TankBud

Bluegill sunfish

Lepomis macrochirus

FreshwaterFish

Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
(c) Kristiina Hurme, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kristiina Hurme · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
41–73°F
5–23°C
pH
6.5–8.5
Adult size
13.8 in
35 cm
Minimum tank
70 gal
265 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Substrate spawner
Rarity
Rare
Family
Centrarchidae
Origin
United States, Canada

Overview

The bluegill sunfish is a large, bold North American sunfish for a big, cool tank. It is an easy fish to keep, given the space.

Did you know

Bluegill nests are often packed side by side in colonies in the shallows. A guarding male will charge fish many times his size to drive them away from the clutch.

Caring for the bluegill sunfish

A bluegill sunfish grows large and stays feisty. A tank of at least 70 gal (265 L) is the practical minimum, and more is better. Give it open swimming space and a few rocks or logs for shelter. It uses the middle and lower water.

It needs cool, seasonal water rather than tropical warmth. Let the tank track the seasons and stay cool for much of the year, within 41 to 73°F (5 to 23°C). Keep the pH at 6.5 to 8.5 and the water clean. It is hardy but messy, so it needs strong filtration to handle its heavy waste.

It will eat almost anything meaty, including bloodworms, earthworms, crickets, prawn and larger frozen and pellet foods. Small fish are treated as prey. Bluegill are aggressive and territorial. Keep one singly, or in a big cold-water setup with tough tank mates of similar size.

Males excavate a shallow, saucer-shaped nest in the substrate, spawn over it and guard the eggs and fry aggressively. Home breeding is barely documented because of the fish's size and space needs. It spawns readily in ponds.

Good to know

Bluegill belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae, and most stay smaller than their maximum size. Adults are deep-bodied, with a dark ear flap and a small mouth suited to picking off insects and other small prey.

In the wild

Bluegill live across much of the United States and Canada, in lakes, ponds, slow rivers and backwaters with plenty of submerged cover. They handle a broad sweep of conditions, from near-freezing winter water up to warm summer shallows.

Common questions

What size tank does a bluegill sunfish need?

A bluegill sunfish needs at least 70 gal (265 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a bluegill sunfish need?

A bluegill sunfish is comfortable at 41–73°F (5–23°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.5.

What does a bluegill sunfish eat?

A bluegill sunfish eats almost anything meaty, from bloodworms, earthworms and crickets to prawn and larger frozen and pellet foods. It treats small fish as prey.

How big does a bluegill sunfish get?

An adult bluegill sunfish reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).

How does a bluegill sunfish breed?

Males dig a shallow, saucer-shaped nest in the substrate, spawn over it and fiercely guard the eggs and fry. Bluegill spawn readily in ponds, but home breeding is barely documented.

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