Pygmy sunfish are peaceful neighbors in a community fish tank. They are also hardy and undemanding, although they can be picky with their food and, ideally, they need live plants in the tank. In general, however, Pygmy sunfish is a great option if you are a novice fish keeper or want to avoid needing a lot of equipment for your tank.
Pygmy sunfish are timid, peaceful fish native to the south and the southeast USA. Their natural environment is slow-moving fresh water, often marshes or lakes, and rivers with heavy vegetation.
Pygmy sunfish are hardy and they adapt to their environment well.
This species of fish does not like bright light. Its ideal environment in the aquarium should include plenty of plants and some decorations to provide areas to hide in the lower part of the fish tank. They do fine with having just two fish of this species in a tank, although a bigger tank and more fish of the same kind is best.
7 Kinds/Species of Pygmy Sunfish
Pygmy sunfish belong to the genus Elassoma. There are seven species in the genus, all are native to North America:
- Elassoma alabamae (Spring Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma evergladei (Everglades Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma boehlkei (Carolina Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma gilberti (Gulf Coast Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma okatie (Bluebarred Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma okefenokee (Okefenokee Pygmy sunfish)
- Elassoma zonatum (Banded Pygmy sunfish)
Pygmy Sunfish: Basic Parameters
| Water temperature: 50° – 86° F (10° – 30° C) |
| Minimum tank size: 10 gallons (38 L) for a school of 4-6 fish |
| Ph: 6.0 – 7.5 |
| Hardness: dH 5-12 |
| Lifespan: 2 – 3 years |
| Adult size: 1 – 1.5 in (3 – 4 cm) |
| Diet: omnivore |
How Big Do Pygmy Sunfish Get?
A grown Pygmy sunfish can reach a length of 1.5 in (a little under 4 cm).
Banded Pygmy sunfish and Bluebarred Pygmy sunfish are the longest. Spring Pygmy sunfish is among the shortest species of the genus. They do not usually grow over one inch (2.5 cm).
What Do Pygmy Sunfish Eat?
Pygmy sunfish requires a meaty diet. They also don’t like pellets or other typical store-bought fish food. Instead, they prefer live worms, insects, and shrimp, frozen meat is acceptable.
The following are great options for Pygmy sunfish:
- baby brine shrimp
- daphnia
- bloodworms
- dry insects
- mosquito larvae
Pygmy sunfish dwell at the bottom and in the middle of the tank, so it is important to see that they eat their food and that other, more adroit, tankmates do not outcompete them. Feed them once or twice a day and avoid giving them more than they can eat within 2-3 minutes.
Life Span
Pygmy sunfish live from one year to two and a half years, depending on the variation.
In general, Pygmy sunfish are very hardy, healthy fish, as long as their diet is optimal and the conditions in the aquarium are good.
If you are adding any new fish to an already established fish community, always quarantine newly arrived fish to avoid inadvertently introducing disease to your fish tank.
Pygmy Sunfish: Male vs Female
Various species of the genus do not look the same but share features that allow us to generalize the visual differences between male and female Pygmy Sunfish.
Across different species of Pygmy sunfish, males are larger than females.
Everglades Pygmy sunfish (Elassoma evergladei) – the most popular Pygmy sunfish has brown, plain females and brown with blue, or iridescent males. Male specimens also have larger tails and fins.
Other species of Pygmy sunfish generally share the same distinction between male and female fish. Females are more uniform in color, while males have brighter, more complex coloration and more luxurious fins and tails.
How To Maintain A Good Tank Environment For Pygmy Sunfish
Pygmy sunfish do not need a warmer unless your home is regularly colder than room temperature. 50° – 86° F (10° – 30° C) is an acceptable range for these fish. They are also hardy enough to tolerate a wide range of pH: 6.0 – 7.5.
Since their natural habitat includes slow-moving waters in ponds and rivers, Pygmy Sunfish do not like bubbles or a lot of movement in their tank. Keep filtration moderate and have plenty of vegetation or artificial plants in the aquarium to diffuse movement.
30-40% water changes about once every other week is usually sufficient to keep the water clean unless you have other, messier inhabitants in your community fish tank.
