# A great save by... betta man!



## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Yesterday, I saved 4 sunfish from being eaten. They're in a 5 gal until I get my pond set up. I'm planning on setting one of them free... Does anyone know how to tell if they're male or female? I know my tank is overstocked, but it has a filter and bubbler and I'm going to clean it out regularly... They are hardy fish too. They have eaten and they grow to 8 inches, but I think they are stunted. I plan on yes I know, I sound very crazy, but breeding them... I KNOW EGORIESE,(however you spell it),It's kinda cruel, but they'll have clean, aerated water. I want only answers. Not criticisms. :chair: :x


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

No idae on sexing. How long till you get that pond going?


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

They won't have clean clear water for long in a five gal.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

*le big sigh*


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

hXcChic22 said:


> *le big sigh*


x2


Ask yourself which is a crueler fate - being eaten or having to live in terribly cramped conditions in a house full of tanks and bowls that have been devastated by ich and fin rot repeatedly....

..... That's my -advice.-


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Wait a minute... Don't you have a 20 gallon laying around?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

it is like Edi Amin asking to not be criticized...


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Doesn't criticism usually lead to improvement?

Oh wait, that's only when you listen to it. Being angry doesn't work, being friendly doesn't work... Does this forum have an ignore button?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

yes, open the user cp and find 'edit ignore list' under 'control panel' on the left. This will allow you to make a user 'disappear' by adding them to the ignore list and you won't see their posts.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Thank you!


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## CallieDaNerd (Jun 8, 2011)

You have a better chance of hearing the answers you WANT to hear at PetsMart or Petco, etc. If you want real answers and advice suck it up and do what people suggest on here....


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

egoreise said:


> Wait a minute... Don't you have a 20 gallon laying around?


Good Idea! I'll try setting it up. I have been doing 2 50% water changes per day... It also has plants... I will be working on my pond today. I'm going to set free the minorly aggressive one, but nothing serious has happened in aggression... I WANT ANSWERES PLEASE OR IDEAS!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

emc7 said:


> yes, open the user cp and find 'edit ignore list' under 'control panel' on the left. This will allow you to make a user 'disappear' by adding them to the ignore list and you won't see their posts.


Thanks! :smile:


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

Betta man said:


> I WANT ANSWERES PLEASE OR IDEAS!


People are giving you answers and ideas through their feelings on what's going on. How long before your pond gets set up? Even at that, I would just release them regardless (as long as it's not illegal).


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

It's legal! There's no size limit and I caught it with my pole... I brought home under 25 so it's legal.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

here's a pic!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

he's about 2.5 inches long... Double click on him and it'll take you to my album, "sunfish".


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## Pandapop (Dec 29, 2009)

I was catching these guys yesterday. D:
Bluegills, redgills... pumpkin-seed, sunfish, whatever you call 'em.

I heard they're pretty tasty despite being the nuisance that they are, but... I don't eat fish, lol.


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Betta Man, you should start actually taking advice when you ask for it, these people seem to know a lot more than you, no offense.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Pandapop said:


> I was catching these guys yesterday. D:
> Bluegills, redgills... pumpkin-seed, sunfish, whatever you call 'em.
> 
> I heard they're pretty tasty despite being the nuisance that they are, but... I don't eat fish, lol.


I don't eat fish that are small... Bass and trout taste good. If nothing goes wrong, I'm going to set one of my sunfish free tonight.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Betta man said:


> It's legal! There's no size limit and I caught it with my pole... I brought home under 25 so it's legal.


I thought you meant if it was legall to catch it... It's legall... Sunfish have naturalized in Ca.


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

Pretty fish


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Aquarimax podcast had an episode with an interview special on sunfish. You might like to take a listen.

Also,


http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/speciesguide_default/pumpkinseedsunfish/tabid/6727/Default.aspx said:


> Pumpkinseed sunfish are nest spawners with the male digging the nest in water as shallow as 6 to 12 inches. Spawning occurs in May or June and the males guard the nest until the eggs hatch. The female will lay between 1,600 to 2,900 eggs. Several females may lay eggs in a single nest. Pumpkinseed sunfish are usually the first Lepomis sunfish species to spawn in the spring.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks! I got rid of the aggressive one and so far, there has been peace.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if you are thinking of breeding these fish you will be needing a couple of tanks of about 2000 gallons each...or maybe a 24' x 4' swimming pool...2000-3000 fish is an awful lot of fish..and you will need lots of money to feed them..maybe you could start a bug and earthworm hatchery for the food...
it seems that you are pretty insistant on not following good advice and also thinking you can pull things off that you are totally unprepared for..and have no intention of preparing for...
you also seem to be killing off a lot of fish........i am beginning to think that the pet rock idea is the best one for you...


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## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

You should move to a place where you need a lagoon for your plumbing and that can be your stocking pond. I've heard of lots of people doing that.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I am planning on culling most of the blue gill eggs. All you have to do (I've heard) is take care of them and in the spring they'll breed. All I have to do all except 20, sell them to a petsore and if they won't buy them donate them and try to stop the breeding next year.


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