# 125G Potomac River Sunfish and Shiner tank



## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

I started to convert my old 125G Goldfish tank over to a planted Potomac River Sunfish tank. I ordered two Finnex Ray2 and Finnex MonsterRays, should give plenty of light at only 18" to substrate. no Co2. 

Some spec's are...
125G
2 Finnex Ray2's and MonsterRay's
Safe T Sorb substrate at 2.5" deep
1 Rena XP3 canister
1 SunSun 304b canister

plants-
Vallisneria americana

fish-
1 Longear Sunfish
1 Pumpkinseed Sunfish
1 Redbreast Sunfish
1 Northern Bluegill
small school of Spotfin Shiners


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Planted my Val the other night, still waiting on my Finnex LED's, so just using my two 36" T8's and a 48" dual T8. Going to let the plants root firmly then add the fish.


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Can't wait to see it! I have red and striped shiners... I'd love to do a big native tank soon..


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## Afinepickle (May 20, 2013)

*River*

Don't know what the Patomic looks like but that looks like a river. It will be interesting to see what a couple months, and the monsters turns into. Good job


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## Afinepickle (May 20, 2013)

Potomac !


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Here is a picture of the Potomac taken in April before the Val grew in. Once its June, the Val fill the shallows. 
You can see the bottom and rocks in this picture though. 
In fact, the rocks in my tank came from the Potomac River, right out our back yard.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Here is a picture my uncle just sent me. Beautiful Fall over the river.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

I will update again Wednesday once my LED lights get here. I originally ordered the Finnex Ray2's and the MonsterRay's, but the seller on Amazon was out of stock on the MonsterRays, so I ordered two Current USA Satellite LED plus, they also should be here Wednesday. 
The Ray2's are primarily for the plants and the Satellites are for color reproduction of the fish. Plus with the Satellites, I get moon lighting which is nice.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This is gonna be awesome! I really like your representation of the river bottom.

Do you think four sunfish will be enough individuals to diffuse aggression? The bluegill will probably be a real SOB. 

Spotfin shiners are great aquarium fish. I have tried a few different shiners and the spotfins were the only ones that were very hardy in the tank.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks! I am trying to get it to look like you took a small snap shot under water. The Bluegill will probably be the most laid back. The Red breast are pretty aggressive though. My experience with keeping BG in the past is they are not very aggressive. I really want a Green Sunfish too, but they are illegal in FL.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

New runners and buds on my Val this is all under T8 bulbs. I cannot wait to get my Ray2's and Satellite LED plus fixtures tomorrow. I'm so excited!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

I got my Finnex Ray2 and Satellite LED+ lights on the tank. I have to say, the light over the Vals (Ray2's) look more concentrated but the two 36" T8's and single 48" T8 looked brighter. We will see. The shimmer sure does look pretty though! :biggrin:


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Added my single Longear Sunfish from my 65G. He seems to be enjoying his new 6 foot home! Slowly going to start adding more!

Here are a couple pictures of my guy! I caught him when he was about the size of a nickle from the Potomac and traveled back to FL with him and that was about 6-7 years ago!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Will be getting my other Sunfish soon!


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Lovely fish.. I want some orange spotted sunnies.. the males are eletric, much like your longear.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

steven p said:


> Lovely fish.. I want some orange spotted sunnies.. the males are eletric, much like your longear.


Orange Spots are lovely fish! Good luck and post pictures. I would like to see the tank!


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Out of curiosity, why did you choose to go with a Potomac river biotope rather than one local to you? Central Florida's got such a rich aquatic flora and fauna that I'd be hard pressed not to go with local natives if I were there.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Phil Edwards said:


> Out of curiosity, why did you choose to go with a Potomac river biotope rather than one local to you? Central Florida's got such a rich aquatic flora and fauna that I'd be hard pressed not to go with local natives if I were there.


