Pygmy Sunfish Care Guide

Written by Simona Pavlovic in Aquatic Pets

Pygmy Sunfish are good, peaceful neighbors in a community fish tank. They are also hardy and undemanding, although they can be picky with their food and, ideally, they do 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 getting 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 adaptable and hardy and in captivity.

Pygmy Sunfish do not like bright light, so their 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
Lifespan: 2 – 3 years
Adult size: 1 – 1.5 in (3 – 4 cm)
Diet: omnivore

What Do Pygmy Sunfish Eat?

Pygmy Sunfish require 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 also acceptable.

The following are great options for Pygmy sunfish:

Pygmy Sunfish dwell on 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. Like with other fish, feed them once or twice a day and avoid giving them more than what they can eat within 2-3 minutes.

Life Span

Pygmy Sunfish live anywhere from one year to two and a half years, depending on the variation, or species.

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.

How To Maintain A Good Tank Environment For Pygmy Sunfish

Pygmy Sunfish do not need a warmer unless your home is routinely 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 change 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 less than 10 gallons, pay great attention to the temperature and other parameters, because the environment is more sensitive to any slight changes due to a small volume of water.

If you are starting a new fish community, this Marina aquarium kit is a great option. It comes with a filter and energy-efficient light and you can choose the size (5, 10, or 20 gallons) that works for your home.

What Do Pygmy Sunfish Need In The Fish Tank?

  • You could have a warmer for the stability of the water temperature but Pygmy Sunfish do 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. This Cascade filter provides good bio, chemical, and mechanical filtration for a small aquarium (up to 10 gallons).
  • 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.
  • If you are comfortable with maintaining natural plants, those are a great option
  • 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, 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 Asian Stone Catfish

Pygmy Sunfish are shy and peaceful. They are not fin-nipping fish, nor do they 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 more species. 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.

As always, select other fish species that need similar water parameters to keep everyone healthy and happy.

Some excellent tankmates for Pygmy Sunfish include the following:

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 Alone?

Pygmy Sunfish do okay on their own but it is better to have at least two so they can keep each other company. They don’t need to have tank mates of other species to be happy but do well with many other species of 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 challenging to keep. Their behavior can be interesting and male sunfishes come in beautiful colors. These undemanding fish can make a great addition to a community fish tank.

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