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Posts: 25
| Anybody know where I can get some muskies for my aquarium? its a 100 gal tank and I would like to get a few. I tried the MN Musky Farm, but they won't sell them anymore unless you buy them by the truckload for lake stocking purposes.
Thanks in advance! |
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Posts: 7010
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=43...
And/Or do a search with the key word "aquarium". |
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Posts: 25
| I followed the above link, and like I said in my post, the Minnesota Musky farm doesn't do it anymore. They only sell them by the truckload for lake stocking purposes. I did a search with "aquarium" in as a keyword - only this thread showed up. am I doing something wrong? Any other recommendations to find some muskies? |
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Posts: 1060
Location: Palm Coast, FL | Where do you live Zarno? |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Check with your local Muskies Inc Club, if they are doing some local stocking you may be able to purchase some along with them, Just a Thought
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Posts: 897
| Let us know what you find out Zarno. I got muskies from MN Musky Farm last year and need some more for this winter.
-Chris Pinkert |
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Posts: 2024
| Talk to your nearest hatchery. |
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Posts: 25
| I live in Manitowoc, WI. I called the Minnesota Musky Farm, apparently they will not sell limited quanities - must be a "truckload." The lady I talked to said they needed to update their website because they have been getting a number of calls about muskies for an aquarium. I also contacted a local pet shop, as well as Petco, and neither can get them. I'm waiting to hear back from Brookecrest Fisheries out of Cedar Grove, WI. If I find out any info, I'll post it. Otherwise if anyone else has some other info let me know! |
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Posts: 2024
| If you know anyone in academia that is doing a research project involving baby muskies see if he/she has any extras.  |
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Location: Illinois | Try Hoffer's tropic life in Milwaukee. Just an idea.... |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | If your a Wisconsin resident you can get a stocking permit and get muskies from a local hatchery. The DNR makes you jump through hoops to get muskies for fish tanks. I plan on getting my muskies when my club get the order from MN muskie farm. All you need is a reciept to have the muskies in your posession after that. If you do not have a reciept you will get a ticket for under sized fish.
Hoffers got the run around from the place they usually get them from. WI DNR took all the available muskies this year. Joe from Hoffers just had to bite his lip and hope next year will be different.
Best bet is to get them from someone who is going to stock. That way you will not have to deal with a stocking permit. Believe me I jumped through a lot of hoops and did lots of homework to get muskies in my tank. 265 gallon is a huge tank for them to grow.
The best advice is to keep calling and posting. Someone that is getting muskies can hook you up. Send me a e-mail and I will see if I can help you get some when I order my fish. This is not a sure thing since I am not the one ordering the fish for my club. It should work out with some luck. I just have to order extra fish in my name and then I will have a reciept.
I don't know if I can sell you them and give you a reciept. That might not be legal. You might want to ask the DNR if that can be done. I will be more than happy to help but I WILL NOT DO ANYTHING against the DNR rules. I just wanted to make that perfectly clear.
Another thing you can try is call all the Wisconsin hatcherys and ask if they will sell you muskies. I got lots of answers from them. Some positive and some negative. Also the indians raise game fish, that is another angle I was looking into.
Remember, you need a reciept to keep game fish under legal size. Thats why Hoffers was such a good conection. Joe has all the permits and just needed the fish but there was not enough to go around. DNR wins again. |
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Posts: 170
Location: Chicagoland | i wouldn't recommend any tank under 150 gallons for musky. they are messy and need room. |
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Posts: 3
| i had a 55 gallon with 3 musky grown to about 15 inches before i let them swim.. you would be perfectly fine. i bought mine at scotts pets shop in .. its right by oak brook illinois . 15 bucks a piece |
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Posts: 170
Location: Chicagoland | 55 gallons is way to small. i have one and the width is only 12 inches! So if your 15 inch muskie were swimming around in there, they would have had quite hard time even just turning around! give me a break. I used to work at a high end aquarium store and five ears of knowledge tells me any fish that gets that large will require a large tank to be even moderately comfortable. And muskienuts, YOU LET THEM SWIM!!!! After years in an aquarium, especially one that is grossly undersized, fish like muskie can develop parasites or bacterial infections that never occur in lakes and that could severely damage a fishery. When your done with the fish, go to your nearest cabelas or bass pro shops and see if they will take it. They are your responsibility and you can't just dump them into a lake if they get too big. |
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Posts: 2024
| Live2Fish - 9/25/2008 7:45 AM
55 gallons is way to small. i have one and the width is only 12 inches! So if your 15 inch muskie were swimming around in there, they would have had quite hard time even just turning around! give me a break. I used to work at a high end aquarium store and five ears of knowledge tells me any fish that gets that large will require a large tank to be even moderately comfortable. And muskienuts, YOU LET THEM SWIM!!!! After years in an aquarium, especially one that is grossly undersized, fish like muskie can develop parasites or bacterial infections that never occur in lakes and that could severely damage a fishery. When your done with the fish, go to your nearest cabelas or bass pro shops and see if they will take it. They are your responsibility and you can't just dump them into a lake if they get too big.
