Keeping Perch in a Aquarium (UK)

[@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 !

[@jackson4274]

If you plan on doing so long-term, you’ll need a tank about four times the size of his. He is keeping juvenile perch, which will grow to double or triple the size

[@seibt6466]

Had a few, very clever and always hungry. So far the best Fish i have kept.. will keep another group and grow them out once i build a Pond

[@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

[@nospoon4799]

@@cameronkedas3334 👍

[@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.

[@djc1234]

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

[@DukeRhodes]

They're so easy to catch. They literally go for anything that moves and with gusto. I just used a lead sinker with a hook. Worked like a charm. Testament to their fantastic eyesight.

[@casewojo6186]

I’ve caught some jumbos with dead goby’s

[@benjaminrhodes9582]

Thanks for the very interesting video. I often been unsure about using a large worm hookbait in my Perch fishing but have no such worries any more after seeing how those small Perch demolished the worms you fed in!

[@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.

[@assarstromblad3280]

I did this with my friend like 10 years ago or more. We caught some perch fry from the nearby river and put them in a tank. They grew quite a lot in a month or two, we fed them worms and corn, but then one died and we decided to release the rest just in case. Nice to see someone else trying it after all these years!

[@markyyyyyyyy321]

Perch is the very first fish I caught when I was about 11. There were some big perch in the River Trent below Beeston Weir, Nottingham. A great fish and almost certainly everyone's first fish to catch as they seem always hungry and on the lookout for food!

[@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

[@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!

[@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).

[@S.Trades]

Pike or zander will need a massive tank!

[@danielandjenny9]

One of my favourite fishes to catch when I was little

[@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

[@tomclift7630]

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

[@Roadkiller85]

Perch are awesome little rascals, especially when young, very curious, even cheeky.

[@tombartram7384]

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

[@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.

[@OriginalMindTrick]

Sounds like a really cool tank. Do you have it decorated like your local river?

[@fleendarthemagnificent7372]

@@OriginalMindTrick I have river stones, a glass telegraph insulator, large snail shells from the river, a huge ping pong ball sized wild snail from the river the crays and some plastic plants. If I use live plants the crays will mow them down.

[@OriginalMindTrick]

@@fleendarthemagnificent7372 glass telegraph insulator?

[@OriginalMindTrick]

@@fleendarthemagnificent7372 glass telegraph insulator?

[@paulwhitaker2816]

Many years ago I had a perch aquarium. the fish were fed the same as yours, with added woodlice from a woodpile in the garden. The consequence of feeding live food was planaria which are small white worms which the perch wouldnt eat and once they got established they were a nightmare to get rid of .

[@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

[@Maarten-hz9wl]

Great video! Stumbled across your channel. My suggestion what to put next: perch, zander and pike! I once had a tank with all 3; it's fantastic to see the differences in behavior (hunting!).

[@IslamicSunnahGuidance]

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

[@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!

[@UKFishCam]

Always wanted to do this! Looks ace

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

Give it a go!

[@TroyBrown-up6rt]

We got ponds in Maine that have huge white perch very pretty fish good eating too.

[@hennerson3981]

they're covered in parasites at 03:44, did you treat that or did they just shrug it off?

[@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

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

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

[@tonycamplin8607]

Just seen this. For many years I had a tank with a few small perch in, they started of at half an inch, all caught from the local river and when they got to 4 inches put back. Perch in your pond I have a shoal of them in mine, I didn't put them in they were introduced by the birds, mallards or moorhens possibly that frequently visit it. The ducks raise a brood most years.

[@brandonnail1]

Brilliant video! Great work

[@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

[@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.

[@andycrawford1885]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@ulsterrich4213]

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

[@shangalangcam01]

In Australia we call them Redfin , or Reddies , or English Perch , and also Breakfast/Lunch and Tea/Dinner , best eating fish there is , ours have more Red on them usually . Great video , i bought a huge 380 litre tank to do it but ive never got around to it , and now i travel to much to keep them :( I release most of the fish i catch , and i switched to Circle Hooks years ago because of Redfin swallowing the hooks all the time , and since then every single fish ive caught has been in the corner of the mouth and i catch more fish !

