Big_Bass_Rock Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 I was just watching some videos on youtube of people feeding thier pet bass and I was thinking it would be pretty interesting to raise one. How big of a tank would one need and what would be the biggest practical size of a bass to keep? I'm thinking around 12 or 14 inches. Any thoughts? My friend put a little 5 inch catfish he caught into his fishtank and it kept attacking his goldfish.
Super User Maxximus Redneckus Posted October 30, 2007 Super User Posted October 30, 2007 Might want to check with your local laws about having gamefish as pets not that they do home searches BUT ya never no who will tell on ya without thinking and the gov pays ppl 80 tho a yr to inforce this law LOL
johnbr19792003 Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 I would try something small 8 inch or so. Also you should use water from the pond or lake the bass was caught . I think tap water eventually kills em.
Big_Bass_Rock Posted October 30, 2007 Author Posted October 30, 2007 Where can I find those types of regulations? I have the booklet that tells the minimum sizes and limits and all that but I didn't see anything in there about keeping game fish alive.
luckyinkentucky Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 You'll need to contact your state wildlife resource agency. Here in Kentucky it's the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. In other words ... the same people you have your fishing & hunting license through. Just out of curiosity why would you want one? Seems to me it would be an expensive 'pet' to say the least. Eventually you'd need a 100 + gallon tank to keep it in, and that's not mentioning the food you'd have to buy to keep it alive. You'd be doing the Bass a favor by leaving them in the River or Lake. You couldn't possibly give him all he has out in his natural habitat. I am a Wildlife Biologist and I know what it takes to raise a wild animal or fish in captivity. You'd be better off with the channel cats or whatever they sell at Pets Mart. When you finally did release the Bass back into the wild, assuming it didn't die in captivity, it will not know how to fend for itself, and will die fairly quickly.
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 It's good for you to come and ask BEFORE taking one home. IMO-(raised lots of different fish in tanks, including bass) Not a good idea. a bass is not a good tank fish if you want to be ethical about it. Growth rates, food requirements, disease and the fact that it is illegal to release it back to the wild after captivity are all arguments against this. To do it right you A. will go broke feeding it. B. will have a very cloudy tank if you are feeding it properly C. For a 12-15in bass, you'll need about a 1000 gallon tank. (min) This is if you do it ethically Sure, you can starve and stunt it but do you really want to do that?
dave Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Thank you LBH for saying the right thing and making people think. It would be like keeping a squirrel in a hampster cage. It can be done but, is that what is best for the animal?
Super User MALTESE FALCON Posted October 30, 2007 Super User Posted October 30, 2007 Very good post Russ. Falcon
Guest avid Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Back in the day I caught a bass just under 7 lbs. Took it home and put it in the bathtub. Kids loved it. Wife had a different reaction. Wife wins.
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Another point is that folks have it in their mind that having a bass in a tank will allow them to study the bass and it's behaviors. A bass taken from the wild and placed in an extremely limited environment will not accurately reflect the daily behaviors of one in the wild. Think of the lion in the zoo, by watching him are you really learning about the behaviors of one in the wild? Not even close. I've never seen a National Geographic show where the lions pace back and forth in a 12 foot square out on the plains.
Guest avid Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Another point is that folks have it in their mind that having a bass in a tank will allow them to study the bass and it's behaviors. A bass taken from the wild and placed in an extremely limited environment will not accurately reflect the daily behaviors of one in the wild. Think of the lion in the zoo, by watching him are you really learning about the behaviors of one in the wild? Not even close. I've never seen a National Geographic show where the lions pace back and forth in a 12 foot square out on the plains. Does the same hold true for observing the elusive UPS driver? I haven't seen mine in weeks
luckyinkentucky Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 To put it a little more into perspective for you ..... It would be like having a full grown Great Dane with a 4' chain around it's neck in your back yard, and you kept him there 24/7. You could feed him all he wanted to eat, and even clean up his mess, but in the end he wouldn't have the exercise and diversity he needed to stay healthy.
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted October 30, 2007 Super User Posted October 30, 2007 I agree with all of the above! Years ago, when my son was very young, he caught a 2" bluegil in a paper cup. We put in our freshwater aquarium. BIG mistake! It ate or destroyed almost all of my expensive fish!
Guest btlva Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 I'm surprised at all the negative thoughts about keeping pet bass. I've kept both largemouth and smallmouth as pets and they are both interesting and enjoyable. I know several others who will tell you the same thing. There is absolutely no ethical difference between keeping typical "aquarium fish" and keeping bass. Many fish (and MOST saltwater fish) sold in pet stores were taken out of the wild, and some of them get bigger than bass of any species. I know this first hand, I worked in an exotic pet store for several years and have cared for and sold many of them. Bass will eat a great variety of foods that are easy to find or catch (it doesn't have to be live) and they tolerate fluctuations in temperature better than most any tropical fish. Fish are not animals that need excercise or a tremendous amount of room to do well. They are creatures of habit, not recreation. If a bass in the wild could meet all of his requirements as far as reproduction, food, safety from predators, and temperature in an area the size of a bath tub, he would stay there. The only reason bass ever move anywhere is for one of those reasons, not for fun or excercise. That said, I won't condone keeping a bass as a pet if it's against the law in your state. If you do decide to keep one for a while please don't release it back into a public waterway. Let it go in a private pond or eat it.
Guest muddy Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Heres mine >>>>>>>>OH OH Oppss!!!!!!! Sorry misunderstood the post fellas
Big_Bass_Rock Posted October 30, 2007 Author Posted October 30, 2007 why keep a wild animal as a pet? I don't know, but alot of the animals sold in pet stores are wild animals. I was thinking the same thing as btlva, I don't see any difference in keeping a bass than in keeping a catfish or any of the tropical fish people keep, or even parrots for that matter.
Guest muddy Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 why keep a wild animal as a pet? Because they can be so much fun
Guest muddy Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 into the old gals muddy i wont tell What did ya expect Im 56, teenagers dont hold a candle to a beautiful woman in her 50's not even close 8-)
Guest btlva Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 lol muddy you never run out do you? ;D I wouldn't mind keeping that one either
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 A house tank simulates a summer setting for a bass. 72 degrees, avg. In these temps, a bass will eat 2/3rds of it's body weight per day. This makes for one messy, cloudy tank and an empty wallet. I'm not saying it can't be done but a bass is just a bad choice of specie. If you want a big fish, try an Oscar or Pacu.
MyKeyBe Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 I'll second the vote for an oscar. I love mine and he acts very "bassy". 30 gallon min. for a single oscar, 55 would be better though.
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