Keeping Perch in a Aquarium (UK)

In this video I go through my set up for keeping European perch in an aquarium.
© www.jackperksphotography.com

[@Teadon86]

Alwyas loved perch. They're the one fish I kept an eye out for when I was swimming as a boy. Not only did I like their dark stripes but that they were curious. As I walked around and moved my feet carefully there would eventually be a little perch keenly watching my feet sifting through the sandy bottom. If I stood still they carefully approached and nibbled on my toes or hovered close to my feet. But the most amazing encounter was when I was out snorkeling. As I looked around for stuff to look at a tiny perch swam up and looked through the glass of my cyclop mask. Hovering and watching for as long I stayed.

[@mattevans923]

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to keep perch in a tank and you just gave me a glimpse of it so thanks ! I’m seriously thinking of getting some because they look like they make great pets !

[@djc1234]

Perch are such a handsome little fish. I used to love catching Perch when I fished.

[@ulsterrich4213]

I keep Cichlids’s but been playing with the idea of doing native UK fish. Tank set up is class mate

[@GillmanStudio]

Great see see this mate. I kept Perch in my garden pond, power filtered to keep the water crystal clear so I could view them. I did so to study them as I was a specimen Perch fisher. What I liked here was I discovered the same intelligence with them regarding the quick learning. My Perch would wait, daily, in the near corner of the pond at the surface to be fed prawns by hand. They truly are smarter than we realise.

[@cameronkedas3334]

Same with bluegill

[@highqaudio9357]

I'm in the process of setting up a UK Yateley gravel pit biotope, so far I have a 2.5 inch Tench and a 3 inch Eel in a 25 litre planted nano aquarium. They will be moving into a 300 litre tank with a shoal of Roach and three carp untill they all get too big... That's the saddest part about UK biotopes, you have to say goodbye to these friendly fish at some point due to the size they get. True tank busters!

[@huldu]

That's very interesting. When I was a teenager, ages ago, I kept native perch, carp and pike(we had really big tanks). Wonderful fish but they grew big. I kept them around 22c and didn't really have any problems. From what I heard back then was that these fish expect to go into a "winter rest" around winter and if they don't do it they'll not do great. That's what always worried me so eventually I released the fish back into the wild. I kept them for several years 4-5 or something along those lines. Like you noticed they got "tame" really quickly. I could even pet the carps which was hilarious. They would go toward my hand and I could "pet" them in the water and even lift them up without them struggling. It was quite an experience.

[@adamw2030]

Looks awesome. I've got 3 green sunfish, 2 perch, and a pumpkinseed in a similar tank in Colorado. They all got pretty tame after a few weeks too. I think the live plants help them feel a lot more comfortable and I think you're right about getting them at the same size so they get along

[@fleendarthemagnificent7372]

Awesome video and tank! I keep spotfin shiners, banded darters and rainbow darters(the smallest members of the perch family), blunt nose minnows, baby bluegill, 2 brindled madtom catfish(venomous), 4 rusty crayfish and 2 large trapdoor snails. All of these I caught from the local river and they have all adapted well to tank life and frozen foods.

[@tomclift7630]

A friend of mine wants a uk coarse fish aquarium so this is a big inspiration

[@steveluckett6988]

Surely Britain's most attractive fish, after Grayling of course

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

If I could get a small one maybe in the winter be to warm at the minute

[@portcullis5622]

Rudd, crucians and tench would run them close.

[@hvmvp3657]

Gudgeon first

[@Restrodsworth]

I think it has no competition. Maybe the odd wild brown trout.

[@UKFishingFinesse]

Pike all day long when in a clean gin water clear river, colours pop a ridiculous amount

[@humbleflies1263]

Thanks great video. I would love to have a go at keeping Perch one day! It would interesting to see how Pike or Zander are in comparison.

[@TheRetiredPanther]

I kept both zanders and pikes in different times. Pikes live great in the common tank, presuming that they take primarily live food (I got a bit of luck when successfully trained my pike eating pieces of marine fish). Zanders feel poorly in my tanks, regardless of tank size, temperature or oxigenation. I have returned these fishes to their native reservoir (the upper Ob river in Southwestern Siberia).

[@UKFishCam]

Always wanted to do this! Looks ace

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

Give it a go!

[@mattydap5966]

Brilliant video I have been waiting for a video like this for a while now as perch are my favourite species of fish I have always wanted some in an aquarium!