[@OriginalMindTrick]

You guys has had some enormous perch. When you first introduce perch to a new water they tend to get huge as they can exploit the ecosystem and find huge amounts of food and they don't have competition from smaller perch yet. I've seen reports of many 3kg perch, even speculation about 5kg ones from down unda caught on other methods than rod and reel.

[@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.

[@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

[@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 👍

[@Fakeplasticgergo]

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

[@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.

[@jackson4274]

In America, we have yellow perch which are very similar. My local Bass Pro has them in a tank with trout

[@fortressfrazze3777]

Had perch 20 years ago in aquarium. I caught them when they where about 50 grams each. Put them in a 500 liters tank. Keept them for 1 year before I put tem back to the lake. They grow crazy much. Much more than it does normaly. Why is because inside my home it is much varmer than Sweden is outside in wintertime. When its warm there metabolism is much higer. Also they always was provided with food. I guess they growed 3 times faster than normal during that year. Very interesting experience study there behavior.

[@TheLureQuest-y3k]

im thinking of doing this to grow them on and release them back into the canal to try to grow the perch size in the uk

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@mikeg3293]

Far too many fish in that small tank your filter won’t cope. It will just be permanently mucky. Been there, done it. There is an equation you can do using the surface area. It’s not how much water that’s important it’s the surface area of the tank.

[@tonycamplin8607]

​@@mikeg3293A 300ltr tank is quite big enough. I've kept many similar setups.

[@NomadByFate]

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

[@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.

[@warwingss]

love your outlook.

[@thefroghunter7086]

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

[@MrCrossyTV]

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

[@MC-my7cc]

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

[@garymcguire8529]

Bitterlings would be great to see, especially if you could find a freshwater mussel and watch them breed.

[@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.

[@burniemaurins2382]

Perch were the first fish I kept back in the 1960's, they thrived in a garden pond, but they did eat everything alive in it, so now my pond has no fish and a lot of invertebrates and amphibians. I kept most of the fish I caught at some time, including a small Pike. Trout did not take to aquarium life and Carp did not stunt, they quickly grew too big and made a mess of the tank. Good luck with your plans.

[@alfascorpi]

Did you ever tried keeping Rudd? I love their beautiful red fins

[@SralteBrinke]

2:16 i wished my pond would look this

[@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

[@Thingsthatgopew22]

I have tested pike. Mine died after smacking into the glass at full hunting speed. If you have access to Ruffe, try that.

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@qccreatesvideos1713]

I put some in my tank, I love them!

[@KatherineRestall]

Defo pike in the next species. Very cool fish and feed very well

[@LISSoundtrack]

What's that little creature at 3:17?

[@fallows4life]

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

[@MicSokol]

I had a chub for a few years, it was doing fine.

[@User-fw1rh]

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

[@JR.ShootsAutos]

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?

[@davewolfy2906]

Stickleback will be my next fish, I would need a bigger tank I think.

[@Comrade_Akimov]

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

[@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

[@andymoss343]

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

[@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

[@davedavescompactmhotmailcom]

They look awesome

[@leo_11_13]

What about having a tank with Tommy Ruffe in?

[@gazgonenative4696]

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

[@momentsinanglingessence855]

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

[@Chasingscalesspecieshunt]

yes they like them to

[@myobs]

Really interesting but I was surprised at how pale they seemed in the video?

[@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.

[@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!

[@axelpeeters-fish]

chub from about 2 inch, they are so fun but are impossible to tame

[@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)

[@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

[@Rndmstff737]

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

[@stephenpidwell3427]

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

[@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?

[@Cheesefiddlehorn]

How big tank for some stickleback?

[@Hihelloto]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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 👌

[@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 😀

[@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

[@Jckbball1]

Can a 6 inch perch live with a 4 inch one

[@extreme_loe]

how comes 2 of the perch have unique colours?

[@AdnanSyaifulloh]

What is the max size for this fish?

[@Ingoivalde]

How often do you change the water?

[@raygrange7312]

Wonderful.