Species

Pumpkinseed

Lepomis gibbosus

moderatesemi aggressivemiddle swimmerCentrarchidae
Add to my tank
Pumpkinseed
Tank length
120 cmabout 4 ft (47 in)
Start with
1
Temperature
4–22 °C39–72 °F
pH
7–7.5
Adult size
15 cm6 in
Lifespan
6–12 yrs

Colourful coldwater sunfish that eats snails and small fish; needs an unheated tank and space for its territory.Colourful coldwater sunfish that eats snails and small fish; needs an unheated tank and space for its territory.

Tank sizes

Good tankmates

Avoid with

Data used by the planner
Temperature4–22AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low confidence
pH7–7.5AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence
Hardness (dGH)10–15AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence
OriginEastern North America; introduced in Europecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence
Beginner friendlyNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Care levelmoderatecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Activitymoderatecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Swimming levelmiddlecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Temperamentsemi aggressivecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Nips finsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Long finsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
TerritorialYescurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Lives in groupsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Minimum group1curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Dietcarnivorecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Lifespan (years)6–12curated-v0 (needs expert review); agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence
Months to adult size24curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence
Safe with plantsYescurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Minimum tank length120curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence