40 gallon freshwater native theme aquarium

This "low tech" planted aquarium that I set up a year ago features my North American native fish, a rockbass and bluegill (who I have had since juvies and affectionately named Rocky and Bullwinkle, respectively). They are very congenial and get along great together. I also love crayfish, so created a little sanctuary made of driftwood and stone--they are safe so long as they don't venture beyond that! Being low tech, the specs are as simple as it gets: one striplight, low light plants, one Eheim canister filter.
UPDATE: I moved the fish and the tank setup to a larger 58 gallon Oceanic tank--my boys needed more room!
Thanks for watching!

[@mishmosh2000]

Very true. My bluegill often likes to hide in a nook amidst the wood. Even the rockbass will hang out in back of the tank under cover of plants. I hope to post a video of my new setup in my 58 gallon shortly.

[@cskang08]

I love that crayfish!

[@mishmosh2000]

Very good point. Video was taken a couple of months ago. Darters (2) are gone--likely eaten. I have about 3 crayfish left (of 6)--so the shelter is helping.

[@psYnel]

this is a very beautiful tank

[@mishmosh2000]

Thanks. Rockbass seem to be pretty tame. The related Warmouth even more so. Great aquarium fish (except you will need a larger tank than mine ultimately).

[@Octobersky1770]

nice tank...love the plants.

[@mishmosh2000]

I believe the echinodorus is. The other two were introduced to our waters a few decades ago (probably by aquarists) and therefore labelled "invasive".

[@raider123456789123]

Your tank is nice man like the plants!!!

[@mishmosh2000]

@bigbuck721 - most of my wood is manzanita wood. I also like the durable Mopani wood. Both would do well with a good overnight soak in very hot water to leach out the tannins. Most of the time, that is good enough. I would not use wood that doesn't sink. Wood definitely make the fish feel more at home and looks great too.

[@mishmosh2000]

@FishboiFishboi - thanks dude! The song is Silence by the Italian DJ Gig D'Agostino. He has a handful of great hits--do a search on youtube. My favorite of his is I'll Fly With You (L'Amour Toujours).

[@mishmosh2000]

@dasadler123: No CO2. No heavy fertilization. No fancy substrate. One striplight and a canister filter. I would recommend low light, easy to care for plants. The layout of my tank is totally different now but IMHO, it is still beautiful and low maintenance.

[@mishmosh2000]

@CCichlids - thanks! after a few water changes, they stop leaching out. I have an updated tank video coming.

[@mishmosh2000]

@thechucknorsK - the crayfish really doesn't bother the plants. However, I have noticed that if you don't feed them regularly, they will die. I don't know how much they eat out in the wild, but I think you need to feed them something at least 2x per week.

[@1992pattrow]

Beautiful set up!

[@misstamps1]

Great looking tank!

[@kingmackattack42]

My comment about Rock Bass being aggressive in the wild comes from the times I've been fishing and had the species actually attack lures twice their size. I had one steal a minnow off a hook and then carried it around for a while, spit it out, then attacked it again until it was way dead. Don't know why you call your tank low tech, it looks fine to me.

[@kingmackattack42]

Rock Bass are so cool. They seem to be very aggressive in the wild, how are they in captivity? Nice structure. I have a few small pieces of water wood in my tank but, have never been able to find any good-sized ones. Nice American freshwater native fish tank, sir.

[@mishmosh2000]

@lbtheman12345 - guy on plantedtank was selling them--search Manzanita driftwood. I also used Mopani wood for the flat big pieces (petco).

[@mishmosh2000]

@twitchey93 - native species for the most part are not finicky about water quality. I do not run sponges in my canister filters though--debulking ceramics and then one large cache of biomedia (porous stone). My setup I'm working on now is 8-10 Orangespotted sunfish. My feeling is that the only bass suitable for a 55 is a rock bass or warmouth.

[@mishmosh2000]

@jjjjkkkkmmmm - you got skills! Yup, and a couple of echinodorus.

[@FishboiFishboi]

lol aright thanks man

[@mishmosh2000]

@Elitetank87 - I forget how much it cost, but it was fairly economical. It is a 40 Breeder made by Aqueon (formerly All Glass).

[@SpinelessScales]

@Creekwalker420 dannypancake is right. All bluegill are sunfish, and so are rock bass. Both fish in the video are correctly ID'd.

