# Native Fish



## Reptile_Boy (Apr 13, 2010)

Wondering if anybody keeps australian natives such as barra seratoga pearch etc.

would love to see some photos of setups

Cheers

Damien


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## bk201 (Apr 13, 2010)

Reptile_Boy said:


> Wondering if anybody keeps australian natives such as barra seratoga pearch etc.
> 
> 
> 
> Damien


 yes


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## Sock Puppet (Apr 13, 2010)

Yep I have been keeping Aussie natives for a while now. Over the years had a number of different species, archer fish, freshwater mullet, sleepy cod, various rainbows, various gudgeons, various catfish etc. Was even breeding Purple Spotted Gudgeon for a while.

Currently have Purple Spotted Gudgeon, Empire Gudgeon, & a couple of large Snakehead Gudgeon (sleepy cod pics below are old, but I love em so...)


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## Robo1 (Apr 13, 2010)

Check the thread  Some Of My Fish


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## Tsubakai (Apr 14, 2010)

I have snakehead gudgeons, salmontail cats, tarpon, silver scat and sleepy cod at the moment. No photos though as I am too lazy.


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## slim6y (Apr 14, 2010)

I had barra for quite some time...


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## Reptile_Boy (Apr 14, 2010)

i remember some one having barra in a pool was that you slimey


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## Waterrat (Apr 14, 2010)

We have some nice rainbows in our creeks.


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## Reptile_Boy (Apr 14, 2010)

there some nice fish water, i like the meaner natives more though


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## Waterrat (Apr 14, 2010)

few more.


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## Sock Puppet (Apr 14, 2010)

Nice rainbows Michael, do you also get Jungle Perch locally?

Tsubakai, do you give the sleepy cod feeder fish? Does it change colour when hunting? (refer my pics above, the pic with the sandy back it was stalking some small barbs). I was wondering if this is a typical trait or maybe not all of them do it. Mine only ever lit up when stalking fish, never with other foods like worms, grubs, or crickets.


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## chondrogreen (Apr 14, 2010)

Will have silver perch, rainbow trout & yabbies as soon as I set my aquaponics tank up.
Only difference is I will be raising them to eat


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## Sock Puppet (Apr 14, 2010)

chondrogreen said:


> Will have silver perch, rainbow trout & yabbies as soon as I set my aquaponics tank up.
> Only difference is I will be raising them to eat


Let me know when you have excess yabbies, Chondro, happy to pick em up


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## Waterrat (Apr 14, 2010)

Sock Puppet said:


> Nice rainbows Michael, do you also get Jungle Perch locally?




Yes, they are common in all the creeks draining to the Gulf.


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## morgs202 (Apr 14, 2010)

I used to keep quite a few natives, not any more though as I sold my six foot tank... Many of them are extremely interesting however. Probably the coolest thing I ever had was a brackish set up with a bar tailed flathead, a moses perch, a small bullrout, a frogfish and a snakehead gudgeon. Also have kept all sorts of grunter, murray cod, bass, monos, archers, scats, eels, and the most recent one (before selling the tank) was a large mangrove jack...


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## slim6y (Apr 14, 2010)

Reptile_Boy said:


> i remember some one having barra in a pool was that you slimey



Yes - a 3.6m diameter pool 

They grew quickly and were quite happy - but..... An issue occured, and they died on a very hot November's day.... Sad


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## slim6y (Apr 14, 2010)

morgs202 said:


> I used to keep quite a few natives, not any more though as I sold my six foot tank... Many of them are extremely interesting however. Probably the coolest thing I ever had was a brackish set up with a bar tailed flathead, a moses perch, a small bullrout, a frogfish and a snakehead gudgeon. Also have kept all sorts of grunter, murray cod, bass, monos, *archers*, *scats*, eels, and the most recent one (before selling the tank) was a large mangrove jack...



