Keeping A Largemouth As A Pet

[dougie511]

I know it sounds crazy but i have read a lot online of people having bass as a "pet" in a fish tank and ive been seriously looking into it for the fact that it would be really cool and that ive never had fish tanks and stuff growing up so it would be a cool project all together! Im needing some help though my first idea was a like 350 gallon or so water tank that farmers usually use from like rural king or somewhere like that and i got lucky enough to find one from a farmer for free that had been busted out at the bottom so i was gonna use it and cut the bottom off and make it a fish tank! The problem im having with that are two different things! 1) i cant find any filter systems at any local stores or online big enough for 350 gallons but i have heard it will be around 400 dollars for it 2) ive been finding 150-almost 200 gallon tanks all day for around 4-800 bucks which is what i would have in the custom 350 gallon tank! So im debating on if i should stick with the 350 gallon tank or just buy the biggest inside home style tank for around the same price and it might possibly be a little easier to maintain being inside! If ANYONE has any pointers or any of there projects please share your experience with me im really interested in trying this! My first project was to take a bass out of a private pond that doesnt have very good size bass they are still really small and see how it goes and maybe try a 2-3 pounder out of my families pond depending on how the first project goes and what insight i get from you guys!

[tomustang]

I'm not a fan of keeping fish in tanks, it seems too limiting to me. If i would attempt it I would at the least have a pond for it to live in instead of a large tank.

[dougie511]

I'm not a fan of keeping fish in tanks, it seems too limiting to me. If i would attempt it I would at the least have a pond for it to live in instead of a large tank.

Ya i have a family pond but they are strict about what goes on there so its hard to do what i want! Its at the point now where its super over populated and some have growth problems like huge mouths and extremely small bellies like they arent getting enough food and they wont let me take fish out and all i wanted to do was transport them lol

[camovan]

I have a 600 gallon glass tank in my livingroom and believe it or not build custom aquarium filtration systems for a living so I feel I am somewhat qualified to answer this   I think you will get more enjoyment out of the smaller tank but I certainly wouldn't put a bass in there.  You think your family pond is overpopulated and the fish are suffering?  That is absolutely NOTHING compared to how bad you will stunt a bass by putting it in a 150 gallon tank.  You should be able to find used wet dry filters on craigslist for pretty cheap.  If you need to better understand what that is probably time to switch forums for this type of fish advice.  I think a 350 tank would be fine for a bass until it hit about 10 inches so, maybe collect fry and raise em up a little and release to the family pond if your really set on bass?  Maybe try and find a source for FLA strain and introduce to the pond after fattening em up a bit and then harvest some of the unhealthy stunted ones in return?  FWIW, I only do saltwater fish and coral reef gear so I got nothing to gain here but if you need some help hooking up with some good resources let me know and I am happy to point you in the right direction.

[birdoflight]

Forgive my ignorance, but do bass have a greater tolerance for being stationary if their water temperature remains constant? Is there any data on space requirements for an individual bass (pond boss?). If not, it would seem to be too limited of an environment.

[Jig Man]

I know nothing about keeping a bass in a fish tank except here in MO one has to get a permit from the Conservation Department in order for that to be legal.

[dougie511]

I have a 600 gallon glass tank in my livingroom and believe it or not build custom aquarium filtration systems for a living so I feel I am somewhat qualified to answer this   I think you will get more enjoyment out of the smaller tank but I certainly wouldn't put a bass in there.  You think your family pond is overpopulated and the fish are suffering?  That is absolutely NOTHING compared to how bad you will stunt a bass by putting it in a 150 gallon tank.  You should be able to find used wet dry filters on craigslist for pretty cheap.  If you need to better understand what that is probably time to switch forums for this type of fish advice.  I think a 350 tank would be fine for a bass until it hit about 10 inches so, maybe collect fry and raise em up a little and release to the family pond if your really set on bass?  Maybe try and find a source for FLA strain and introduce to the pond after fattening em up a bit and then harvest some of the unhealthy stunted ones in return?  FWIW, I only do saltwater fish and coral reef gear so I got nothing to gain here but if you need some help hooking up with some good resources let me know and I am happy to point you in the right direction.

see thats another thing im scared of with both situations i feel it may be to cramped for bass but i thought it would be cool to fatten it up and make it healthy then release it into a pond but idk like i said it may be a stupid idea lol just thought it would be cool if it could actually work it wouldnt be a really long term living spot just to basically make some healthy fat bass then release them somewhere

[dougie511]

I know nothing about keeping a bass in a fish tank except here in MO one has to get a permit from the Conservation Department in order for that to be legal.

i will have to check into that for illinois and see what the laws are!! I didnt really think about that thank you!!

