How many bluefish in a 300 gallon tank

[daysleeper15]

I am buying a 300 gallon tank soon 96x24x31 (hopefully before Thanksgiving) I have been wracking my brain about what I am going to put in it and then it hit me this weekend while I was out fishing in Montauk. Bluefish (a.k.a., marine piranha, snapper, Pomatomus saltatrix). We were catching these beauties in sizes ranfing from from 6 in. to 20 in. I have heard that they will max out around 24 in. and could weigh as much as 45 lbs. I have searched around, but couldn't find anything about keeping them in the home aquarium and it doesn't look like there are any websites selling them. That is okay as I have access to the northeast waters and could easily catch a few myself. I would just like to know if anyone has any experience keeping these fish and would be able to offer me a little advice. I would like to keep 3 or 4 in my 300g. Would that be overstocked? Thanks for all the help.

 

[stacyt]

What is the temp of the water where you catch them? Most likely a standard aquarium may be to high a temp for them. Probably the reason you don't see them in the trade.

 

[lobstergrabber]

Temp should be ok because we have tons of them here in the summer time and water temp is not cold. I think I just saw a dive report bottom temp of 80 degrees. Don't know about keeping them in aquarium though. Would be neat if you could catch 2 or 3 around 6 inches and try.
Rich

 

[fish boy]

daysleeper15
i was fishing in montauk this weekend to do you go on a charter boat if so which one or do you have your own boat

 

[fish boy]

also we have a 300 gallon in school and they dont do very well the problem is transporting them they use up air very quickly the olny ones we have kept alive are snappers the ones like 5-6 inches

 

[grouperhead]

Bluefish are always on the move. They are way too active for all but the larges public aquariums...

 

[bullshark]

Putting a blue in an aquarium is like you standing in your linnen closet for the rest of your life.....

 

[daysleeper15]

fish boy, I wish I had my own boat. I was on a charter, The Lazy Bones . Great day on Sunday, but traffic was brutal heading back to the city by afternoon.

 

[daysleeper15]

fish boy, I don't think I would have a problem getting the snappers from the ocean to my tank relatively quickly as I am only a half mile off the beach. You said that you were able to keep snappers alive. What do you feed them, are they messy fish, do they grow fast, in your opinion is a 300 to small for even one full grown one? How did you set up the tank? Thanks.