[@yorkyone2143]

Perch are more accustomed to higher temperatures than you might expect. When fishing in lakes, small Perch are often the only fish guaranteed to be active at midday during a hot summer. Tommy Ruffe (possibly with Gudgeon) might make a future interesting addition to your tank & no problem with them growing too large.

[@laurenceneville]

I also kept perch for a while, and without a cooler and aerator had some fatalities over a hot summer. I got a cooler and aerator, but I think the critical thing was the aeration. I had a small pike as a kid, but released it because the feeding required so much work (catching small bait fish) - I don't think they go for worms and frozen prawns like perch do! Get a Ruffe and (if you can) a Pumpkinseed ... hard to find, but intelligent, attractive and easy to feed like perch.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I would like a pumpkinseed and ruffe its on my search list

[@andysfishroom4491]

Oh my goodness how am I only finding your channel now great content can’t wait to watch threw a lot of your videos and keep up to date with your new videos

[@StrikesPerception]

Absolutely beautiful. Good points. I keep UK native fish too and perch is really nice fish. Keep up the good work!

[@banksarenotyourfriends]

"never buy tanks brand new" Your luck will run out one day, especially if you buy bigger tanks! I have a 450 litre aquarium in my kitchen, and I'd rather pay for a brand new tank than mop up half a ton of water if it leaks - it would also cost a lot more to repair my house than what I paid for the tank. I'll sell it to you for £100 once the seals are gone though... 🤣 Great video, I have a boatload of minnows and stickleback, I'd love to put something larger in the tank eventually, and a friend had suggested Perch.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I mean use common sense of course but depends how deep your pockets are.

[@tombartram7384]

Great set-up my friend. A decent aquarium is better than a telly, any day!

[@Fakeplasticgergo]

In Hungary, the perch just fine water 25-28 degree all summer. They staying in shallows, where the water can be even warmer.

[@simonbradburn]

I caught an injured small pike years ago,took him home, treated him, and kept him for 3 years in a 120 gallon aquarium, he also became tame and took frozen white bait out my hand.But alas he out grew the tank and i had to free him.Amazing what you can learn from them.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

He was lulling you into a false sense of security until he was big enough to take your hand

[@Paul-li9hq]

I have kept tropical fish since childhood - and enjoyed fishing in lakes and rivers much later. It wasn't long before I experimenting with keeping British native fish in aquariums. One of the problems with tropical fish is cost - they are getting expensive now! Same for plants, rocks, wood etc: costs are rising fast. And if you get bored of the fish and want to change them? Further costs and problems... Keeping fish I catch solves this. Zero cost (well, almost... a couple of pounds for a pint of maggots...) And every now and then, I can return the fish and catch something else. Gravel/sand can be collected: zero cost... same for rocks/plants/wood... (a bit of research is wise - make sure what you are collecting is safe, appropriate and legal) For larger aquariums - a shoal of rudd are stunning. Silver bream are surprisingly attractive. Many wild fish will happily eat the same foods you feed to tropical fish - no messing about trying to get specific foods for them to eat. Some fish might sound interesting to keep - but the reality is somewhat different. Zander are hopeless as aquarium fish. Mine sat on the bottom all day... didn't move at all, until the lights were turned off. Quite nocturnal 😕 Even much smaller aquariums can be used to house native fish. Same setup procedure: but just find a tiny local brook (so long as it has clean water) - just 20 centimetres deep and 3 feet wide will do! The bottom may be bare sand and pebbles (ideal to scoop out for you own aquarium base) and you might not see any fish at all: but they are certainly there! The grasses and weeds on the banks grow long and trail into the water in many places... under these floating rafts is where the hide from their many predators... I used my fishing landing net (it had a telescopic handle - so I could comforably reach the far bank... just dip the net under the floating raft and lift... then sort through the catch... there could be almost anything in there!) The humble minnow was always my favourite. Surprisingly attractive. A group would school closely with their own kind. They happily ate any standard tropical fish foods... and they are a bit more forgiving of water temperature and oxygen content (unlike tropical fish, native fish need cooler water, a fair bit of flow and good oxygen levels). Some research will help, as always. Some fish, like the Spined Loach, are pretty - but protected by law as they are rare... And finally, experiment with snails, water insects, etc, etc. I had some stunning snails: beautifully coloured and patterned on the body... but you won't necessarily appreciate this when they are in the net... All in all... great fun on a miniscule budget!

[@straightouttacornwall]

What a great tank! Cheaper option to glue wood and stone together is toilet paper scrunched up into a ball then wedged between the rocks and then soaked in super glue.