[@mishmosh2000]

@xxvolcomkidxx13 Definitely real plants. I have a 10, 40, and 58 gallon. All have real plants. One is my "showcase" planted tank with CO2 but the other ones have plants that do great and look great without CO2 and low light.

[@mishmosh2000]

I use an Eheim grabber to feed them jumbo krill. See my video "feeding my fishies" at the 1:00 mark.

[@UhhhWinski1]

@acerb45666555 you forgot about the rusted out wheel wells and all of the fishing line caught on the bottom. haha

[@msricantrophy]

Is this particular tank video of a 40 gallon? Looks big, also you have a crayfish? Is it dwarf? I have a blue crayfish, does your not eat up your plants or if you have so many will they not be able to destroy a large volume of plants like that. Thanks.

[@mishmosh2000]

some mopani wood but most of the branches is manzanita wood (do a search).

[@mishmosh2000]

@HaloKiller1166: cryptocoryne wendtii and other crypts, dwarf sag, amazon swords, anubias (many), hygrophila (many), Java fern, tiger lotus (bulbs), apogentons. For low tech tanks, too much light is actually problematic. You want to strike a good balance. Don't go over 2W/Gal without CO2. Not sure what the lower limit is. If one bulb does not sustain plants, you may need to add another strip light. Also, do not overfertilize in a low tech tank.

[@mishmosh2000]

@goofygoober41198 By all means do it!!! I wouldn't get a bass that needs more room though but a rockbass or warmouth is perfect. In any case, my rockbass passed so I have new fish.

[@mishmosh2000]

@EpiK1ReM5611 Search "manzanita driftwood" for the branching wood. I also have some Mopani (bigger chunks) wood that you can get locally.

[@professorm4171]

nice tank but it's too small for the bass, probably the bluegill as well. You can always tell by the fish just staying in one place.

[@DrDuckMD]

do some fishing research and you will find out that bluegill and most sunfish seek out heavy cover instead of open water. even though they are in a fish tank and out of danger they dont know that.

[@dasadler123]

You say it's a low tech planted tank. What do you mean by that? Are you using co2 or special lighting? Just wanting to know because you have an amazing tank and I'm wanting to start a planted tank.

[@mishmosh2000]

Well, my boys have grown and the 58 gal is too small now. Wish I had a 120 gallon tank!

[@FishboiFishboi]

damn! thats one freakin beautiful tank and what a song to match it. by the way what song is that?

[@jjjjkkkkmmmm]

what are the types of plants you have in there? I see poluseprma, some crypts, valisneria and is that java mossi see on the overhead view? very nice tank by the way

[@kafkabeatle]

The bass kind of ruins the scale of the tank. I'd upgrade to at least 100 gallons with that guy in there. But it is a very nice tank overall.

[@Um-breons]

thts a nice tank, wat r some plants u reccomend for a 75 gallon tank with a regular fluorescent bulb?

[@Okiimiru]

@goofygoober41198 Look up NANFA, the North American Native Fishes Association.

[@acerb4566]

wheres the beer bottles and spent shell casings? its a simulated North American lake aint it!! :)

[@jkennedy1007]

that bass needs at least 125 gallons

[@HerrWarja]

You shold get a bigger tank. You bass is HUGE. It probably craps alot. Larger aquvariums are easier to clean.

[@Elitetank87]

where did you get the aqctual glass tank? and how much did it cost?

[@SomeYTchannel]

I hv 2 Juvie Bluegills how long does it take for them to grow?

[@mishmosh2000]

110W compact flo

[@AngelDCrazy]

man i have a tank just begginer at this freshwater one castle uhmm white rocks? 2 black of some sort of goldfish 1 big orange red rare one but i need some advice on what to do to it i want an eel but i dont wonna spend to much money any advice anyone please message back i want my fish tank to get good

[@lbtheman12345]

Where did you get the driftwood?

[@billygtrg]

whats the best live plants for bluegill, sunfish etc?

[@theJerryBoy911]

lol big orange goldfish are rare?

[@fishkeeper6734]

Nice theme. Check out my jungle themes tank. Cheers

[@mishmosh2000]

No I'm not. You can always message me.

[@9912699125]

@mishmosh2000 do you have to do water changes?

[@51seluj]

how do you feed your crawfish?

[@Sean117Ply]

Are the plants native?

[@billhaley3925]

Um...bluegill ARE sunfish...not all sunfish are bluegill, but all bluegill ARE sunfish.

[@mishmosh2000]

@9912699125 Yes, every 2 months.