Are you looking for a guide that helps you take care of perch? If so, this is the article for you. This article covers everything from identifying the species you may already have, what you need to know before getting your first perch, to how to take care of perch.
Where can I keep a Perch?
Perch can be kept either in an aquarium or in a fishpond.
Most people who keep perch prefer to adopt this type of fish because they are beautiful and resilient. Perch tend to live near the bottom of lakes, streams, and other bodies of freshwater. They also come from climates that tend to have extreme temperatures, i.e. hot in the summer, and literally freezing in the winter. This means perch are easy keepers.
Both European Perch and Yellow Perch can be kept in as pets, however, people tend to find the yellow perch the more attractive species.
Taking care of a Perch is not as complicated compared to other aquarium-bred freshwater fish species like the wild-caught goldfish or the exotic Flowerhorn Cichlid. As mentioned earlier, perch do well in bodies of water that domestic fish would find intolerable.
How to Determine the Species of Perch you already have in the Aquarium
Before understanding how to keep a perch in an aquarium, you should know which species you have.
Why is this? Recognizing the exact species can help in determining how to take care of the fish. This includes feeding and nursing practices.
In North America, for instance, there are over 130 different Perch species. This article will not go into enough detail about the 130 perch species, instead we will focus on the three most common species: the Yellow Perch, the European Perch, and the Balkhash Perch.
Species Characteristics
The Yellow Perch:
Native to North America.
Has a blunt and long snout.
They can assume either a golden brown or Olive appearance.
Yellow Perches can weigh up to 2 kg after maturity.
Alt: A Yellow Perch.
The Balkhash Perch:
Native to Lake Alakol and Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan, Asia.
It is a relatively small fish if you compare it to the other two species (they can reach a maximum length of approximately 50cm).
The Balkahash perch can reach a weight of 1.5kg.
Alt: A Balkhash Perch
The European Perch:
Commonly found in Asia and Europe.
A Balkhash Perch has a greenish appearance.
The pelvic is noticeably red.
These particular species usually live longer (up to 15 years).
The approximate maturity weight is 3.75 kilograms, the largest of the 3 perch species.
Alt: A European Perch
What you need to Know Before Adopting your first Perch.
There are a few factors you should think through before adopting a perch or any other fish species for that matter.
Factor No 1: What Increases Perch Survival Rate in an Aquarium?
Perch need enough oxygen, they need adequate space, they need a regulated water temperature, and other ideal conditions to grow healthy and fast.
Below are three of the most important factors to keep in mind when keeping perch.
I. Size of the tank
The size of the tank determines how many perch you can comfortably adopt. For small tanks, you should not exceed the recommended quantity (usually 1 perch per cubic foot).
Min. Tank Size: 20 Gallons for small perch and 40 Gallons for larger perch
Max. Tank Size: Unlimited (depending on the amount of space you have to work with).
Important to Note: You should only have a maximum of two large perch in a 40-gallon fish tank and one large perch in a tank that is smaller than 30 gallons.
II. Overall Temperature
The ideal water temperature for a Perch to survive is about 19°C-22°C (65°F-70°F). This is ideal, so if the water temperature falls below the recommended temperature zone, it is in your best interest to install an aquarium water heater.
| Dissolved oxygen Vs. saturation in freshwater | |
| Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F) | Oxygen at saturation (mg/L) |
| 0°C(32°F) | 12 |
| 4°C(39°F) | 10.8 |
| 9°C(48°F) | 10 |
| 13°C(56°F) | 8 |
| 18°C(65°F) | 8.2 |
| 24°C(75°F) | 8 |
| 28°C(83°F) | 7 |
III. Alkalinity levels in an Aquarium
Usually, when the PH level in the aquarium water increases or decreases drastically, young perch will begin to die. Thus, it is important to maintain an ideal PH value. The ideal PH value in an aquarium should be around 7 or 8 for most freshwater fish to optimally survive. If this value drops or increases significantly, you need to use a buffer solution to regulate the amount of alkalinity in the water.
How often should you clean the tank?
You SHOULD NOT drain the aquarium water REGULARLY.
Why? By draining the aquarium less often, you can ensure there is enough algae in the water. Of course, this is dependent upon the number of Perch you have and the size of the tank.
