lewk Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 My dad keeps Orangespotted Sunfish and every time I look at them I'm confused as to why they aren't more commonly kept in home aquariums. The males in particular are absolutely beautiful. They definitely change color throughout the seasons, but it's not even into the breeding season yet and this one I took a picture of looks stunning to me. They're a North American native with a reasonably wide range. Actually, when looking into them originally we had no idea that they were in our area even though we do a lot of fishing in the same area they're found in. Compared to other sunfish like Pumpkinseeds, Orangespots are both more peaceful and smaller, allowing them to be kept in smaller tanks with a larger variety of tankmates. So yeah, I think these fish are overlooked, and if you're interested in something different, especially something native, I highly recommend them. Had you heard of Orangespotted sunfish before? What do you think of them? Are there any other fish that you think might be overlooked in the hobby? 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 (edited) Beautiful fish but shows its beauty through wild colors. From my observations, especially during times I spend at my LFS, which is considerably a good amount of time to make observations, majority of fishkeepers enjoy colors that pop up. I have personally never seen a normal fishkeeper enterin a store and falling in love with a wild colored fish, they always go for the colored ones. Maybe sharks is an exception for this one, people love sharks. Everyone I met who likes these type of wild colors are actually hobbyists with years of experience. Fish nerds, like us, I would say 😄 My underrated fish opinion goes to whiptail catfish. Any type. They have a very unique look, and they are not shy like plecos. Always out and has a great display. No clue why plecos, which spend most of their time hiding, are much more popular than whiptails in the hobby. Edited April 5, 2023 by Lennie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SugarBassJoe Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 Would absolutely love a Bluegill, but I'm not sure on the legality of keeping one where I'm at, I know your not allowed to catch one and take it home, but I'm unsure if your able to purchase one for that purpose, or if you could even find one for sale (if anyone knows the rules about this in California, let me know), not sure if orange spots would fall in that category. Underrated? Rainbow Shiners, holy cow those are amazing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 There are so many North American native fish that are overlooked. My guess as why is because fish stores get fish from large wholesalers. Large wholesalers get fish from importers. Maybe @Fish Folk knows of some wholesalers dealing in NANF. Most NANF fish I come across are through clubs and hobby enthusiasts who collect and breed them. So they don’t have stores marketing them. I can’t find the thread but @Fish Folk did a long detailed thread on some truly stunning NANF fish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/5/2023 at 3:43 PM, lewk said: Are there any other fish that you think might be overlooked in the hobby? I agree that NANF are a gold mine of rare beauties and curious rarities. Just look here. I have kept (and still keep) many of these… Two excellent sources for them: [1] and [2] One excellent community & base of knowledge. I made this thread here on the forum awhile back… 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewk Posted April 6, 2023 Author Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/5/2023 at 7:05 PM, Fish Folk said: I agree that NANF are a gold mine of rare beauties and curious rarities. Just look here. I have kept (and still keep) many of these… Some beautiful fish, for sure. Do you also acquire these from the wild? The Orangespots were wild caught and I've considered going on the hunt for Southern Redbelly Dace and others... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyderekp Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/5/2023 at 4:36 PM, SugarBassJoe said: Would absolutely love a Bluegill, but I'm not sure on the legality of keeping one where I'm at, I know your not allowed to catch one and take it home, but I'm unsure if your able to purchase one for that purpose, or if you could even find one for sale (if anyone knows the rules about this in California, let me know), not sure if orange spots would fall in that category. Underrated? Rainbow Shiners, holy cow those are amazing. As someone that's working on a NAN tank plan for my newly acquired 120. Best bet is to message/contact your local DEC/Environmental folks. I live in NYS and was able to get a reply with actual answers within a few days. Pumpkinseeds/bluegills are definitely something I'm considering as they're legal to keep in NYS. Rainbow shiners look incredible, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/5/2023 at 8:37 PM, lewk said: Some beautiful fish, for sure. Do you also acquire these from the wild? The Orangespots were wild caught and I've considered going on the hunt for Southern Redbelly Dace and others... I’ve done a little bit, yes. This tank is recently stocked with wild caught fish from North Carolina… I have never kept Orangespotted Sunfish before. Maybe someday. The Ozark Longear Sunfish take my breath away… I do breed and sell SRBDs sometimes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/6/2023 at 3:05 AM, Fish Folk said: I agree that NANF are a gold mine of rare beauties and curious rarities. Just look here. I have kept (and still keep) many of these… Two excellent sources for them: [1] and [2] One excellent community & base of knowledge. I made this thread here on the forum awhile back… @beastie check these out! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 I am very partial to the Dollar Sunfish, although I would say the longear is arguably the prettiest, more than most SA or African cichlids even. I also love all the darters. I’ve been wanting to do a native tank of things I’ve caught myself for a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Hill-Legion Aquatics Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 Ive caught these when fishing and I gotta say they are some beautiful fish 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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