What Is The Minimum Tank Size For Pygmy Sunfish?
Across the species of the Elassoma genus, Pygmy sunfish are small and usually grow up to 1.5 inches (3-4 cm).
5 gallons is sufficient room for a small school of four. Usually, these peaceful fish are kept with other fish species, so a more spacious fish tank might be necessary.
If your aquarium is smaller than 10 gallons, pay attention to the temperature and other parameters, because the environment is more sensitive to any slight changes due to a small volume of water.
What Do Pygmy Sunfish Need In The Fish Tank?
Pygmy sunfish are among the less demanding fish species, perfect for people who want to avoid buying a lot of equipment for their aquarium. Some items, however, are important for the well-being of these fish.
- You can use a warmer to provide more water temperature stability but Pygmy sunfish do quite well without a water heater.
- A biological filter is important. Some filters also perform mechanical cleaning and remove debris and large particles, which is helpful.
- A bubbler is not essential if there is some movement in the water but a small aeration pump is easy to add and is generally beneficial for your fish.
- Sandy substrate is a good option for Pygmy sunfish and is easier to maintain for most fish keepers than dirt/mud substrate which Pygmy sunfish also enjoy.
- Decorations and artificial plants provide hiding spots and things to explore for your pet fish. Having a good selection of dark hiding places, for example, a hollow-tree-type decoration, is essential to the well-being of this species since they need to hide and rest during the day.
- Ideally, Pygmy sunfish need live plants in their fish tank. Java moss is a good classic plant that is well-liked by these fish. Taiwan lilies and dwarf hair grass are also excellent options.
Community Fish That Can Live With Pygmy Sunfish
Pygmy sunfish are shy and peaceful. They are not fin-nipping fish and do not attack other fish in community tanks. They generally prefer to be left alone, too.
They should be the only bottom and lower-middle-dwelling species in your aquarium unless your aquarium is large and can accommodate others. If so, Pygmy sunfish would probably live well with bottom-dwelling Asian Stone Catfish. Both species need ample room for hiding and do not like bright light.
Select other fish species that need similar water parameters to keep everyone healthy and happy in your fish tank.
Some excellent tankmates for Pygmy sunfish include the following:
- Clown Killifish
- Japanese Ricefish
- Asian Stone Catfish
- Celestial Pearl Danios
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows
- Bloodfin Tetra
- Rosy Red Minnow
- Gold barb
All these fish species are easy to maintain and are great for novice fish keepers. Most are also coldwater fish, which makes having a heater not necessary.
Can Pygmy Sunfish Live with Cherry Shrimp?
In terms of water parameters, Cherry shrimp and Pygmy sunfish are compatible. The following parameters would be comfortable for both species:
| Water temperature: 60° – 82° F (16° – 28° C) |
| Ph: 6.5 – 7.5 |
| Hardness: dH 6-12 |
As for their personalities, Pygmy sunfish and Cherry shrimp can live together peacefully. If you are interested in breeding Pygmy sunfish, however, Cherry shrimp might eat their eggs and fry. Keeping them together might not work in that case.
Cherry shrimp and Pygmy sunfish both like and benefit from worms, bloodworms, in particular, so the two species might compete for meaty food. It would be important to ensure both get sufficient amounts of food.
Can Pygmy Sunfish Live Alone?
Pygmy sunfish do okay on their own but it is better to have at least two to keep each other company. They don’t need to have tank mates of another species to be happy but do well with many different fish as discussed above.
Breeding Pygmy Sunfish
If the environmental conditions are right, female Pygmy sunfish spawn eggs near or under live plants. Males guard the eggs until they hatch about 48 hours after being deposited.
You can separate the fry from the parents and place them into a new container. Otherwise, they are likely to be eaten by grown-up fish of their species.
Fry need to eat infusoria before they can start eating newly hatched brine shrimp and other foods suitable for meat-eating juveniles.
In Conclusion
Pygmy sunfish can be picky eaters but are not difficult to maintain. Their behavior can be interesting to observe. Male sunfishes come in beautiful colors. These undemanding fish can make a great addition to a community fish tank.
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