[shimmy]

I use to keep them as pets in a relatively smaller tank. It was soooooooooooo worth it! We had a small catfish, small bass, and a crappie. It was so much fun to feed them and then create hiding places for them and watch them ambush bait or chill out. We would put crawdads in there as well but they never lasted too long. The main difficult task with it all was cleaning the tanks. A poorly managed tank will kill the fish pretty quick. Also don't forget to add the nutrients to improve the oxygen levels and other stuff that maximize the water conditions to make it liveable for the bass. We had so much fun buying a dozen gold fish and hand feeding them or what not. I'm sure you'll get responses discouraging you from keeping a bass, but just ignore it. Get yourself a small bass, put it in the tank, and have fun with your new best friend. Had somebody else caught that small bass, they might have eaten it, but you're givin that little feller another chance at life by wining and dining him with easy to catch food and admiration. Warning, they may not live longer than a year...so don't forget to get a new one immediately. Good luck.

 

Troy

[TrippyJai]

I don't think keeping a largemouth bass in a decent size tank will hurt it as long as it has enough room. It's a pretty lazy fish in general that rather sit in one spot and wait for food. The issue I see is they grow really fast and will either need a larger tank eventually or to be released. If you want to do it as project go for it. I think it's pretty cool to watch it grow. The worse can happen is you might hurt or kill a few bass, won't affect anything.

[dougie511]

I use to keep them as pets in a relatively smaller tank. It was soooooooooooo worth it! We had a small catfish, small bass, and a crappie. It was so much fun to feed them and then create hiding places for them and watch them ambush bait or chill out. We would put crawdads in there as well but they never lasted too long. The main difficult task with it all was cleaning the tanks. A poorly managed tank will kill the fish pretty quick. Also don't forget to add the nutrients to improve the oxygen levels and other stuff that maximize the water conditions to make it liveable for the bass. We had so much fun buying a dozen gold fish and hand feeding them or what not. I'm sure you'll get responses discouraging you from keeping a bass, but just ignore it. Get yourself a small bass, put it in the tank, and have fun with your new best friend. Had somebody else caught that small bass, they might have eaten it, but you're givin that little feller another chance at life by wining and dining him with easy to catch food and admiration. Warning, they may not live longer than a year...so don't forget to get a new one immediately. Good luck.

 

Troy

what size tank and size bass did you start with?

[camovan]

see thats another thing im scared of with both situations i feel it may be to cramped for bass but i thought it would be cool to fatten it up and make it healthy then release it into a pond but idk like i said it may be a stupid idea lol just thought it would be cool if it could actually work it wouldnt be a really long term living spot just to basically make some healthy fat bass then release them somewhere

 

If making fat bass is the goal you should take that 350 tank and start farming shad, release those into the pond!  Then spend some time really researching pond management on pond boss and convince your family that your capable of helping to manage the fishery.  I manage a 2 acre pond on my in laws property as well.  Only after many years of doing the majority of the manual labor needed to keep it healthy and thriving did I even try and approach them about letting me alter the livestock management.

[Mike2841]

I've never kept a LMB but I have kept an array of South America cichlids and other predatory fish. The largest tank I had was 6'x2'x2' (180 gal I think). As far as a filter goes for a tank that large google DIY wet dry filters. Also double check in your state if it's legal to keep native fish in a fish tank.

Some other cool fish to look into are some of the larger cichlids like dovi or jaguars. People also keep peacock bass in large tanks.

If you haven't managed a tank before try out something like a 75g first. It's big enough to house some cool fish and get you into the hobby, I would not get a 350 gallon tank as a starter.

[shimmy]

I always kept the small ones (under a pound) and they never got over 2 pounds. I cannot remember how big our tank was. It was approximately 1.5 X 1.5 X 3-4 feet. It was so cool to walk in and just stare at your little buddy and see him swim around. They are mean too. A few times we had more than 1 bass and there was always one that was a bully. Don't put a turtle in with them. No matter how big they are, they will snip at the fish.

