind words, everyone. I plan on thinning out a lot of these guys. I'll probably get rid of some, if not all, of the mosquito fish because they're just not that attractive. I'm loving native because even though I'm broke, I can still get fish. Not to mention, catching them is so much more fun than going to the fish store and having them net me a fish.


----------



## dirtydutch4x (Jun 16, 2009)

Semotilus atromaculatus


----------



## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

The first one looks like a Longear sunfish, rather than a green sunfish to me.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

There are fantastic natives in the north! And I say that from Canada. I've kept beautiful red-bellied dace, Fundulus diaphanous killies, small shiners, Umbra limi, darters. We have no small sunfish like Floridians do, and 5 inch plus sunfish are very difficult in a tank.
But we have superb darters.

And that is a beautiful tank. We don't have the sunfish pictured here, and it is a neat looking beast.


----------



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

Just a little update. I went out and fished for about an hour and a half yesterday, and caught two decent sized sunfish within the first 10 minutes then nothing the rest of the time. My cool looking spotted killies that I had have been getting picked off at night, I'm down to one now. I think I'm going to remove all the small fish and just keep the larger aggressive fish. And I think you may be right about the long ear sunfish, snail. I caught another one that looks just like it yesterday, and they've become pals it seems.


----------



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

Finally got around to snapping some more photos. Got some good ones this time since everyone is always out and about now. And if anyone knows exactly what the black fish is, and the big boy in pictures 2 and 4, I wouldn't mind knowing.


----------



## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

Just curious how your fish are doing? I have 125 gallon tank that used to be a planted angel tank. I had to tear it down this summer and put it in storage during an extended move. Finally am settled into a new place and am considering a native tank. I have heard that crappie are almost impossible to keep in a tank. Is your still living? Also what temps do your water stay at. I don't have a basement and don't really want the expense of a chiller. Some people say natives do fine inside others say not to do it. We keep our house around 72-74 year around.


----------



## rift lake (Nov 8, 2012)

I hope you check with F&G to make sure you can keep some speices of local fish in you home aquarium such as my state it is illegal to keep Blue Gills in your home tank without a permit. But it does look good


----------



## plecosrawesome (Mar 1, 2011)

Awesome setup! I love the driftwood and bullheads are cool catfish.


----------