[@willhedington6225]

Awesome video, I keep my yellow perch with a yellow bullhead, and 3 bluegill. I plan on getting another yellow perch to keep mines aggression down. They all tear up freeze dried bloodworms.

[@breakingbrad5461]

Great looking tank mate, I love your concept of 'seeding' the tank in with pond water but the water itself won't actually start the cycle off. To achieve this you need some pond 'material' like gravel, rocks or anything porous. Something that acts as a means for beneficial bacteria to colonise in/on. I love the look at the end though, glad you got the results 👍

[@sigspearthumb9574]

I think stone/ spiny loach and some bulls heads maybe with some minnows could work great. Would also mean they could be more permanent tenntants

[@aurorastudios]

very cool - got a native tank myself with a few fish in - a nine spined stickleback and 5 unknown fish - I think they might be bleak and a tiny baby chub, but not sure

[@brandonnail1]

Brilliant video! Great work

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

cheers from chicago! love this and love perch. Yours are very similar to Lake Michigan variety, though 2lbs is huge for this species.

[@Daansstuff-alt]

This aquarium looks pretty nice. I have an aquarium that is a little smaller than ur aquarium. Mine contains 1 rudd, 2 perch, 1 ruffe, 2 silver bream and 2 round goby. I also think of adding species like tench, crusian, gudgeon, tubenose goby, roach, bleak and maybe even a Zander.

[@davefave4351]

I had a Roach in an aquarium as a kid that I caught in my local South London park lake. I called it Pat. Pat Roach my pet Roach.

[@fallows4life]

Bullheads and ruffes would make nice long term fish for the tank.

[@andycrawford1885]

Would like to see the pike always wanted to keep one in a tank

[@gumtape6677]

Hey mate, I hope you still have them and they're still doing great. I highly recommend you do some research on weening them over to high quality prepare food like hikari cichlid pellets and such, it's much more nutritionally consistent as you know the fish will be getting the right mix of vitamins and protein. It'll do them better and do you better in the long haul, since you minimize the risk of introducing anything, though it's good enrichment to keep giving them garden worms and pond bugs.

[@qccreatesvideos1713]

I put some in my tank, I love them!

[@warwingss]

love your outlook.

[@thurston383]

I caught some and put them in a tank a few years ago, took them back to the river after a few days as I thought they wouldn’t get used to it, any time I came anywhere near the tank they all panicked and would swim into the glass

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

Perch double. Huge perch and a baby perch 🙀

[@MrCrossyTV]

I'd love a cold water fish aquarium, perhaps with a few Perch along with tench and crucian carp.

[@cameronkedas3334]

Fish look happy. I have two round goby and 2 bluegill which get along just fine. They’re be happier in a bigger tank, though.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I've just been fishing for round goby in the netherlands

[@Comrade_Akimov]

yea, i hoped for large, cooled tank with massive filtration.

[@stephenpidwell3427]

Would love to keep native fish.🇬🇧👍🏻love your videos.

[@lookup49]

I have perch and pumpkinseed in my aquarium. I am in Canada and caught these at my summer cottage. I found out that it is ILLEGAL to transport native fish in Canada but perfectly legal to have them. The rules are to prevent introducing non native species to new waters, something I will never do.

[@SirJamez0]

Great video, I would love to set up some kind of native outdoor pond with some small fish. Ive only ever kept tropical fish. I live in Ireland and I'm not sure if keeping fish outdoors year round is even possible. I'm guessing you would need to take something like Koi in during winter. I'm thinking a small native breed would work better. I'm also considering setting up a small greenhouse for plants which may be a good place for the pond to reduce the harsness of any cold. Any advice?

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I did make a video on native fish ponds if you have a look on the channel

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

In my local maiden head aquatics store, they have a massive tank (I think it's about .5m³, 500l) and they have gudgeon in it, together with pleco! Maybe a tank that size would be perfect to grow a few perch!

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

they'd soon eat the gudgeon!

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt that they would!

[@thefroghunter7086]

You should get some creek chub or roach I would love to see that

[@seanhallett6766]

Is it legal to go fishing, catch some perch and take them home? I’d love to give this a go.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

if the venue allows it yes

[@stefanritchie7667]

They would require proper oxygen tanks during transport in the uk it's the law same with trout transport

[@QuailsFarmY]

in NSW, Australia very clearly no but apparently alot of dams have been illegally stocked with them so I guess somebody has kept them and dumped them or something to that effect.