I will agree with Live2Fish. A 55 gal. could be OK for a smaller guy (6-7"), but once they start pushing 12" it is difficult for them to turn around. That was what eventually prompted me to start looking around for places that might take him off my hands. The BPS in Bolingbrook, IL took him. I haven't been back there since we donated him so I don't know if he made it past the quarantine period.
They sure are fun to have! |
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Posts: 25
| Just got off the phone with Hoffers, they have them available in spring. Might have to wait a few extra months, but at least its something to fall back on! |
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| Muskies Should not be kept in a Aquarium at all. If you want to watch fish get some goldfish or Guppies. If you are serious and really would like to house a Musky for a length of time a VERY, VERY, Large Custom tank would have to be made or Purchased. There are people that will tell you that they kept a musky in a Bowl, or a small tank and it did well..........The truth is 100% of the time the Musky that was being kept in a Small aquarium was Stunted and not doing as well as the owners think they are doing. Due to High Nitrite and Nitrate levels in the water. Being the Owner and running a Retail Tropical fish Store for 28 years I know how to keep Fish healthy and thriving for many many years. A fish of these proportions would have to be housed in a minimum of a 2000 gallon aquarium. An Aquarium of this size, with the Proper Filtration, and the correct diet ,with Weekly water changes, and a Protein Skimmer, would give this fish a good chance of living a normal life expectancy. My opinion is to house a fish of this Caliber in a small aquarium (less than 1000 gallons) is cruel and should not be done. It would be like raising a Tiger in a small cage. Also it is against the law to buy or sell and house a native Fish to your state? you would have to check that..............This is just my Feeling.....Thanks Jr. |
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| I have a 100 gallon tank and have raised several to around 15 inches. They do fine--Get a good filter system. My tank always looked clean and I had other fish such as crappie, perch and bluegill in it as well. I let mine go when they reached about 15 inches---put them in our local pond and guess what---someone caught a 35 incher out of it this year. My first one was put in there 4 years ago at about 15 inches---could it be the 35 incher??? who knows--pond is spring fed so it doesn't freeze out. Anyway--got mine from scotts pets!!! Had a smallmouth Bass of about 8 inches in the tank last year---THE MOST AGGRESSIVE FISH I HAVE EVER HAD---It killed everything. Had to let him go--I couldn't put anything else in the tank with him!!! |
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Posts: 462
Location: Antioch, IL | Mjr - 9/27/2008 8:58 PM
...The truth is 100% of the time the Musky that was being kept in a Small aquarium was Stunted and not doing as well as the owners think they are doing. Due to High Nitrite and Nitrate levels in the water. ........ minimum of a 2000 gallon aquarium. An Aquarium of this size, with the Proper Filtration, and the correct diet ,with Weekly water changes, and a Protein Skimmer, would give this fish a good chance of living a normal life expectancy.
Stunted growth is a myth. Yes the fish will get parasites, bacterial infections and deformities due to the fact that the volume of water compared to the biological load is way out of proportion, but they continue to grow no matter what the size of their environment. You could house multiple world records in a 2000 gal. tank. Yes 55gal is way too small, but lets say 225 -250 gal could house several muskie for quite a few years. If you are fortunate enough to have them outgrow a tank that size you are doing well. I agree that regular water changes and monitoring you ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels is a must, but a protein skimmer on a fresh water set up is next to useless. There is no question that the bigger the tank the better off you will be, but it can be done in smaller set ups (just takes a little more work). |
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| Fish and Whistle - 9/29/2008 1:00 PM
Mjr - 9/27/2008 8:58 PM
...The truth is 100% of the time the Musky that was being kept in a Small aquarium was Stunted and not doing as well as the owners think they are doing. Due to High Nitrite and Nitrate levels in the water. ........ minimum of a 2000 gallon aquarium. An Aquarium of this size, with the Proper Filtration, and the correct diet ,with Weekly water changes, and a Protein Skimmer, would give this fish a good chance of living a normal life expectancy.
Stunted growth is a myth. Yes the fish will get parasites, bacterial infections and deformities due to the fact that the volume of water compared to the biological load is way out of proportion, but they continue to grow no matter what the size of their environment. You could house multiple world records in a 2000 gal. tank. Yes 55gal is way too small, but lets say 225 -250 gal could house several muskie for quite a few years. If you are fortunate enough to have them outgrow a tank that size you are doing well. I agree that regular water changes and monitoring you ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels is a must, but a protein skimmer on a fresh water set up is next to useless. There is no question that the bigger the tank the better off you will be, but it can be done in smaller set ups (just takes a little more work ).