Very Good question Phil. I will do my best to answer. I grew up and lived half my life in WV right on the river. I still go back every summer. Many memories, beautiful scenery with the mountains and river. When I am there in the summer, I spend every second I can on the river either fishing or skiing/swimming or just nature watching. Its a huge part of my life, something I only get to see 3 weeks a year now. I fish here in FL on the local lakes and rivers a lot, but its not the same. While we do have some pretty/cool looking fish, just not for me. 
The picture of the fall season over the river is the picture I am going to hang over my tank on the wall. I think it will make more since one that wall is complete and I show the whole setup rather then just the tank.

Now, if I had the space I would have a large tank with a spotted gar, some bass, catfish, bowfin and crappie. That would be great!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

I hope that answered your question Phil. BTW, Love your 300G!


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Yeah, and that's the best reason to do a tank like that, IMO. Spending time on the water like that is what got me into keeping planted tanks. roud:


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Phil Edwards said:


> Yeah, and that's the best reason to do a tank like that, IMO. Spending time on the water like that is what got me into keeping planted tanks. roud:


Thank you Phil roud: 
I 100% agree, my love for the water/fish is what got me into this hobby. This is my first real venture into planted aquariums. Luckily for me, Vals are pretty undemanding and its the main plant in the Potomac. With my Finnex Ray2 and Satellite LED+'s for color I have plenty of light I assume.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Coming together! Got my Spotfin Shiners and Bluntnose minnows in! Hard to get get a picture of them! They are fast! 20 total of them. 8 Spotfins and 12 Bluntnose. Also get my new sunfish in. I am missing a Bluegill, the one the breeder was going to send didn't look 100% so he didn't send him. I appaude him for that! He wrote an email explaining. The baby sunfish are in a grow out tank. they are only about an inch long, and cannot compete against 20 three inch minnows and a 6 inch adult sunfish.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Cannot wait for the Plants to take over the and the new Sunfish to grow and get their colors. Going to be a great piece of home!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That is really cool!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you hydrophyt! I will attempt get a better tank shot as soon as the other Sunfish grow out some and get moved to the display tank.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

You got some really great fish.

I don't know how you got those, but if you have any more room you should check out the stuff on Brian Zimmerman's site. He has a bunch of cool species in his current list.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

_I ordered from_ jonahs aquarium. 
I have looked at Brian's site and spoke with him as well. Great guy! ​


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

One more shot of the Bluntnose and Spotfins.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Man you are really making me want to do native fish for my new larger setup. 

The tank is actually going into a fishroom that is almost 80F. I would rather keep native Wisconsin fish at about 72 degrees. Maybe I will succumb to this idea and think of some other spot for the tank.


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## Afinepickle (May 20, 2013)

Doo, I've got bluegill 1" to 3.5" you can have tell me how to ship. Free good


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Afinepickle said:


> Doo, I've got bluegill 1" to 3.5" you can have tell me how to ship. Free good


Thank you! I may take you up on that offer. Do you know the species? I'm looking for the the Northern Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus). _NOT_ the Coppernose (Lepomis macrochirus mysticalis). Looks like this guy.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

hydrophyte, My tank stays right at 79 with all my LED's on.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Just ordered this nice piece of driftwood. It is what you would find in the Potomac almost to the T. Fits nicely into my Biotope. It's 3-5" tall 30"long.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Also ordered ferts for my Vals. They are sending out runners and growing new small leaves like crazy, but not growing tall. I think they are not getting enough nutrients. My substrate is STS. I have plenty of light, No Co2, pretty hard water. PH of almost 8. But the leaves look a little brown/yellow and seem to break off extremely easy. Ordered K, P, Fe, NO3, and Trace elements. Hopefully get some good strong growth.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Spotfin getting fat on New Life Spectrum! :red_mouth :wink:


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

VERY, VERY COOL TANK!!!

It will be down right AWESOME when the Sunfish, Perch in Texas, are all in the 125g! I kept perch in 10 and 20g tanks when I was young, and they were always great aquarium fish, and I thing your 125g is just freakin' awesome!

