Blackbanded sunfish
Enneacanthus chaetodon
Also known as Black-banded sunfish, Chaetodon sunfish
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 39–75°F
- 4–24°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.0
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Centrarchidae
- Origin
- Native to the Atlantic coastal plain of the eastern United States, from New Jersey to Florida, in soft, acidic, weedy ponds and streams.
Overview
The blackbanded sunfish is a small, peaceful North American native for a cool, planted tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.
Did you know
Blackbanded sunfish need a genuine cold winter to stay healthy and to breed. A heated tropical tank slowly wears them down.
Caring for the blackbanded sunfish
Give blackbanded sunfish a planted tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). They swim in the middle of the tank. Keep them in a small group with peaceful, cool-water tank mates.
Provide soft, acidic water at a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Keep the tank cool, within 39 to 75°F (4 to 24°C), ideally unheated and with a winter chill. It should not be kept warm long term.
The blackbanded sunfish prefers live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and small earthworms over flake. It is a nest-spawner, and the male guards the eggs. Breeding it is moderately hard.
Good to know
The blackbanded sunfish belongs to the sunfish family Centrarchidae. It is a small, disc-shaped fish crossed by bold black bars, with orange highlights in the front fin rays.
In the wild
The blackbanded sunfish is native to the Atlantic coastal plain of the eastern United States, from New Jersey to Florida. It comes from soft, acidic, weedy coastal ponds and streams. There it lives in water from near freezing in winter to the low twenties Celsius in summer.
Common questions
What size tank does a blackbanded sunfish need?
A blackbanded sunfish needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a blackbanded sunfish need?
A blackbanded sunfish is comfortable at 39–75°F (4–24°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.
What does a blackbanded sunfish eat?
A blackbanded sunfish eats live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and small earthworms. It takes them in preference to flake.
How big does a blackbanded sunfish get?
An adult blackbanded sunfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
How does a blackbanded sunfish breed?
Blackbanded sunfish spawn in a nest, and the male stands guard over the eggs. Breeding them takes some effort.
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