Florida Bass Fishing Forum
Smallmouth, Largemouth, We're All About Bass!

largemouth bass?

i want to keep some largemouth bass in my tank. i need to know what kind of ph, temp., food, tank setup, and any other info. what kind of filter? i have a 55 gallon tank, i'm only going to keep the bass for a little while then i'll get new ones.

Public Comments

1. please don't do this..these fish are wild and should remain that way. :-(

2. what do you mean you're only going to keep the bass for a little while? a fish is for life not just for when you feel like it! unless you're moving him out to a pond or lake? (you can't put them in the wild after being in a tank though, incase they're carrying any tank-born nasties)
seeing as that's where they really belong.

they're sport fishing fish, not really tank fish. unless it's an enormous tank, I have a feeling he may get stressed out in there.

not a good plan, leave them out in the lakes where they belong!

3. You really need to reconsider. I have kept and bred largemouth bass and can tell you even one very small bass will not do well at all in a 55 gallon tank. Add to that the temperature requirements will require an aquachiller and your into some serious cash. Please look into other, smaller native species.

4. I don't do wild fish but I will tell you what happened to me. I was 9 months pregnant and went fishing with my husband. He cooks & eats the fish he catches. I was only along for something to do and help him catch fish to eat. I caught 2 red eyed rock bass. but then went all hormonal and would not let him eat the fish I caught. I felt bad I hurt them with the hook in thier mouth so decided to take them home and take care of them. hey, I said I was all hormonal didn't I?
well I put them in a large tank with no filters or heater. I only put chlorine remover in the water. thats it. and feed them regular fish food. Next thing I know they laid eggs on the underside of the fake plants I had in the tank with them. so I went to a custom fish store and told them I needed stuff for wild baby fish to hide in. thats when they told me it is illegal to take native fish home to put in a tank. since I had them a while I did not feel right just dumping them in freezing water in the winter after they adjusted to the room temp water. so I waited untill summer when the water warmed up and put them ALL back into the lake.

so , it did not take any extra care for my wild fish, just clean the water often and feed them. they were very healthy. and I found out it was illegal to even keep them. Hope my experiance helps you out in some way.

5. you need a bigger tank-also they will eat EVERYTHING in sight(living)-it's awesome to feed 'em though-keeping them for a little while?-gonna eat 'em, ain't ya? if you're saving then to eat fresh, you might as well fillet them and put them in ziplocks completely immersed in water-will keep just as good

lol @ above-good story-might be illegal here, but here is Louisiana(i think legality is irrelevant)

6. A 55 gallon for smaller large mouth is fine as long as you don't plan to keep them there until maturity. Temperature isn't the key factor since bass are cold water hardy ( I would suggest anywhere from 65-75). Food, minnows and worms are your main food choices. A regular rear tank filter will work for your bass and I would think about gettign a powerhead for circulation. you do not want to over load the tank however since bass are not Aquarium fish. They need an average of 1 sq foot of surface water for every inch of fish. Also, your tank needs set up and cycled before you put your fish into it.

Read cycling your tank:
http://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.htm

PH isn't the other main factor either since bass adapt to various conditions in lakes and streams and are quite tolorent of shifts.

You should try to use a layer of river rock on the bottom with plantings either fake or real. and perhaps a piece of drift wood. Bass by nature are ambush hunters. I would also keep feeder goldfish or minnows in the tank at all times.


PS it is not illegal in any state to keep any native sport fish as a pet. IF someone tells you this, other than a fish commission officer, they are full of crap. They may require you to have a fishing license, but it is not illegal to keep them. It is illegal however to sell them for profit in most states without first obtaining a breeders or sellers license. Chances are the pet store wants you to buy fish from them only.
Good luck