I tried as hard as I could to get some archers.... but it wasn't that easy 

So I then tried for the scats... same thing... I ended up with a toad fish or two though - they were funny... I even tried garfish as well....

I still would love archer fish - any ideas on the best way to keep them?


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## chondrogreen (Apr 14, 2010)

Barra is $33 a kg here atm.
Wish I had the room to grow out thousands of fingerling as I love eating them


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## kupper (Apr 14, 2010)

Thousands of fingerlings would soon turn to a couple of hundred chondro canablistic little bastards


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## Waterrat (Apr 14, 2010)

slim6y said:


> I still would love archer fish - any ideas on the best way to keep them?




They're not too hard to keep but get them from 100% freshwater, not from brackish. I caught some at Little River near Croydon (you don't have to go that far) and they did quite well in a large tank. Some shops in Cairns are selling them, I think the _Ultimate Aquariums_ in Hoar St. have them from time to time.


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## chondrogreen (Apr 14, 2010)

Thats why I'd start off with so many.
If I had the room & heating sorted I'd do it. They are fast growing and I have heard reach plate size at 6 months.
I could harvest 1/2 for myself (prob last me a year lol) and still grow plenty up to big weight for later.


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## guzzo (Apr 14, 2010)

I have a barra (15cm) in an outside pond. Hiding at the moment. Will try to get a photo tonight.


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## Specks (Apr 14, 2010)

i have a bass. quite a cool fish. my tank was looking awesome with native weeds from the creek and that in the tank so it was real dense and weeds growing on a rock. but i gave it a bit of a trim and is growing back fast .i had about 15 -20 little native fish from the creek about 2cm long. two weeks from him being in there. 1 left. there is one left because it is too big for him to eat. also i get lots of freshwater shrimp from the creek and he demolishes them. the creek is freshwater just to let you know. awesome array of fish in their. bass, perch, mullet little natives. also ewd's, kreffts river turtles, eastern bearded dragons. beardies around the creek. not so common though

great for snorkleing. it is a really smalll creak but about 2 m deep. good fun looking at turtles and ewd's underwater and seeing how many fish there are. will blow peoples minds

btw for people that are interested where this is. currumbin valley


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## morgs202 (Apr 14, 2010)

slim6y said:


> I tried as hard as I could to get some archers.... but it wasn't that easy
> 
> So I then tried for the scats... same thing... I ended up with a toad fish or two though - they were funny... I even tried garfish as well....
> 
> I still would love archer fish - any ideas on the best way to keep them?


 
Yeah, they're pretty easy. As said before, try to get the pure fresh water ones, as the brackish ones seem very prone to various fungal and bacterial infections. From there its basically a case of regular maintainence and a half decent diet. I used to keep the water lever about a quarter down with mine so that I could get them easily jumping and spitting for food. Also, even with the fully fresh water ones I found a bit of salt (around 4g per liter) helped keep them extremely healthy


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## Waterrat (Apr 14, 2010)

morgs202 said:


> Also, even with the fully fresh water ones I found a bit of salt (around 4g per liter) helped keep them extremely healthy




Good idea but make sure you use an aquarium salt not the supermarket stuff.


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## Tsubakai (Apr 14, 2010)

Sock Puppet said:


> Nice rainbows Michael, do you also get Jungle Perch locally?
> 
> Tsubakai, do you give the sleepy cod feeder fish? Does it change colour when hunting? (refer my pics above, the pic with the sandy back it was stalking some small barbs). I was wondering if this is a typical trait or maybe not all of them do it. Mine only ever lit up when stalking fish, never with other foods like worms, grubs, or crickets.



No feeder fish for him for a couple of years now but he will change colour to match his background (when in a bucket during a tank change) I think most of them will do the colour change when they are trying to blend in or stressed.

He mostly eats pellets, prawns and defrosted whitebait. Don't see him much at all as he's got a fake croc skull that he loves hiding in.