SUBSCRIBER for SURE!!!
Drew


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

P.S. GREAT JOB on the substrate and rocks too! Looks very much like the river pic you posted!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

BoxxerBoyDrew, Thank you very much! The substrate is Safe T Sorb, the rocks came from the river. Waiting on my ferts to get here. I have enough light but not enough nutrients for the plants. They brown quickly and only shoot small runners.


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## manzpants92 (Dec 6, 2012)

very interesting idea


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

manzpants92, Thanks! It will be great I think when it's finished.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Here is a quick update! My Val is doing very well, starting to reach the surface and sending runners like crazy. My little clippings that I have taken from the runners are being pulled up by my fish. The minnow's of all things :/ Also added my little piece of driftwood. I like it, it is realistic to what you see in the Potomac around our area. Just medium size branches stuck on the bottom. The wood actually starts at the back left corner and runs to the middle of the tank. The Plants are blocking most of the view. Anyway, here is a tank shot! Hope you like.


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## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Looking good! I would like to do something like this too, a local biotope.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks! I love it!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

My fat Juvenile! lol


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## majerah1 (Nov 6, 2010)

LOL Love the look on its face! The natural native biotope is wonderful, it looks like a great place for the fish and a nice spot to relax to! Did you ever hang the fall picture up? If so, can we get a FTS?


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## nofearengineer (Mar 20, 2013)

I'm having an urge to kick back with a beer and cast a line. :icon_smil


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

majerah1 said:


> LOL Love the look on its face! The natural native biotope is wonderful, it looks like a great place for the fish and a nice spot to relax to! Did you ever hang the fall picture up? If so, can we get a FTS?


LOL. No, not yet. I will soon though. I have been extremely busy with work, then lazy when I get home. Sorry. 
I will get it done soon and hung up, then take a FTS. Thank you all for the kind words! roud:


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Man, that's awesome. If you don't submit this to the 2014 AGA aquascaping contest biotope category I'm going to track you down and shove a bluegill down your throat.  

I'm looking forward to seeing the Val completely dominate the tank. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Phil Edwards said:


> Man, that's awesome. If you don't submit this to the 2014 AGA aquascaping contest biotope category I'm going to track you down and shove a bluegill down your throat.
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing the Val completely dominate the tank. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


Phil, do you have any info on the contest? Thank you very much!


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## majerah1 (Nov 6, 2010)

Haha, I agree, you should enter it. I think you would have a good chance.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you all. Here is a few shots of my Spotfin Shiners and Bluntnose Minnows. The male Spotfin's are really coloring up great. Deep bluish/purplish with dark yellow fins and the Bluntnose are are a deep olive with a nice black stripe.


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## etk300ex (May 1, 2013)

Great looking tank man roud:

I've been slowly collecting stuff to redo my turtle tank (eastern painted) into an eastern biotope setup. Its been river rock for several years now. My envision was pretty much exactly your tank. I've been stuck on the substrate for awhile but I really like the look of the safe T sorb. I have been experimenting with mixing filter sand and black diamond to get more of a brown color but that wasn't doing for me either. Never heard of using STS before but from a quick search looks like it pretty common. 

It looks like you have a layer of something underneath the STS?


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you! Look forward to seeing your turtle tank! 

No substrate under the STS. I really like the STS, but it helps if the roots for the plants are long, or else they come up kinda easy until the roots take hold then they are not going anywhere. 

Thank you all for the comments. I will have a couple more pictures of the two newest guys to the display tank in a few.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Here are a a few pictures of the newest editions to the display tank and a better shot of the young Green. 

I seriously need a faster lens and a nice slave flash. :icon_mad: Maybe Santa will bring me both. roud:


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

My Native breeder finally sent me two Bluegill fry. Maybe a inch long. They are in the grow out tank right now. I will try to get pictures soon. Right now they hide most of the time.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Bluntnose minnows= FAT!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Newest addition to the display tank. I believe it's a Redbreast. I just have to wait a while longer for my Bluegill and last little Longear to get a little bigger to compete in the big tank!  Also the latest update on the growth of the Val. Some of the leaves are almost 30 inches long already!!!! Time to trim some!