How to Clean your Fish tank (With Step-by-Step Guide)
There are seven steps involved.
Step 1: Ensure that all cleaning tools are present. A few cleaning tools include a bucket, a siphoning pipe, a scrubber, refill cartridges, an algae pad, and vinegar.
Step 2: Transfer the fish to a separate container that is filled with fresh water.
Step 3: Using a scrubbing tool, clean the inside walls of the fish tank. You can either drain the water first before scrubbing or drain it later after scrubbing the walls. (Whichever works best).
Step 4: After scrubbing the walls of the tank, drain the murky/cloudy water and clean the décor and gravel (if present).
Step 5: Leave the tank to aerate for approximately 1 to 2 hours.
Step 6: Aquascape the fish tank. This involves replacing the gravel, aquarium décor, refugium, and air pump to improve the aesthetic appearance of the aquarium.
Final step: Refill the tank with distilled water and replace the fish.
Note: If you have Activated Carbon, you should use it to remove any excess toxins from the aquarium water.
Similarly, if you have a canister filter, install it in the aquarium to filter the water system. But if you do not have a canister filter, you can either use protein skimmers or sponge filters.
Lastly, you should always change approximately 20% of the water every two weeks (if you have older perch).
How to feed your Perch?
It doesn’t matter how many Perch you have in an aquarium nor does the species matter. It is vital to understand when and how to feed your fish.
Reason: Understanding how to feed a perch encourages efficient growth. Similarly, understanding the correct feeding habits allow perches to grow healthy and reproduce adeptly.
Here is a guide to help you understand more.
| When the perch are young | Number of times | What to feed them |
| Feed them once (daily) – in the evening. | Strictly feed the perch recommended fish flakes. |
| When the perch are older | Number of Times | What to feed them |
| Feed them after regular intervals. Around every 2-3 days | Recommended fish flakes plus a diet full of live feed and plankton. |
By keeping enough algae in the aquarium you can boost the nutrient concentration and plankton growth in the fish tank, which provides the fish nutrition.
Nutrients Required for Algae growth in an Aquarium
There are three nutrients required for algae growth in an aquarium. Nitrogen (N), Carbon dioxide (CO2), and Phosphorous (P). Natural light is also a key ingredient in boosting algae growth.
How Perch Behave When they are Stressed?
All living things undergo stress at some point in time – this includes perches and other fish species. Therefore, if you want a healthy school of fish in the aquarium, you need to eliminate anything causing stress.
If you notice unusual behavior with your perch, then re-evaluate the caring approaches.
When a perch undergo stress, they will seize to feed. The fish will tend to be sluggish, will not grow efficiently, and will eventually die.
Some Common Causes of Stress in an Aquarium
There are five major causes of stress in an aquarium.
Overcrowding
Poor diet
Wrong aquarium size
Increased acidity or salinity in an aquarium
Decrease in oxygen concentration in the water.
Notable Facts about Perch
Before adopting a perch as a pet or home décor, you should first understand a few facts. Below are eight significant factors to note.
Perches are freshwater fish.
The Yellow Perch can reach lengths of up to 16 inches.
Perches can weigh approximately 6 pounds (3 kilograms) when mature
The Yellow Perch is native to North America.
The Yellow Perch can live for approximately 6 to 10 years.
An adult perch does not care for its larvae or eggs.
Perches are aggressive feeders and will eat smaller fish.
Perches have sturdy teeth and powerful jaws.
Pro Tips and Expert Advice
Here are three pro tips from experienced fish parents.
When you notice a sudden increase in algae growth in the fish tank, you should use the recommended algaecide to create a balance in algae levels.
Why? A sharp increase in algae levels in an aquarium can cause a decrease in oxygen levels – leading to Perch death.
Overcrowding of perch in an aquarium can cause HYPOXIA among the fish species.
Solution: You should ALWAYS regulate the number of animals inside the tank.
If the calcium level and oxygen are low inside the fish tank, you need to INSTALL A REACTOR.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perch#Species
https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/understanding-perch-diets/155636
https://animals.mom.com/how-to-keep-perch-in-a-tank-7496570.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_perch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkhash_perch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_perch
https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/understanding-perch-diets/155636
https://thefishsite.com/articles/species-profile-yellow-perch-perca-flavescens