# Possible to keep Rainbow Trout in home aquarium?



## cgcaver (Jul 10, 2005)

It's always been a "dream" of mine to keep Rainbow Trout in a tank. -Pause for giggles- So my dad and I are big trout fishermen, and have long held a respect and admiration for this species among the fishes of the world 

Can any of you guys think of a way that it would be possible to keep them, besides spending hundreds of dollars on refrigerant systems for my tank? Is there any way they would survive in water as warm as 70-74 degrees?

This is more of a "think out loud" post than a serious question needing answers, but I was just curious if any of y'all had ever heard of anyone keeping trout, or had any suggestions for me. Thx~


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## Jubs (Mar 24, 2006)

Set up a huge tank and run an A/C unit right in front of the tank and make sure there is a ton of aeration and water movement  My buddy use to have Pumpkin Seed and Blue gills in his 55 g till they got too big and started trying to eat everything in sight then he put them out in the pond. He has also collected some Shiners and such and I think he had tried a Rainbow Trout once before as well or it could have been a Cutthroat ( I can't remember and I never saw it personally ). If I remember right it didn't take too well to the confinement and the warmer water once Spring and Summer kicked in.


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## TetraFreak (Mar 15, 2006)

Please don't even try this.

The Tank requirements for a trout would be HUGE! they need lots of space and anything as far as the Home Aquarium would be far too small and thus would not be good and likely stress the poor fish out beyond belief.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

yeah some of my relatives kept a largemouth bass in a 55g. he was not a very happy!!

You can put anything IN anything if you have no conscience. It's a matter of how healthy you want the fish to be. I don't think this is possible in your home. Unless of course you live at a public aquarium....

I agree with Tetra Freak...NOT a good idea.

like keeping an alligator in your bathtub. Well, not quite.
or a lion in the backyard in a chainlink fence...
you get the picture?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Hi Gabe,

I can see the appeal in these beautiful fish, and it is possible, but it would cost a lot of money for a large tank, a chiller, etc.
Without going that route, it probably wouldn't go too well, as the others stated.

The other thing to think about is the legality of keeping native fish in your state. They all vary, so you'd have to check that out as well.

How about trying a regular tropical fish that looks similar to the RT?


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

oh. set up a river tank with a couple "big" powerheads on one end and returns on the other. Then get a big chiller.
I'd probably go with a min of 180g 72x24x24.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

I've done it.

First time I saw it done was when I was in jr. high and a few of us went collecting in a drained irrigation ditch and caught things in some of the shallow standing puddles that remained. We mostly caught a lot of lampreyes, leeches, etc...but came back with a juvenile rainbow (probably 5-6"). We put it in a longer tank in the room with a UGF and a couple powerheads at one end blowing toward the opposite end. It did great for the rest of the year until we released it.

I also kept one for a short while about a year or so ago, and it did great until I released it as well. And actually, I just picked up a 5' tank and was planning on setting it up as a native system with a trout as well. The keys are cold, clean (well-filtered), and well-oxygenated water. I have an unheated basement, which helps keep temps in the 60's and low- to mid-50's in the winter. If you don't have any of these, aside from a chiller would be the old mini-fridge or freezer option, where you take one of those mini refridgerators or spare freezer, drill a couple holes in them, and then cram them full of tubing running from the sump back to the main tank. Seal the entrance and exit holes well around the edges (obviously). This way, you are exposing the water to as much cold air as possible and hopefully it will help with cooling the water (although it might just be by a few degrees). Also, I would insulate the tank (and sump if you have one) to help hold the temperature down. Acrylic has more of an insulating nature than glass, so you might consider than when choosing your tank.

As for current, I think this depends on where you catch the fish (river/stream vs. lake), but more is probably better as it will increase surface agitation and oxygenation. As for some good flow creators, here are some options:

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_powerheads_pumps_icecap_ecotech_marine_vortech_propeller.asp

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_powerheads_pumps_taam_seio.asp?CartId=

I wouldn't go with anything less than a 4' tank, and I think more flow is better because they will tend to swim more stationary on the edge of the current and lower flow area (just like in the wild). However, they are still active fish, so the more room the better. Going with the largest tank and smallest specimen will be the best.

I would get as small a fish as you can--whatever the minimum size limit is in the fishing regulations of your state. As far as collecting rules, just follow the fishing regs and you'll be okay (around here it's a single barbless hook). Get a cooler and battery-powered air pump (and maybe some bags of ice) to keep it good for the way home, and make it as short a trip as possible (I generally have to take them about 20-30 minutes from river to tank). I like to collect larvae and whatnot in the streams, but earthworms and nightcrawlers are always greedily taken.


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## nonamethefish (Feb 25, 2004)

Maybe consider one of the Barilius species? Often called Hillstream trout.


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## fishfry (Apr 15, 2004)

There are many interesting native and invasive species that can be kept in the home aquarium. Always remember to only collect what is legal and with a proper fishing license. A really cool trout tank would be a bullnose racetrack so they can swim in loops.

Some examples from SoCal:

Red Shiner - invasive










Fathead Minnow - invasive










Arroyo Chub - native










Partially-Plated Stickleback - native


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