keeping live perch in a tank?

[fishfighter702]

I know this isn't completely related to taxidermy but is it legal to keep perch captive in a tank?..... i want to do this to study them, for reference.

[txoutdoors]

Hmmmm.......Be carefull of the fish tank police!

Seriously I would think you would be ok unless you got on a web page and talked about it or let the warden fish from your tank. lol

I had a bass for a while, catfish too.

Cant answer the "legal" part.

[fishfighter702]

ok i'll just keep quiet lol

[Perca]

I had perch (etc.) in an aquarium in my classroom for all of the years I taught. I never bothered to ask because there is no closed season on perch.   

[Gameovertaxidermy]

in Minnesota it is only legal if the fish you put in is under 10" long and it can only be kept from the lake to be put in the tank by a child either under 10 or 12 years old. Wonder what happens if the fish grows over 10" or your kid gets older than 12? How do they figure how long you have had it in the tank? Minnesota has some weird laws, check your state fishing regulations book.

[Tracy]

Cecil  has a few hundred in a tank inside
check with the state for best answer
may also matter if you get them from a fish farm or wild catch

[Old Fart]

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness, than it is to seek permission."

[Gameovertaxidermy]

I want a few hundred in a tank in my living room. How big is his tank? Wonder if you could freeze over the top and ice fish in it

[Cecil]

The answer to the question of legality is determined by whether there is size limit and bag limit on the perch you catch to put in the tank. If there is and you want more you could buy and add as many as you want if you purchase them from a fish supplier and keep the sales receipt to show they are not wild caught. I know several fish suppliers in Michigan if you want recommendations.

I have 328 up to 10 inch YOY (10 months old) I hatched myself in one of my ponds (back left in avatar) in a 200 gallon tank in my basement here:



I know it doesn't look like 328 but many are under the lip of the tank and I did count them. My bluegill tank looks the same way. Over 100 large bluegill and you'd swear there are only 50 in there.

Here's a system that I built for a local high school that will hold up to 200 lbs. of fish in a 300 gallon stock tank. For this many pounds of fish you need a biological filter (see rotating disk in picture) and a clarifier (55 gallon drum filled with deer fence netting) in picture. All components were built by myself thanks to a book called Small Scale Aquaculture by Dr. Steve VanGorder.  It's out of print but he will be coming out with a newer version in a few weeks.



If you want some perch in an aquarium I would use large aquarium fluidized bed sand filter for a biofilter and some kind of mechanical filter.  Make sure you allow the nitrifying bacteria to build up before adding fish though.



 

[Tracy]

this is what Cecil has been up to all this time mastering his live fish skills

i think he was getting to cold in the winter time looking Thoth the ice to watch his fish

[classic tails]

WOW Cecil ... Very impressive! That's more than MAD science stuff right there! Hats off!!!

[Cecil]

this is what Cecil has been up to all this time mastering his live fish skills

i think he was getting to cold in the winter time looking Thoth the ice to watch his fish

Well since you mention it someday I plan on hooking up a permanent remote camera to the pier of the trophy bluegill and yellow perch pond and having a monitor in the shop to watch fish all day. I know of a Koi Pond enthusiast that does this and some fish farms monitor their tanks and fish cages this way too.

[FishArt]

Cecil, you "hatched them yourself" What does that mean? You get in the water with them and fan the eggs with your feet??? LOL!

[Cecil]

Cecil, you "hatched them yourself" What does that mean? You get in the water with them and fan the eggs with your feet??? LOL!

No silly! No nests or fanning of eggs with perch!

[boarzhead]

one of the laws you may want to beware of is transporting live fish. I dont think perch fall under this but you never know.