Keeping fish that live in North American freshwater in your home aquarium can be a great idea to do at home and a wonderful learning experience. However, it is challenging and brings no immediate benefit. The fish you raise will become part of your family.
Steps
Step 1. Do a search
Largemouth bass and other freshwater fish can get quite large and take hundreds of liters. It's not about goldfish. Keep in mind the size you think they will reach when they are adults. They will likely need specialized care and special food. Additionally, some freshwater fish species may be illegal to keep indoors.
Step 2. Get a large aquarium
Depending on the fish you intend to keep, the first step is to get the right aquarium. For fish of limited size, such as bluegill, a smaller aquarium is sufficient than what you would use for largemouth bass, which can reach large sizes and, therefore, needs a larger aquarium. In general, a 5-7 cm long one with a capacity of about 37 liters of water can be fine. Obviously the bigger it is, the better.
Step 3. Find a resistant filter
To clean the environment in which they will live, it will be necessary to install a filter of a certain resistance as these fish produce large quantities of feces. Don't save on the filtering device. Look for one that has easy-to-replace replacement filters, as you'll need to change them often!
- Depending on the substrate you choose, you may need an under-sand filter and a powerhead pump (to be submerged in water). It is likely that in certain aquariums it will not be possible to use the under-sand filter if there is sand from the lake from which the fish comes. If you choose large gravel, it may be worth adding an under-sand filter, as it helps keep debris down. You will also need a powerhead pump to pull the water through the under-sand filter.
- The substrate must be as natural as possible. It is essentially a question of setting up an aquarium that has the characteristics of a lake, but at home. Try to avoid bright bottom colors and beautiful tropical fish colors. To give it the right look, the sand from the aquarium should mimic the natural bottom of the lake. Alternatively, some aquarium stones will do just fine. Consider 5-7 cm of rock at the bottom.
Step 4. You can also add an aeration device to the tub by dipping a porous stone in the back or in the spot of your choice
You may see fish roam around there from time to time.
Step 5. Use care and caution with plants
Plants can add a nice touch to the aquarium, but fish could destroy them if they are real. Those made of plastic or silk look good. There are many varieties to choose from and you can find water lily leaves as well. If you plan on combining different types of fish, placing lots of plants in the tank will create safe havens for smaller ones.
Step 6. Enhance the aquarium by lighting it
Artificial light can really improve the look of your aquarium. Find a full spectrum lamp that mimics natural sunlight. By choosing quality lighting, you will see an explosion of color in the fish.
Step 7. Get some smooth stones
Another touch to the aquarium could be to set up an area with smooth stones arranged to reproduce the rocky areas of the lake. Some fish, such as the Persian beak, for example, need these complements.
Step 8. Be prepared to provide a variety of foods
The nutrition these fish typically need presents a variety of choices.
- Once they realize that flake and pellet food is food (this may take some time), it could become the staple food.
- Get quality flake food, pelleted brine shrimp and leeches. There are also color stimulating feeds on the market that appear to be pleasing to fish and which help to bring out their color.
- You can crumble the brine shrimp in the form of tablets until they are easier to eat.
- Expect to add live food to your fish's diet.
- Crickets are very popular.
- Alternatively, you can cut the earthworms into 0.6-inch pieces.
Step 9. After installing the aquarium, slowly add the water so as not to ruin the arrangement of the objects inside the tank
Step 10. Run the aquarium without putting in the fish for a month, but putting only one fish in for the tank to run in
It is necessary for nitrates to reach their peak and for a natural colony of bacteria to form.
Don't be in a hurry and learn how to perform water quality tests with the help of manuals and knowledgeable people
Step 11. Get the fish
It is advisable to immerse only the fry in the aquarium. Larger fish will take longer to adapt. They will be very stressed and fussy about food. Therefore, younger fish adapt more easily to living in the aquarium environment. Starting with the simplest fish to keep, namely sun perch or beak, you can learn and move on to other varieties later on. It is not recommended to hook and line them for two reasons. First of all, it is stressful and can lead to injuries that you will need to heal at your own expense. Secondly, they will most likely be too big to hook and line. Then, you can catch them using a freshwater fish trap available from any company that makes fishing equipment. Basically, it is made in the shape of a funnel on both sides to allow the fish to enter but not to exit. You can fill it with dry cat food or cereal and dip it into the lake from a dock or where the bluegill is located (check the fishing regulations in your place where you live, you may need to put a label on the trap with the your name, address and fishing license number). The openings are small, so you can only catch young fish. Leave the trap for a day or two and check it out. Get a container with a lid (ice cream ones are fine too) to put freshly caught fish inside. You will be amazed at what you can catch! Keep only the fish that the aquarium can contain or even less. You can always add more later.
Step 12. Before placing the fish in the aquarium, keep them in a plastic bag for 30 minutes, leaving a good amount of air, until they adjust to the temperature
Also remember to include a good heating system in the aquarium. These are big fish, not goldfish. Add some tank water to help the fish adapt. Add some more after 20-30 minutes. If they are good, pour them into the aquarium.
Step 13. Give the fish a couple of days to adjust to the aquarium before you start feeding them
Try not to stress them out, so don't let the kids get their hands on the tub and the like.
Step 14. When you start feeding them, add small amounts of flake food
See if they react. After a few days of trying with this type of food try adding live food or some small crickets, earthworms or brine shrimp cut into pieces. Perhaps this is the hardest part. Observe them carefully and make notes on what they eat. Once you figure out which food they seem to like, get organized. They will begin to recognize your presence and will come to the surface to eat. Finally, you can feed them by giving them crickets and earthworms directly from your hand.
Advice
- If you want a different type of fish, such as largemouth bass, catfish, or a predator, research their habitat and diet. Largemouth bass and catfish are generally solitary species. So, unless you have a large aquarium (over 380 liters), you will need to dedicate a single aquarium to a single specimen of these species. If you want a catfish, be aware that some of them grow very large. Predatory fish, such as gray-eye and pike, also need only one tank and only one member in each. As with the catfish, this species requires the installation of a rather large aquarium. You will also need a constant supply of live bait.
- It is recommended to add invertebrates to the aquarium. You can put snails and freshwater shrimp. Keep in mind that small snails are delicious morsels for frying fish (intermediate in size between king perch and sun perch). Make them grow. They can feed and provide supplemental food for your fish. If you catch snails in the lake, be aware that they can carry certain parasites. You can catch shrimp with the freshwater fish trap, leaving the cat food inside as bait. Place it near the edge of the lake and check it out the next day. These are fascinating organisms that are truly enjoyable to look at in the aquarium. Depending on the size of the tank, a shrimp is usually sufficient. Transfer it to the aquarium, making sure you have set up a rocky part inside with several hiding places. The bluegill will find the shrimp quite delicious. Feed the shrimp with shrimp pellets. Pour a couple on the area where the stones are, once or twice a day. Make sure they've been eaten before adding any more.
- In some countries it is illegal to release fish back into the wild. Check local laws and regulations. The reason is that fish in captivity can contract a number of diseases, so putting them back into the wild runs the risk of harming the wild population. Moreover, they are not even used to living in freedom, because they receive food from the hand of man, so bringing them back to their original waters risks causing a massacre. Keep this in mind when catching fish.
- The bluegill is a wonderful species as a first choice. It is very beautiful, relatively easy to care for, and usually easy to find.
- Algae can become a problem. It may be helpful to purchase an algae scraper or aquarium cleaning magnet. There are liquid algaecides that kill algae, but you will need to remove the dead material. These remedies may be fine if you don't have any invertebrates in the aquarium. Read the package labels. Most are harmful to shrimp and snails.