very well said.that guy know what he is talking about |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | heck the way i see it the more people keeping muskies the better,,,maybe they will end up in more lakes then lol
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| Raise grass pickerel instead, that's what I've done. They only grow to 10-12" supposedly, and have basically the same behavior. You can get the from several places online. I got mine from Zimmerman's fish with great results. |
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Posts: 299
| I'm still questioning why would anyone want to put Muskies in a fish tank at home? It has to be so hard to keep these fish growing and survival rates have to be slim?? Plus, I'd be peeed if one died on me. Is this really the right thing for the fish? What do you do if it happens to get too big for the tank? I don't know if this species should be locked up in a fish tank?? Interesting on how many people have "pet" muskies. It has to be a lot of work to keep everything running to keep these fish alive. |
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Posts: 1220
| Honestly, I would not be in favor of keeping this species for a pet. I do have a fond memory however of going into the Guide's Choice shop in Eagle River two years ago when they had a mid-forties fish in their tank in the store. The shop guy would apporach the tank and the musky would rise to the surface putting most of his head out of the water. Then the store guy would proceed to stroke the top of the musky's head while the fish really appeared to be liking it. It was one of the darndest things I ever saw. Marty |
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Posts: 897
| detroithardcore - 3/8/2011 7:35 AM
I'm still questioning why would anyone want to put Muskies in a fish tank at home? It has to be so hard to keep these fish growing and survival rates have to be slim?? Plus, I'd be peeed if one died on me. Is this really the right thing for the fish? What do you do if it happens to get too big for the tank? I don't know if this species should be locked up in a fish tank?? Interesting on how many people have "pet" muskies. It has to be a lot of work to keep everything running to keep these fish alive.
I've kept muskies as pets for a number of years. To answer your first question I would say, why not keep a musky as a pet? They are just fish and pretty cool looking and acting ones at that! Watching them feed was awesome and I was able to get one of the muskies to eat ham/turkey/minnows right out of my hand! Regarding your second question, they are not at all hard to keep alive and the survival rates are comparable to any other aquarium fish in my experience. Really the right thing to do for the fish? Come on, they are just a fish like any other. If they get too big for the tank, well, use your imagination.
Muskies, walleyes, perch, pike, etc. all make great pets and are not that hard to take care of. |
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Posts: 73
| Junkman - 3/8/2011 7:44 AM
Honestly, I would not be in favor of keeping this species for a pet. Marty
I hear you, Marty. Especially if it's a TIGER Musky. Though raised in captivity, they're still a wild animal. You just never know when they might turn on you, and take off a finger! |
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Posts: 59
Location: WI | detroithardcore - 3/8/2011 7:35 AM
I'm still questioning why would anyone want to put Muskies in a fish tank at home? It has to be so hard to keep these fish growing and survival rates have to be slim?? Plus, I'd be peeed if one died on me. Is this really the right thing for the fish? What do you do if it happens to get too big for the tank? I don't know if this species should be locked up in a fish tank?? Interesting on how many people have "pet" muskies. It has to be a lot of work to keep everything running to keep these fish alive.
What I say too. |
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Posts: 462
Location: Antioch, IL | So with that rationale, do you guys question goldfish bowls or zoos? Not picking a fight, just curious. If you enjoy muskies, why wouldn't you want to keep one in an aquarium? People keep guppies, catfish, piranha, sharks, stingray, octopuses....carp. How are some ok to keep and some not? or are none ok?
Muskies are easy to keep alive and healthy. If you kill a muskie in an aquarium the odds are pretty good that you would kill anything you tried to keep. The average aquarium "lifespan" in the household is around 3 to 4 months. People don't take the time to educate themselves on how to set it up correctly and what type of care the tank needs, It looks really pretty until it starts to cycle through and then reality sets in and "ugh! You mean I actually have to do work to keep this thing alive" or they get frustrated at losing fish after fish because don't know how to give the fish the care it needs. Work smarter, not harder and you would be surprised at what you can keep alive.
The main reason some states have regulations on indigenous species is because they don't want people dumping fish in places they are not wanted, which does happen when fish outgrow home aquariums. It is a bad idea for reasons stated above (may introduce disease that wouldn't normally occur in a natural setting). Make sure you are in compliance before you get started and if you are serious about keeping the fish, have a plan for what to do with it when it out grows your set up. It will if you do it right. Twice I've had to destroy reef sharks, because the owners just assumed that The Shedd Aquarium would "love" to have them now that they were so big. I couldn't find tanks big enough for them, so pop to the head. I made one guy have it mounted and put on the wall in his office as a reminder to "don't be stupid"......of course he missed the point and thinks its cool. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | Just make sure that the musky fry your purchasing are Certified VHS Free! Same goes for the bait fish your going to feed the musky fry.One would not want to transfer VHS to their private pond or any VHS free public waters!
Capt. Larry
Edited by LarryJones 3/9/2011 8:20 AM
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Posts: 550
Location: So. Illinois | Get a Red-Fin or Grass Pickeral -- it looks and acts like a miniture Musky andyou don't have the issue of it outgrowing a tank in a year. I have a Red-Fin Pickeral in a 150 Gal tank and the setup is perfect. I can keep the guy even after he is fully grown. Pretty cool watching him decimate the feeders I put in there. Strikes are lightning fast. YOu won't regret it.
Jerry |
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