Bowfin Buddies :)

Subject: Bowfin Buddies :) Sun Sep 12, 2010 5:12 pm

Anyone ever kept a bowfin??? i found a place where, the river floods an old strip mine pit every year, and at first it seemed it was over run with longnosed gar, but a few days ago, i went with some over ripe market shrimp for bait, using a barbless hook, i caught several nice bowfin, the smallest of which i kept and now have him in a 75 gallon tank.

He seems very happy, but hasnt eaten that i can tell, The guys on NANFA tell me they will sometimes not feed for a long time, but just in case, i went to another place of mine that has tons of, Gambusia, and netted about a hundred or so and put them in that same tank, also by luck the lake in late summer gets packed with duckweed, so i got a good supply of that as well which looks pretty cool, floating on the surface, with the little roots dangling down, Starting to look like a underwater view of a lake or pond.

You'll have to excuse if i post about essentially the same thing in a couple of different places here. Seems im getting "Old Timers Disease" and forget what i did 15 minutes ago.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

I've had a snakehead, but never a bowfin. I'm to understand that they're similar as far as keeping goes, and a 75 is going to be too small for it fairly soon.

Subject: Re: Bowfin Buddies :) Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:35 am

Good luck with the bowfin. I agree the 75 will be too small very quickly if not already.

Subject: Re: Bowfin Buddies :) Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:22 pm

Iagree, that at some point, if i keep him, he will need more room, but a 6 inch fish in a 75 gallon tank has plenty of room for awhile, based on a controlled source of nourshment, and growth to intake ratio, he should be good for a year or so.

Subject: Re: Bowfin Buddies :) Thu Sep 16, 2010 9:59 am

It's just a baby Smile

I was picturing an 18" fish in a 75gal. Those suckers do grow quick when they're young though. You may be OK for a year but if he starts eating he'll be outgrowing that tank before you know it.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Yea. I had thought he was bigger too. The snakehead was a bit shy at that size too. It wasn't until he hit a foot that he grew a pair. Smile

» My New Bowfin

Bowfin Buddies :)

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