[dougie511]

I always kept the small ones (under a pound) and they never got over 2 pounds. I cannot remember how big our tank was. It was approximately 1.5 X 1.5 X 3-4 feet. It was so cool to walk in and just stare at your little buddy and see him swim around. They are mean too. A few times we had more than 1 bass and there was always one that was a bully. Don't put a turtle in with them. No matter how big they are, they will snip at the fish.

ya a turtle got into a small pond of my buddys that we were trying to get bass growing in and he destroyed them all it was horrible lol

[dougie511]

If making fat bass is the goal you should take that 350 tank and start farming shad, release those into the pond!  Then spend some time really researching pond management on pond boss and convince your family that your capable of helping to manage the fishery.  I manage a 2 acre pond on my in laws property as well.  Only after many years of doing the majority of the manual labor needed to keep it healthy and thriving did I even try and approach them about letting me alter the livestock management.

ya i just dont really have the greatest knowledge for the shad farming part!! But that would be a really great idea because thats something that really interest me and i have seen that website before but only spent a little bit of time on it...

[coryn h. fishowl]

I know it sounds crazy but i have read a lot online of people having bass as a "pet" in a fish tank and ive been seriously looking into it for the fact that it would be really cool and that ive never had fish tanks and stuff growing up so it would be a cool project all together! Im needing some help though my first idea was a like 350 gallon or so water tank that farmers usually use from like rural king or somewhere like that and i got lucky enough to find one from a farmer for free that had been busted out at the bottom so i was gonna use it and cut the bottom off and make it a fish tank! The problem im having with that are two different things! 1) i cant find any filter systems at any local stores or online big enough for 350 gallons but i have heard it will be around 400 dollars for it 2) ive been finding 150-almost 200 gallon tanks all day for around 4-800 bucks which is what i would have in the custom 350 gallon tank! So im debating on if i should stick with the 350 gallon tank or just buy the biggest inside home style tank for around the same price and it might possibly be a little easier to maintain being inside! If ANYONE has any pointers or any of there projects please share your experience with me im really interested in trying this! My first project was to take a bass out of a private pond that doesnt have very good size bass they are still really small and see how it goes and maybe try a 2-3 pounder out of my families pond depending on how the first project goes and what insight i get from you guys!

Don't tell anyone that bold portion, it is usually illegal to harvest them this way.  You can order from farmers quite well priced.  FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO HAS AN IDEA ON HOW TO PROPERLY KEEP BASS.  A friend of mine had a similar setup, he had a used 300 used (and therefore less costly) gallon tank with bass and crappie.  The important thing is that THEY WILL OUTGROW THE TANK.  Accept this.  You will either have to eat or release the fish. Depending on where you live, you might need to get a special permit to release them.  Get 8-10 inch bass and keep them until they get 2.5 pounds.  Get a 30 gallon and 15-20 gallon tank to breed livebearers like guppies for food. (Send me a personal message to talk about this. It's easy to go broke feeding bass without culturing something.)  And start a compost pile (40 gallon rubbermaid bin) with worms.  (Again, send me a PM about food matters, pricing, etc.)  Join a few aquaculture/aquarium forums, on most, you will be able to find someone with a large used tank. Keep in mind this will take time and planning.  Learn more about aquariums in general, in fact try keeping a planted 50 gallon community tank, just to give you some experience with aquaculture. 

BTW, instead of just farming shad (which can overwhelm small ponds, outcompeting bass fry for plankton, causing them to die), also try mosquitofish; they reproduce like aquatic rabbits, and are food for everything

[Loop_Dad]

I had a pet bass, long long long time ago when I was in middle school. It was my very first bass. It must have been a 1 lber. I brought it home and put in a small tank. It must have been 15 gallon or something. I was planning on keeping it for awhile and release it when it became too big.

 

Well, it didn't last long. I mean the fish lived, but I got tired of it! The problem was the food. He didn't want to eat anything if it is not alive. And he ate so much. This was a huge burden for me. And quite frankly, I didn't enjoy feeding live fish see being eaten at all.

[Brian Needham]

 Is there any data on space requirements for an individual bass (pond boss?).

 

Bob Lusk, pond management guru, states under optimum conditions (everything variable perfect, PH, forage, growing season, ect) 2 pounds per acre is manageable. Though most ponds can sustain 1# give or take per acre.  