[@MC-my7cc]

May I ask what filter did you use and what plants because I’m really considering doing this ?

[@Hihelloto]

3:24 fish bellies are around the size of their eyes in fact

[@andymoss343]

Great video jack , I’d go for Zander next just to see how they differ in behaviour. Would be interesting to see .

[@vaindioux]

It looks great. I have been keeping natives off and on in France and the States for 35 years. You are not supposed to release fish back in the wild at least in the states. It is really frowned upon by native fish associations. For disease introduction. Your tank looks great!

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I wouldn't normally but all the fish came from the same site. no other fish were added and went back to the same site so low risk of spreading disease thats not already there

[@vaindioux]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt Got you!

[@Rndmstff737]

I have a 75gal tank with 2 yellow perch (yellow perch are native to The US and Canada)

[@pointblank1292]

I think you should put a 2.70 meter catfish in the tank.

[@DamoFishing]

Looks great mate! I wouldn't go for zander, as they live in darker or deeper parts of water, they eyes hates brightness. Good luck 👍👍

[@daansstuff2952]

Or a solution. You could use a darker light

[@daansstuff2952]

Maybe like what I have a dark blue light

[@daansstuff2952]

And it works for me!

[@daansstuff2952]

Also the same applies to ruffe’s

[@Cheesefiddlehorn]

How big tank for some stickleback?

[@davidporter2828]

Brilliant! British (biotope) style set ups seem to be quite rare, but this works really well. Are the main plants used vallisneria and hornwort?

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

Not 100% to tell you the truth

[@highqaudio9357]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt the strappy leaved plant is Twisted Valisinaria and the feathery leaved plant is a myriophyllum sp.

[@T.J-and-Soul]

Good video mate one point though once fish have been in an aquarium you really shouldn't let them go back in the wild there's a chance you could introduce disease to wild fish. In Australia it's illegal anyway cheers 🙂

[@MakoyUnggoy]

Perch are one of the easiest fish to catch on a hook in my opinion just because they're so greedy...Mine were kept in a 250 litre tank until the 3 of them hit about 10 inches and then they were back in the river where I got them from

[@peterpzazz2441]

Nice vid but you got ich or flukes on one them. Noticed the white spots on pectoral fins. Good luck.

[@gazgonenative4696]

After the perch I think you should try bullheads and tiny natives

[@GLNZFishing]

Great video! I'm just getting my perch tank set up. How did you acclimatise the perch to the tank water temperature? Do you have to suspend them in a bag of water first, like you would a goldfish? Also, how best to transport the perch from the river? Can you just use a bucket? Or is a transport box needed?

[@NomadByFate]

Lovely wow....thanks for sharing....!! Would you put together them with carp of the same size or a Lil bit bigger ?

[@TheVTRainMan]

If you enjoy the perch behavior, just get Cichlids. Most aquarium cichlids have great personalities, super intelligent, come in a plethora of colors, a variety of appropriate sizes for hobby tanks, and mostly farm raised for aquariums. Within a year or 2 perch will become too big for most tanks (the tank in the video is a good example of too small). You won't be able to have any tank mates as they will even terrorize snails. They will mature for breeding about 2yrs of age and dig up the substrate constantly. Then the territorial behavior with overgrown fish will absolutely get out of hand. Trust me... there is a reason these perch are not readily available at fish stores.

[@blunderbuss1395]

could you theoretically keep ruffe in that setup indefinitely? since they're essentially just little perch, i'd reckon they would've made a perfect replacement once these little guys outgrew their home

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I have kept ruffe in there also but the perch tend to outcompete then for food

[@jamesnoonan7450]

I've just stumbled accross your channel and love the content. I'd love to keep perch just wondering if you can keep them in a tank long term.

[@pascaalexandru7575]

I think pike you will have to feed it live fish, they are notoriously stubborn in eating anything that's dead. I heard they made an effervescent pellet for pike farming but it might be just a myth.

[@toniiif1]

Pike are opportunistic feeders and will eat dead fish- I.e the catch method dead baiting. But live fish- especially if u are releasing them- are best 👌

[@momentsinanglingessence855]

I'm not surprised they took the prawns, have you tried feeding them pieces of Crayfish?

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

yes they like them to

[@jiaruan3146]

Ive got around the same setup, just no driftwood, bigger tank, less vegetation and more rocks and sand/river dirt its cool, ive got 6 perch and 1 pike which seems to be ok, but my perch are not eating even if i give them their favorite worms, they havent eaten for weeks 😅 and the pike is eating the food when the perch dont even go to it, the pike just goes and eats it, is this ok? Ive got a filter so theyre breathing ok too, what should i do?

