Trying to learn about Pygmy sunfish - struggling to find info!

[OliveFish05]

Funny I should come across this post right after I entered my Elassoma gilberti bowl in the tank of the month contest…I’m new to keeping them- I just got 2 pairs 6 week ago. One pair have their own 3.5 gallon bowl, the other are in a 20 gallon long with about 3 dozen CPD offspring from last summer’s outdoor tub. Both pairs are doing very well. Males colored up to the nines in a matter of days. As mentioned by other posters, they are quite shy so lots of plants, rocks, driftwood, etc. will make them feel secure. I keep them in soft water (Gh 5, Kh 1). They apparently have a wide temperature range (ideally 60-75F but can tolerate 40-86F). The bowl has no heater (currently around 67F) and the 20 gallon is kept at 74F. They will not touch food that’s not alive. I feed mostly daphnia and black worms. They don’t seem to interact with the CPDs at all. I’ve already got fry in both tanks, but lots more in the bowl (presumably because there are no other fish to predate upon them). They don’t seem to eat their own fry, but from what I read online, they will eat other couples’ fry (and larger juvies will eat smaller). Here is one of my males:

Wow! They are just stunning fish. What are your thoughts on keeping them with Pygmy cories? I have a densely planted tank with driftwood, bamboo, and a huge variety of plants in a variety of leaf shapes and sizes For cover, and floating plants with varying root lengths. If I recall, you mentioned in another thread that you bought yours on eBay correct? I think I’ve found the same seller, as there’s only one! I am looking at culturing grindel worms!

 

[Kolykaf]

Wow! They are just stunning fish. What are your thoughts on keeping them with Pygmy cories? I have a densely planted tank with driftwood, bamboo, and a huge variety of plants in a variety of leaf shapes and sizes For cover, and floating plants with varying root lengths. If I recall, you mentioned in another thread that you bought yours on eBay correct? I think I’ve found the same seller, as there’s only one! I am looking at culturing grindel worms!

Yes, it was I who posted about getting them from an eBay seller. I don’t forsee any problems with pygmy corydoras in a 20 gallon. Temps in the mid 70s should be fine for both.

 

[OliveFish05]

Yes, it was I who posted about getting them from an eBay seller. I don’t forsee any problems with pygmy corydoras in a 20 gallon. Temps in the mid 70s should be fine for both.

ok, great, Thanks! Were you happy with the seller? Would you recommend hem?

 

[Kolykaf]

ok, great, Thanks! Were you happy with the seller? Would you recommend hem?

I definitely would. They arrived quickly and in good condition. I had ordered one pair and she sent two! The males were initially the same color as the females. I could tell them apart by fin size, though. They colored up nicely in a matter of days. Incidentally, our paths crossed on an elassoma forum and I learned that she collects them from a pond that’s on her property in Florida. I wish I had a yard big enough for a pond!

 

[OliveFish05]

I definitely would. They arrived quickly and in good condition. I had ordered one pair and she sent two! The males were initially the same color as the females. I could tell them apart by fin size, though. They colored up nicely in a matter of days. Incidentally, our paths crossed on an elassoma forum and I learned that she collects them from a pond that’s on her property in Florida. I wish I had a yard big enough for a pond!

Oh wow! So are they wild caught, or she raises them in a pond?

 

[Kolykaf]

Oh wow! So are they wild caught, or she raises them in a pond?

I believe that she stocks the pond.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Everglades Pygmy Sunfish
Elassoma evergladei

Size: 1.5"
pH: 6.0-8.0
Tank size: 5G/1 small group
Country of origin: United States
Diet: Live and frozen foods
Temperament: Occasionally territorial
Temperature: 50-86° F

Description

Elassoma evergladei is among the smallest sunfish species in the world. These somewhat rare fish, though largely underappreciated, make for very interesting centerpiece fish with unique patterning, especially in males. These fish, like many other sunfish, are native primarily to the Southeastern parts of the United States. They make an interesting "nano" alternative to their much larger and more aggressive relatives.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish
Elassoma gilberti

Size: 1”
pH: 6.0-8.0
Tank size: 5G/1 small group
Country of origin: United States, around the Gulf of Mexico
Diet: Live and frozen foods
Temperament: Occasionally territorial
Temperature: 50-86° F

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

B
anded Pygmy Sunfish
Elassoma zonatum

Size: 2”
pH: 6.0-8.0
Tank size: 10G/1 small group
Country of origin: United States
Diet: Live and frozen foods
Temperament: Occasionally territorial
Temperature: 50-86° F

Description

These fish are slightly larger than the two aforementioned species, so therefore require a slightly larger tank. As for the link, it does not take you directly to where you can order these fish. Go to their fish list for details on availability.

 

[GaryE28 26]

It can be hard to tell the species apart without knowing where they originated. A really under-rated fish if you can solve:
a) feeding;
b) tiny fry size paired with a not incredibly long lifespan;
c) shyness, and sometimes grouchiness.

I would consider them in with pygmy cories in a jungle of a tank. I would allow temps to fluctuate though. I would not use a heater with this fish. You'd shorten their lives for no reason.

 

[charliewitda9]

Very shy. Imagine being that size in a river. What a nerve wracking life!
The Ellasoma I caught were on the borders of a large, rather wide river, with big predators in the deeper water and millions of birds.

Very shy. Imagine being that size in a river. What a nerve wracking life!
The Ellasoma I caught were on the borders of a large, rather wide river, with big predators in the deeper water and millions of birds.

Hey Gary! I was looking into sourcing gilberti and the one you posted about in this forum previously and wondered how tough was it to bring back to Canada and what documentation did you need? Also I wondered if you still had a colony and were ever looking to sell some I’d be interested in buying some if possible! I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I currently only have the evergladei atm. Im new on this forum I was going down rabbit holes and kept seeing dead ends. Tried to PM you but apparently my acc is new and is prohibited incase its spam.

 

[GaryE28 26]

I caught them myself and had no problem bringing them back. I wouldn't order them from the States as the border is too slow - you have to bring fish like this yourself. And they raise another issue. They can be kept in small communities, but their lives are short and the effort to find them is considerable.

If you start to keep fish like this, you probably shouldn't be a consumer. You have to learn to be a breeder, or your time with them will be fleeting. I was beaten by only getting male babies from mine and no longer have them. Was that a pattern to be figured out, or luck? I'd love to get them again, but I have no intention of traveling to the US again and I'll try to learn more about them from people like you if you get them.

Documentation? For Canada, you need to declare them with a value. They need to be humanely and properly packed, and a sales slip helps. I bought feeder fish from a Florida store, then donated the feeders back so I could have a bill of sale for my wild caught fish. It saved bureaucracy. Our border isn't as crazy about paperwork, permits and pay offs as our neighbours to the south have to deal with, but we also don't have a good climate for invasive species becoming established. We can be more relaxed. I've brought back fish from Europe, the USA, and Africa, and have simply declared with with their scientific names and IUCN or CITES proof of status. E. gilberti are listed as least concern. I do the research in advance and print it or save it as a screenshot.

It slows you down at the border, but up to now, all the border agents have been cool and professional. They do their due diligence and send you on your way.