Pet smallmouth bass question?
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Author: I live in upstate rome New York (USA). I am getting a baby smallmouth bass from a pet store and i want to know how to care for it. I have a 55 gallon fish tank with a heavy duty filter. I would really like to feed it live food. Also I want know what to use as substrste in the bottom of the tank. And anything else i need to know
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basses need huge tanks(90 or bigger) and they would love to have sand as a substrate and u need to put some hiding caves so the bass feels secure…., dont feed it live good, is bad ALWAYS A BAD IDEA, as live food contains parasites and new diseases that can be passed to ur beloved bass, i would get an oscar instead, they are more social and can eat live food, + they are more pretty and can live in ur aquarium with only a few problems, i would get an oscar instead ;D
I have a largemouth bass, which typically grows according to take size. My opinion is to get a small bass that has much gowing to do……….
I have looked into this alot and planning on a native species wich would include largemouth and sunfish/bluegill also ppl keap channel catfish and bullheads largemouth are fairly easy to keep they feed on anything that moves worms crickets minnows you cold find alot outdoors. they can adapt to pretty much anything if u have a heater id keep it around 75 but bass can live in freezing temps just dont let it change fast ph levels 6.5 to 8 for a tank size it all depends on size of your bass they need large tanks you can keep them with blue gill or sunfish but if they are small enough they will get eaten also catfish your going to need a good filter and keep up on water changes 25% a week a great site to look this up is mosterfishkeepers.com got alot of great info from their they have a species specific section wich has native fish you can look at others tanks and ask ?s i hope this was a little helpful any
Any coldwater fish is messy, and bass are no exception to this rule. Both species can top out between 12-18 inches (maybe a little larger), with a largemouth getting a little heavier due to body shape.
125 gallons would be okay for either, I would think, as long as it was a single-fish tank (which it will be anyhow, since both species will eat whatever will fit into their rather ample mouths.).
These guys tend to hang out either singly or in small groups, so keeping one alone isn’t a big deal. If you get them very young, you should be able to train them to pellets or frozen food, however, an older fish will be difficult to get away from live feeders.
They like very cool water, in the low-to-mid 60′s, but they can adapt to low 70′s with no real problems. Higher temps will really bother them, though, so a tank in a cool place, like your basement, would be the best situation if you don’t want to invest in a chiller. The main problem with the warmer temps is the fact that they are messy, and are even messier if they are more active. You’ll be plagued with ammonia issues if you keep these beauties in 75 degrees…
Bass are really a great fish, if you have the resources and time to deal with them. Just be sure you NEVER release the fish back into the wild if you decide they’re not for you. My advice is do LOTS of research before you buy one Just to make sure the species is for you before you are faced with having to place it in another home, a neighbor’s pond (with permission, of course), buying a bigger tank, or having to euthanize it. Just keep in mind If you keep him he will out grow your 55 gallon at some point a year down the road. As far as substrait you can use small pea sized gravel or sand. I have seen both setups where bass where kept, he would probly prefer the sand though. Good Luck to you.
Even for a local fish like a bass you will need to set up the tank weeks before getting the bass. Regular aquarium gravel in the bottom. At least 2 inches worth. A good filter which is rated for at least a 60 to 75 gal tank or it wont be kept clean enough. They can be fed just about anything. Flake food, cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, freeze dried, guppies, rosy minnows etc.. Even earth worms for a treat. Make sure it has a varied diet. Bass like to pick at gravel and dig. They will change colors depending on light, mood etc.. Getting very light and almost transparent sometimes or going back to being dark.
I would alternate live foods with flake and pellet. Don’t over feed or the fish can get sick or constipated. The flake will help with this too because it has plant based foods in it. When feeding live food only put a few small minnows in and when they are gone feed some other foods for a few days before putting more fish in. Bass are pretty easy to care for. Just change the water regularly, have a good filter and good lights so you can see how the fish changes color.
I recommend one aqua glo daylight and one marine glo blue light for night time.
I would not feed it only live food here are the reasons why:
1) It is expensive in the long run
2) Live foods can introduce harmful parasites and disease into the aquarium
If you do choose to feed live breed your own feeders.
I would suggest feeding your bass a high quality carnivore food (Hikari brand). It is much easier to get it eating that at a young age.
When the bass gets bigger, feed it shrimp that you buy at the grocery store.
Also feed it fish filets from the grocery store. Stay away from Salmon as it has too much fat in it.