Favorite Pygmy Sunfish?

[Maxwell09]

Personally, I love Ellasomma Gilberti, the Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish. How about you guys? I'm soon going to get some for my small 7 gallon.

 

[Mudminnow]

I've only kept two species, the Okefenokee Pygmy Sunfish and the Banded Pygmy Sunfish.

While not as colorful, I think I liked the Banded Pygmies the Best...don't know why.

 

[Maxwell09]

I've only kept two species, the Okefenokee Pygmy Sunfish and the Banded Pygmy Sunfish.

While not as colorful, I think I liked the Banded Pygmies the Best...don't know why.

Nice I love them! Although I can't keep them because they are apparently way bigger and more aggressive

 

[Mudminnow]

Nice I love them! Although I can't keep them because they are apparently way bigger and more aggressive

Yeah, they get a little bigger (but not way bigger)...like just shy of 2" vs just over 1". I had a pair in a planted 20 gallon with pygmy livebearers and dwarf crayfish. I didn't have aggression issues in this tank.

 

[Maxwell09]

Yeah, they get a little bigger (but not way bigger)...like just shy of 2" vs just over 1". I had a pair in a planted 20 gallon with pygmy livebearers and dwarf crayfish. I didn't have aggression issues in this tank.

Oh nice! I love dwarf crayfish! I used to have some. Pygmy sunfish are so beautiful, can't wait to get mine!

 

[Bgreen82]

I wasn’t aware of these little guys until I saw this thread. I did a little research and it turns out I may be able to find some wild near me. My wife and I might go try and get a pair when it warms back up. The species near me would be the Carolinas pygmy sunfish and they are beautiful.

 

[Maxwell09]

I wasn’t aware of these little guys until I saw this thread. I did a little research and it turns out I may be able to find some wild near me. My wife and I might go try and get a pair when it warms back up. The species near me would be the Carolinas pygmy sunfish and they are beautiful.

I think that carolinas are illegal to keep cause they are endangered. I am not sure though

 

[Bgreen82]

I think that carolinas are illegal to keep cause they are endangered. I am not sure though

They aren’t endangered but I did see that they were threatened due to being from a very small area. There is a conservation project for them close by as well. We would definitely make sure everything was on the up and up with the game warden and get in touch with the guys running the project before just hopping out with a bucket. That is a great point to bring up though and I appreciate it, I had looked into that prior, but had I not, you could have saved us a lot of issues.

 

[chromedome52]

Endangered or Threatened, find out if they are PROTECTED by state law. There are Elassoma zonatum in Illinois, and they are by no means even threatened, but they are protected in that state due to their limited distribution.

 

[Maxwell09]

Endangered or Threatened, find out if they are PROTECTED by state law. There are Elassoma zonatum in Illinois, and they are by no means even threatened, but they are protected in that state due to their limited distribution.

Oh dang, im getting from a breeder so i dont have to worry abt that lol

 

[yukondog]

I had some of the gulf coast yrs. ago, but have not caught or seen any in quite a few yrs., but do still see the banded when dipping for Pygmy Killifish and Least Killifish

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