[@User-fw1rh]

Great vid! How often and how much do you feed them?

[@derterraner4928]

A zebra perch has just put eggs in a small cave. However, the male is so big that he cannot enter the cave. How can the male fertilize the eggs if he isn’t able to get close to them? I know they do it somehow because they have had success twice so far. Any idea?

[@sebastianpedersen9932]

i my self have had perch and they will happily take pieces of trout

[@lolpisiweeb5674]

Anyone can help me? I have perch in aquarium but they are dying. Idk why. They dont eat whatewer i give then. Temperture Is 22celsius and ph is optimal.

[@woocow1727]

use a bottle trap to get small one's

[@Jckbball1]

Can a 6 inch perch live with a 4 inch one

[@ebbes6925]

I think you shall get a Zander. That would me unique

[@Dalli70]

We had a perch in 30 celsius

[@toroddlnning6806]

you just eat them when they are too big?

[@damianowens5066]

Love the set up but what about ruffe, gudgeon, minnows, stickleback etc. at least they don't get very big!

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I am thinking about getting some ruffe for it , I'm worried with other small species the perch will eat they you'd be surprised how big a fish they can take

[@daansstuff2952]

I have 3 mini ruffe’s they are really cool (if you are wondering about lights you could possibly use a dark light it works for me)

[@DarioFerrari23]

Hi, do you think a 115 litre tank would be ok to keep perch in?

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

when small be fine but will out grow that

[@DarioFerrari23]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt Thanks Jack 😀

[@thewokefindergeneral7631]

UK water never goes above 18°C in summer

[@laurenceneville]

Hi again Jack. I am replanting my tank and also trying perch again .... what is the leafy plant seen at 4:12 please? Looks very nice.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

its Vallisneria lovely plant in a tank

[@laurenceneville]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt Thanks but I don't mean the grass-like one, I mean the leafy one

[@laurenceneville]

Hygrophila Polysperma maybe?

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

oh sorry I'm not sure to be honest with you@@laurenceneville

[@rjlcfc]

Where do you buy perch fry I’ve got a tank set up and ready for fish and really want perch as I love to catch them and find them interesting

[@lolpisiweeb5674]

How long the aquarium must be?

[@christopherbegg9429]

What Driftwood dear no it's not when you can find it anywhere get it for free and how do you put Driftwood and a tank when it float that's why it's called driftwood anyway awesome video mate

[@gazgonenative4696]

Don’t buy driftwood jack Nate apple oak and birch can be used

[@Ingoivalde]

How often do you change the water?

[@kedarr]

How much liter that aquarium ? 200 l?

[@markrutherford6507]

Beneficial bacteria don't live in the water column, it needs surface area. Adding your pond water to help cycle your tank doesn't work bro

[@isotrop5699]

I have 5 perches in my aquarium now. I did not buy them - I went to a nearby river and caught them with a few worms. Now after a few days I dont see that they are very active in eating worms I give them. Is that normal or should I try someting else? Note: they are bigger than your perches, could be 10cm+ in the length.

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

I'd advise smaller perch the bigger ones are harder to acclimatise

[@leafysfishing]

I had one years ago.... was just young and eager, it thrived till it got a bit too big.. iv got a picture of my perch (percy 🤣) with a tail hanging out his mouth.. literally would eat fish as big as himself lol.. when he got to about a pound I released him to the canal.. maybe one day I'll catch him on a lure 🤷‍♂️ altho I doubt he's still alive now.. this was probably 7 to 8 years ago I think

[@danram69]

what size tank do have

[@kieranbarry6706]

What size tank is that

[@casparthomas4775]

I wanna make a stickle back tank what do you recommend?

[@randomguy956]

How much do you feed them

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

couple of worms every other day

[@randomguy956]

@@Chasingscalesspecieshunt would you say one worm for each perch would be ok

[@piotrekpaprota840]

How much cm in height does the aquarium has

[@backwheelbandits2.0]

What size hook and bait did ye use to catch them im gona try a rudd aquarium its 150 litres aswell👌

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

Can't remember but a barbless 16 and maggot should work

[@Gaaraape]

I was always under the impression that you should never release fish from captivity back into nature even if they're native since you could risk introducing disease to the habitat

[@sage6336]

There is no bacteria in the water BTW

[@laurencedavies6680]

Pike 🔥🔥🔥