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## slim6y (Apr 14, 2010)

Archer Fish - I'll wait till I can get a half decent tank - my 4 footer is only skinny and shallow - I saw a decent tank and set up for $1000 - but I just don't have that cash at the mo.

I like the 'simple' fish as well.

But as for natives - I'm going to ask it:

Is it legal to catch native fish and stock your aquarium with them?


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## cris (Apr 14, 2010)

I have kept heaps of differant species over the years(over 40 but not willing to list them all), currently i only have bullrout, purple spotted gudgeons and a crimson spotted rainbow in tanks. Im really bad at taking fish photos so dont have many pics.

A few of my favourites are
Angler Fish (saltwater)
Archer Fish
Sleepy Cod
Murray Cod
Northern Saratoga
Banded Grunter
Spangled Perch
Barra
eels


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## Cheyne_Jones (Apr 14, 2010)

slim6y said:


> Archer Fish - I'll wait till I can get a half decent tank - my 4 footer is only skinny and shallow - I saw a decent tank and set up for $1000 - but I just don't have that cash at the mo.
> 
> I like the 'simple' fish as well.
> 
> ...



As far as I know as long as you dont break any size regs and dont collect them for commercial gain, you should be safe. I have had wild Mangrove Jacks and Bream in tanks a while back, its a good way to end up with a broken tank as wild ones that are legal size are totally not used to people and go nuts when they see you.


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## cris (Apr 14, 2010)

slim6y said:


> Is it legal to catch native fish and stock your aquarium with them?



Yes, you just have to follow fishing laws, this rules out catching many larger species at a small size (once you get them home you can just say you didnt catch them). In Qld many common aquarium species have a bag limit of 20, unlisted species have no limits. Differant states have differant laws, but they would all be on the internet.


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## the-lizard-king (Apr 14, 2010)

sigh after reading this im getting the 6x 2 x 2 out i want more fish again


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## morgs202 (Apr 14, 2010)

cris said:


> I have kept heaps of differant species over the years(over 40 but not willing to list them all), currently i only have bullrout, purple spotted gudgeons and a crimson spotted rainbow in tanks. Im really bad at taking fish photos so dont have many pics.
> 
> A few of my favourites are
> Angler Fish (saltwater)
> ...


 
Finally someone else who appreciates the angler! I've had a few of these guys myself, even had a pair spawn once. They rule!!!


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## cris (Apr 14, 2010)

morgs202 said:


> Finally someone else who appreciates the angler! I've had a few of these guys myself, even had a pair spawn once. They rule!!!



Do you know where i could get one? I think the lack of appreciation is due to ignorance, many think the only live in the deep sea (i did too, untill one of my mates caught one in water 1' deep).


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## Sock Puppet (Apr 14, 2010)

Tsubakai said:


> Don't see him much at all as he's got a fake croc skull that he loves hiding in.


 That's a bit different to the one I had, a few hiding places but remained quite active. Or at least was out in full view even if just sitting there. Another thing I noticed it did when stalking fish was, if it was on the gravel, it would push itself slowly along with its pelvic fins rather than move it's tail or pectorals & give itself away.



slim6y said:


> But as for natives - I'm going to ask it:
> Is it legal to catch native fish and stock your aquarium with them?


As mentioned, yes subject to local fishing regulations. Also keep in mind the location of collection, that it is not a national park, or sanctuary or protected zone. 



cris said:


> Do you know where i could get one? I think the lack of appreciation is due to ignorance, many think the only live in the deep sea (i did too, untill one of my mates caught one in water 1' deep).


A recent photo gallery on the Sydney Morning Herald website had a great looking angler fish picture (at the end of the gallery). So they're in the harbour....although good luck finding them, their camo is as good as a leaf tail gecko! 

Sydney Harbour's underwater treasures


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## morgs202 (Apr 14, 2010)

Um, I've found them at Pet City in Mt Gravatt and Aquarama at Stafford so far. Wonderfish might be able to get them too...


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