If you dont know how to take care of bluegills, youll become their executioner rather than caretaker. Fortunately, taking care of the fish is easy. Knowing and practicing basic aquarium care is all that is required. Beyond that, setting up the tank so that it more closely mimics the bluegills natural environment will move you from simply a caretaker to a good provider for the fish.
Buy an aquarium thats large enough for the amount of bluegills you will have, keeping in mind they can grow to 10 inches long each. Using the common one-inch-per-gallon rule, house two bluegills in a 25-gallon tank. The extra five gallons is added for the displacement caused by the pea gravel and other objects, plants and materials included in the tank.
Pour pea gravel or rock substrate onto the bottom of one part of the aquarium. Pack river mud onto the bottom of another part of the aquarium. Pour sand onto the bottom of the aquarium in another place in the aquarium and over the river mud. All substrates should roughly measure one inch up from the bottom.
Acquire both below-surface and floating plant life thats native to the bluegills environment, and which they wont eat. Arrange the bottom plants into the river mud. Smooth the sand back over the place where the plants are buried in the river mud so that the river mud doesnt become a nuisance in the tank.
Build the river rocks on top of each other so that the bluegills have small coves and resting and hiding places. Arrange other river rocks so that the aquarium doesnt have a clear line of sight from one end to the other end.
Slowly fill the aquarium with water. Test the water from which the bluegill fish are coming from and compare it to the water in which youre putting them. Add ph balancer, as necessary, closely matching the ph balance in the aquarium to the water where the bluegill was before the aquarium.
Feed bluegills what they like to eat, such as native plant life, smaller native fish, insects and store-bought freshwater fish food. Dont overfeed them, especially if you dont have crawfish or other omnivorous bottom-dwellers in the tank.
Use an algae scraper or pad to clean the sides of the tank if the tank becomes too overrun with algae. Change the water by removing only 25 percent of the water at a time, as necessary. Always leave 75 percent of the water in the tank. Do not remove the live plants when changing the water.
Use a gravel vacuum to clean the debris from the rocks substrate, carefully avoiding the sand. Add bottom dwellers, such as catfish or crawfish, to clean the bottom of the tank.
Educated at the University of New Orleans, Troy Pankey started writing many years ago. His written material is quite varied, and includes, advertising copy, product reviews, restaurant menus, musician and business owner profiles and interviews, among many other writing forms. He currently lives near New York City, where he pursues freelance writing opportunities both in traditional print and on the Web.
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The 30–35 freshwater sunfish species that make up the Family Centrarchidae are found in Central America, the United States, and Canada. Sunfishes are popular among aquarists in Europe, but they have received little attention in American aquaculture. It’s unfortunate since they’re all vibrant, fascinating, and lively, and the majority of them adapt well to aquarium life. There is something for everyone, ranging in size from the 39-inch largemouth bass to the tiny Black-Banded Sunfish. I’ve had the good fortune to work with a variety of “sunnies,” from largemouth bass to tiny Black-Banded Sunfish. I’d love to hear from readers who have also had the opportunity to get to know these fish, or who would like to (please post below)
Many species are easily collected using a seine net or minnow trap, despite the fact that they are rarely offered for sale as pets (check state regulations) Sunfishes are found almost everywhere in the United States, although their diversity is highest in the Southeast (my friend in Louisiana found eight different species in the lake behind his house!). New York, where I reside, is home to 14 species.
Recently, seven species of Pygmy Sunfishes, or Elassoma genus, were assigned to their own family. With bodies that are 1-2 inches long and packed with all the characteristics of sunfish, they make interesting aquarium subjects. You can purchase banded Okefenokee and Everglades Pygmy Sunfishes from specialized breeders in United States and Europe.
While some species, like pumpkinseeds, are able to withstand a broad variety of environments, water quality should always be closely monitored. Other sunfish species have different requirements. Banded Sunfishes and their relatives, for instance, need soft, acidic water. Please write in for information on individual species.
I’ve found that diets consisting of about 25% live foods (such as earthworms, blackworms, guppies, crickets, and sowbugs) and 25% cichlid pellets, freeze-dried and fresh prawn, and trout chow work well for me. Every night around my outdoor lights, I gather moths, beetles, tree crickets, and other insects during the warmer months. I’m always fascinated by my sunfishes’ (and most tropical fishes’) strong reactions to these unusual foods.
If the tank gets too overgrown with algae, clean the sides with an algae scraper or pad. If necessary, change the water by taking out just 25% of it at a time. Always leave 75 percent of the water in the tank. Do not remove the live plants when changing the water.
To remove the debris from the rock substrate, use a gravel vacuum, being cautious not to get any sand in it. Introduce bottom-dwelling fish, like crawfish or catfish, to help the tank’s bottom stay clean.
Create little coves and places for the bluegills to rest and hide by piling river rocks on top of one another. Place additional river rocks so that there isn’t a direct line of sight between one end and the other in the aquarium.
Acquire native plant life that is both below and above the water that the bluegills won’t eat. Arrange the bottom plants into the river mud. To prevent the river mud from becoming an annoyance in the tank, smooth the sand back over the area where the plants are buried.
Troy Pankey, who attended the University of New Orleans for his education, began writing many years ago. His writing has appeared in a wide range of publications, including product reviews, restaurant menus, profiles and interviews of musicians and business owners, and advertising copy. He currently resides close to New York City and works as a freelance writer for traditional print and online publications.
FAQ
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