 

this means, using round numbers for easy figuring

 

in a 10 acre pond you can have:

10 1#bass or

5   2#bass or

2   5#bass or

1  10#bass

but you cant have all of them.

Granted this is to grow "trophy class" fish, not lets go catch a bunch of fish.

[dougie511]

Don't tell anyone that bold portion, it is usually illegal to harvest them this way.  You can order from farmers quite well priced.  FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO HAS AN IDEA ON HOW TO PROPERLY KEEP BASS.  A friend of mine had a similar setup, he had a used 300 used (and therefore less costly) gallon tank with bass and crappie.  The important thing is that THEY WILL OUTGROW THE TANK.  Accept this.  You will either have to eat or release the fish. Depending on where you live, you might need to get a special permit to release them.  Get 8-10 inch bass and keep them until they get 2.5 pounds.  Get a 25 gallon and 10 gallon tank to breed livebearers like guppies for food. (Send me a personal message to talk about this. It's easy to go broke feeding bass without culturing something.)  And start a compost pile (40 gallon rubbermaid bin) with worms.  (Again, send me a PM about food matters, pricing, etc.)  Join a few aquaculture/aquarium forums, on most, you will be able to find someone with a large used tank. Keep in mind this will take time and planning.  Learn more about aquariums in general, in fact try keeping a planted 50 gallon community tank, just to give you some experience with aquaculture. 

BTW, instead of just farming shad (which can overwhelm small ponds, outcompeting bass fry for plankton, causing them to die), also try mosquitofish; they reproduce like aquatic rabbits, and are food for everything

thanks a lot man!! Thats a huge help and i def didnt realize that that could be illegal so i may have to look into different alternatives for getting a bass for the tank!! hopefully i dont get warned about my post lol

[dougie511]

Bob Lusk, pond management guru, states under optimum conditions (everything variable perfect, PH, forage, growing season, ect) 2 pounds per acre is manageable. Though most ponds can sustain 1# give or take per acre.  

 

this means, using round numbers for easy figuring

 

in a 10 acre pond you can have:

10 1#bass or

5   2#bass or

2   5#bass or

1  10#bass

but you cant have all of them.

Granted this is to grow "trophy class" fish, not lets go catch a bunch of fish.

Ya the way my family pond is its "lets go catch 10 2 lbers in a couple hours and go back home" So i think it def needs some removing of bass to get a couple big ones in there and equal out the feeding a little more lol

[coryn h. fishowl]

thanks a lot man!! Thats a huge help and i def didnt realize that that could be illegal so i may have to look into different alternatives for getting a bass for the tank!! hopefully i dont get warned about my post lol

http://www.marlowsfishingpark.com/stocking1-html/

4.75 for each one

[camovan]

BTW, instead of just farming shad (which can overwhelm small ponds, outcompeting bass fry for plankton, causing them to die), also try mosquitofish; they reproduce like aquatic rabbits, and are food for everything

 

Or tilapia.  Thats my plan for our pond for a variety of reasons, fat bass being only one of those goals

[SirSnookalot]

Where do you plan on keeping the tank, 350 gallons of water is over 2800 lb.  First off I just had 50 gal hot water tank burst, been a nightmare here with 25k still on going for a month in restoration, and I can't imagine the damage 350 gallons would do if the tank was faulty, buy new.

Don't know anything about keeping a bass, but I've had freshwater and saltwater tanks, do bass tanks require periodic water changes, filters do just so much, that would be a job draining and replacing 100 gallons of water. Generally fish in tanks grow to the size of the aquarium.

[Jolly Green]

Where do you plan on keeping the tank, 350 gallons of water is over 2800 lb.  First off I just had 50 gal hot water tank burst, been a nightmare here with 25k still on going for a month in restoration, and I can't imagine the damage 350 gallons would do if the tank was faulty, buy new.

This is a good point. Dougie's probably got a basement in Illinois (likely not the case in Florida, eh?) but even so, if that tank goes you can kiss all the finishes good-bye, not to mention possibly furniture or other personal property. I'd check with my insurance agent to see if such an event were even covered under a normal policy; even if it were, coughing up my $500 or $1000 deductible over a pet bass would really burn. Yeah, buy new.