What would be the perfect North American tank?

[Daniel]

18 minutes ago, Kirsten said:

Ahhh how is it that we have so many insanely beautiful fish right out our back door and not have them being bred for the hobby?

In many US States it is illegal to own native fishes.

[Kirsten]

14 minutes ago, Daniel said:

In many US States it is illegal to own native fishes.

How sad is that? Wish we could work with Fish & Wildlife to conserve wild populations while breeding for aquarium life.

[Aubrey]

1 hour ago, Kirsten said:

How sad is that? Wish we could work with Fish & Wildlife to conserve wild populations while breeding for aquarium life.

I believe you can work with fish and wildlife to do research, but it requires permits. I don't think they will allow breeding for aquaria though, if they don't already. This passage is about preserving specimens, but I'm sure they are also the people that you would contact and work with for other research projects.

I know there are certain species in my state that are allowed as wildlife pets, but there are rules for that. I also know that you need permits to breed native wildlife and to sell it.

All the laws make sense. Not just anyone and everyone should be able to tamper with local ecosystems without any consequence. Also permit and license fees help fund conservation. At least in my state keeping is pretty much ok, but the buying and selling gets tricky.

Like with getting any new fish, do your research. With natives it involves more than tank size and parameters and more of going through legal codes and possibly applying for permits.

[Daniel]

Honest officer! I was just collecting..er....seining these pygmy sunfish for bait.

[Patrick_G]

23 hours ago, Brandy said:

I think I would want a stream tank set up with trout and crayfish. I know that is incredibly impractical. It would need to be huge, and refrigerated. But those are the freshwater fish I would want. 

The only way I would do a salt tank ever would be if I could do a PNW tidal tank. we have INCREDIBLY beautiful invertebrates here, and the rock fish are also pretty spectacular. Again, needing to keep it cold enough would be the issue.

Oh, Heck yeah, a trout stream biotope tank would be spectacular!

[Brandy]

8 minutes ago, Patrick_G said:

Oh, Heck yeah, a trout stream biotope tank would be spectacular!

Maybe if I get rich I will just do it as an outdoor thing, with a viewing window, lol.

[Patrick_G]

1 hour ago, Brandy said:

Maybe if I get rich I will just do it as an outdoor thing, with a viewing window, lol.

In the middle of Ellensburg there’s a little park with a small stream teaming with wild brook trout. I know they’re invasive but they are beautiful! I used to live nearby and would go out of my way to make sure I walked by the stream. 

[Lifeisgood]

It’s probably a lot easier to stock a pond than to keep these northern fish temperate tanks cool enough.  For me, having Axolotls at their healthy temperatures has its challenges unless you can easily foot the bill for a cooler.  Or if you have a cooler basement room.  Or unless you can do a lot of cold water changes during the hotter month.  What say you?

[Brandy]

My grandfather had a built pond with a waterfall below his deck stocked with farmed rainbow trout. He bought fingerlings, fed them up, and in the summer we kids would fish off the deck for dinner. It was as big as a small swimming pool. I keep picturing that, but with a window in the side, that you could see from inside the house. In my fantasy-land I have a window running the length of a room looking out into an outdoor underwater world. I actually think I could DIY that if I built a house. That might sound crazy, but I watched my grandfather build his, and I am pretty capable. My family are all builders of one sort or another. My tastes are just a little less conventional.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Brandy

[Eric R]

41 minutes ago, Brandy said:

My grandfather had a built pond with a waterfall below his deck stocked with farmed rainbow trout. He bought fingerlings, fed them up, and in the summer we kids would fish off the deck for dinner. It was as big as a small swimming pool. I keep picturing that, but with a window in the side, that you could see from inside the house. In my fantasy-land I have a window running the length of a room looking out into an outdoor underwater world. I actually think I could DIY that if I built a house. That might sound crazy, but I watched my grandfather build his, and I am pretty capable. My family are all builders of one sort or another. My tastes are just a little less conventional.

I think that sounds totally possible. I saw a guy put a 50,000 gallon tank in an addition to his house.

My dream is an attached greenhouse with a shallow mangrove lagoon and saltwater pond with fish coral and macroalgae. One day...

[Kirsten]

1 hour ago, Lifeisgood said:

It’s probably a lot easier to stock a pond than to keep these northern fish temperate tanks cool enough.  For me, having Axolotls at their healthy temperatures has its challenges unless you can easily foot the bill for a cooler.  Or if you have a cooler basement room.  Or unless you can do a lot of cold water changes during the hotter month.  What say you?

Mmm, that's a good point! I don't have central air, so the upper floors can easily get 74-78 in the summer unless I put an ac unit in the room. Much to consider!

[Anita]

3 hours ago, Daniel said:

Honest officer! I was just collecting..er....seining these pygmy sunfish for bait.

ORD 😆

[Anita]

3 hours ago, Aubrey said:

I believe you can work with fish and wildlife to do research, but it requires permits. I don't think they will allow breeding for aquaria though, if they don't already. This passage is about preserving specimens, but I'm sure they are also the people that you would contact and work with for other research projects.

I know there are certain species in my state that are allowed as wildlife pets, but there are rules for that. I also know that you need permits to breed native wildlife and to sell it.

All the laws make sense. Not just anyone and everyone should be able to tamper with local ecosystems without any consequence. Also permit and license fees help fund conservation. At least in my state keeping is pretty much ok, but the buying and selling gets tricky.

Like with getting any new fish, do your research. With natives it involves more than tank size and parameters and more of going through legal codes and possibly applying for permits.

ORD 💜 

[Fish Folk]

There’s some really special things to check out, if Native U. S. Fish interest you:

(1) North American Native Fish Association [NANFA]. You can check out their member photo gallery here. And archived articles free here.

(2) A fascinating and beautifully filmed video project has been made about native U. S. fish and river life called Hidden Rivers. You can enjoy a trailer here, and a preview here. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Cyprinodon eremus & Poeciliopsis sonoriensis if only it were allowed.

[Fish Folk]

Here’s my favorite Hidden Rivers preview. 

[stowcenter93]

Rainbow shiners are a must.  I've kept Logperch, Rainbow Darters and Johnny Darters. All great. 

[Lemon]

12 hours ago, ererer said:

I think that sounds totally possible. I saw a guy put a 50,000 gallon tank in an addition to his house.

My dream is an attached greenhouse with a shallow mangrove lagoon and saltwater pond with fish coral and macroalgae. One day...

the salt creep would be crazy . . . I guess

[Eric R]

55 minutes ago, quirkylemon103 said:

the salt creep would be crazy . . . I guess

I pm'ed you not to derail the thread, unless I'm keeping coral and fish from the gulf coast it has nothing to do with natives.

[Donovan]

I just stumbled across this, but I want to add Northern blcknose dance as a stocking suggestion. They're active, easy to feed and the males can get some bright orange on them. They can adapt to low to moderate flow and are always out and about.  Look great against vallisneria.