transistor Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Hi everyone, i am wanting to start a natives tank after a small disaster with my cichlids. i have set up my 6x2x2 again and was after some help with suggestions as to which fish i should keep. I was wanting a saratoga but have been dissuaded after talking to a few different ppl. I am interested in getting some archers and barramundi but would also like to know what other fish could be kept happily with them to make an interesting tank. Your thoughts.... Thanks in advance Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 May I ask how you were dissuaded in getting a saratoga? Their aggressiveness? IMHO they're one of the more interesting big native fish, who actually swim around in a tank. From my experience, barramundi, golden perch, bass, murray cod etc tend to just sit in a corner when they're larger and only move to feed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transistor Posted September 24, 2005 Author Share Posted September 24, 2005 Hi schmuck I have asked a few ppl at fish shops and mates that have had them and they have told me they are good when they are young but get really expensive to feed as they grow. Also from what i understand it is hard to house other fish with them. i would rather have a few fish in the tank than just the one. Cheers chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Gun_Riff Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 get a mangrove jack nothing will go in with it but they are the best native IMO but i say go for a yellow belly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_1 Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 u can keep archer fish with a saratoga they go fine together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannula Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 I agree with the Mangrove Jack. I believe them to be a great native with lots of personality, wish I had a large enough tank for one. If you wanted multiple fish I'd go with a Sleeper Cod, three Snake-Headed Gudgeons and some mid to top water fish too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 I have asked a few ppl at fish shops and mates that have had them and they have told me they are good when they are young but get really expensive to feed as they grow. Also from what i understand it is hard to house other fish with them. i would rather have a few fish in the tank than just the one. They would be just as expensive to feed as any other big native (barras, jacks etc). Bulk packets of whitebait/prawns, dig up some worms and a few kgs of protein pellets would give you a reasonably varied diet without much damage to the wallet. It would be harder to house a jack with other fish than with a toga. You could go with a huge planted, rainbow fish tank if you want something at the other end of the spectrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Salita Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 you could go for a few smaller more active aussie.new guinea natives.... rainbows, peacock gudgeons, blue eyes, various other gudgeons and gobies, galaxias.... would be a lively colourful tank, and you could keep plants too. nor would they be expensive to feed. HTH, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpig Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Peter_gun_riff's right, Jacks are the best native. really active, great colours and aggressive as hell! Other natives, if you want really good colours have a look at a coal grunter, they have really beautiful colours right the way through their lives and they aren't super aggro. (STG had them when I was their on Sat, $18 a pop I think) Jungle pearch are also really cool looking fish IMO. Bit more expencive but they look good. I have a 25cm very placid sooty (sooky) grunter I want to get rid of at the moment if you're interesect, it's been housed with a whole heap of smaller fish and has only eatern them when I have gone away and left them with no food... A very strange but cool fish. If you want something really odd get some crazy fish or Butis butis. They're pretty ugly but they are absoloutely fasinating in my eyes. their colour changes and territorial behaviour is fascinating as is the way they stalk their prey! Mick Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakes Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 have to agree with Mick about the coal grunter, the patterning is really striking and makes for an impressive display fish. The red scat is colourful and makes a good community fish. If you like weird, check out the Mouth Almighty (Glossamia aprion). Have seen them for sale now and then but don't know how difficult they are to feed and maintain. glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 From my experience, barramundi, golden perch, bass, murray cod etc tend to just sit in a corner when they're larger and only move to feed. I agree with all of this except for the barra, they are quite active when healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I like coal grunters and mangrove jacks. However Jason's suggestion is the way I'd go if I set up a native tank again. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transistor Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 Thanks for all the help guys Will be going to auburn and perhaps manly aquarium on the weekend to see whats available Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo42au Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 I currently have a 4 foot native tank. I have 2 small barramundi, a purple spot gudgeon and 2 monos. As it is a transitional thing i also have 6 tiger barbs and 3 bristlenose. I also had a black ghost knife but my purple spotted gudgeon had it for dinner. The purple just grabbed hold of the BGK tail and swung its head back and forth until the BGK stopped swimming and then it SLOWLY ate it. The BGK was about the same size as the purple spot. Not to dissuade you from them though, purple spots are a really cool fish with striking colours. They get to about 17cm, but that is rare in aquaria. Barramundi as you well know get to about 6 foot and quite obviously require larger aquaria to house them. Anything less than a 10x2x2 is to small for a lifelong commitment. But if your like me and love the fish then keep them while they are small and when they get too big just eat them. The monos, argenteus i think, are really peaceful fish. They are like a cross between a discus and a silver dollar. Grow to about 15cm high. Mine are really greedy, they just gorge themselves on all the food and after feeding they have these huge stomachs, but because they are so fast i really cant do anything about it. While not required, a live diet will enhance the quality of your fish. I started my barramundi and gudgeon on pellets when they were really small but now, at about 10-12cm i am feeding them feeder barbs twice a week as well as some pellets with the main brood. Natives would have to be by far my fish of choice, except for my BGK which was sad, i almost ripped the gudgeon apart. Whats good about keeping some of the larger natives is that you also have a wide selection of inverts to choose from. The variety of crayfish and yabbies available is awesome and i especially like the red claw crayfish and the blue yabbie. Other fish you could possibly try are the pacific blue eye, they are a small coldwater fish. But seeming as though you have a large tank i would have to go along with the suggestions above and say grunters, gudgeons and perch like fishes are your best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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