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## kwheeler91 (May 26, 2009)

Getting better and better. I Iove natives, its always nice to see them in an aquarium. Its funny how we buy fish from all over the world but simply eat the ones we have here and most people don't even give it a thought to put them in an aquarium.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks! It is coming along quite well! I got the lighting dialed in a believe and a weekly dosing of the Seachem line. Not bad for my first attempt at a planted tank and no CO2.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Phil, can you please provide me with info about the AGA photo contest? I may be interested.


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

kwheeler91 said:


> Getting better and better. I Iove natives, its always nice to see them in an aquarium. Its funny how we buy fish from all over the world but simply eat the ones we have here and most people don't even give it a thought to put them in an aquarium.


I've actually heard that sunfish are really popular in Germany and Europe as aquarium fish.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> I've actually heard that sunfish are really popular in Germany and Europe as aquarium fish.


I have heard that as well.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

What kills me is seeing people in S. America eating massive discus or Oscars. They're just food down there though, eh?


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Some more fish pictures. 

Check out the breeding tubercles on the male Bluntnose! 



Beautiful iridescent blue on the Spotfin!



Baby Longear! 



Baby Northern Bluegill! What are you looking at?? 



Juvi Green!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Showing the colors of the male Spotfins... fins... Yellow with bright white tips. Looks like a reef shark when viewed from above.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Baby Pumpkinseed!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

A few more. What can I say? :fish1::fish:


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## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

Love the native theme. I'm sure you probably already know but you are not limited to Vals. There are many many aquatic plants you could use and still stay 100% North American. Those pumkin seeds will be stunning soon!


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Please forgive the slightly dirty glass in a few pictures. Hope you enjoy!


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## etk300ex (May 1, 2013)

Looking good!

Swapped in STS in my 55 this weekend, looks way better! I see why it looks layered now.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

anastasisariel said:


> Love the native theme. I'm sure you probably already know but you are not limited to Vals. There are many many aquatic plants you could use and still stay 100% North American. Those pumkin seeds will be stunning soon!


Thank you! Yes, I know, but chose only vals as it is the only plant in the particular part of the Potomac River I am mimicking. I can't wait for the lil guys to grow larger, they are all coloring up already for only being less than 2 inches. lol


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

etk300ex said:


> Looking good!
> 
> Swapped in STS in my 55 this weekend, looks way better! I see why it looks layered now.


It does look great! After the plant's take root, that shouldn't be an issue either.


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## kwheeler91 (May 26, 2009)

The bluntnose around here shine purple in the sun. If you can get some sunlight in there those colors would really pop.


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## JDS1212 (Mar 18, 2012)

when those sun fish get bigger and its time to dig. you will be hard pressed to keep your tank that nice looking. 

I didn't have much success with the same stuff in my 210 the long ears made a mess of it.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

JDS1212 said:


> when those sun fish get bigger and its time to dig. you will be hard pressed to keep your tank that nice looking.
> 
> I didn't have much success with the same stuff in my 210 the long ears made a mess of it.


Oh, I know. The large 7 year old longear loves to dig in the corners. He actually nipped at me one day when I was covering up "HIS" hole that he worked hard on. PUNK!

On another note, I have a pair of Spotfin Shiners that mating and dug a crevice under a rock. As a they are crevice breeders. Pictures following shortly.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Here are some pictures of the Spotfin pair. Please excuse the snail eggs on the glass as well as the dark and out of focus pictures. They only tried to spawn when my LED's dimmed.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

And one of my baby Longear for good measure :redface:


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Well, the Spotfin's laid eggs under the rock. I removed the rock with the eggs stuck on it and placed it in a breeder net box. Never tried to hatch Cyprinella eggs. We will see what happens I guess.


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