cprize Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 Hi all, i was wondering what type of conditions the aussie bullrout prefers? PH levels etc..havnt heard much about this fish, planning on getting one.. Thanks. Also anybody who keeps them, feel free to share your info :D thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danpri Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 I think it's a brackish water fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeyBoyR Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 My advice to you is ... don't get stung Sootie, one of our sponsors, got stung by one when I was over his house once. Not a pleasant experience apparently, and his hand went red and swollen too! Generally speaking though, most aussie natives prefer slightly brackish waster but I cannot advise specifically on the bullrout as it is not commonly available to LFS for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cprize Posted December 4, 2005 Author Share Posted December 4, 2005 LoL, yeah ive heard their sting can be pretty nasty..i have come across two bullrouts, $30 each at about 10-12cm.. I might purchase them.. theyre really odd looking, also attractive in a way..i couldnt find any info on them being kept in captivity lol.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batters Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 there real hardy just stick them in the water you've got and the'll be fine, though neurtal to alkaline would be best. i'd suggest keeping them in freshwater as thats the easiest. they live in both freshwater and brackish water, most commonly found in brakish. you wont need a heater either. to bad you guys have to pay for them i'd just catch em myself. cheers mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Just remember that the Bullrout is a fresh water relative of the infamous stone fish and as such actually has venom glands, not just slimey spines like a catfish. I have never kept large ones my self (only the cute little guys), but some of the local club members kept specimens that were collected on club field trips. Easy to keep but need live food, and I wouldn't say that they were all that common, even in their natural range. Deffinately a conversation piece ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waterboy Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I had a friend who used to collect them. Very hardy, he used to keep them with large Cichlids If your gonna get them from your LFS then make sure they're eating frozen or pellets... you don't wanna be spending money on live feeders.... They also get to a healthy size, largest i've seen was about 12in long.. I still reckon the lionfish sting hurts more (speaking from experience) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danpri Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 How did you manage to get stung by both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waterboy Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I got stung by the Bullrout, i was at a mates and was trying to catch a fish and the bugger came at me.. With the lionfish, i was at work and cleaning out the lionfish tank i started talking to a customer and wasn't paying attention I got a shot of pethedine and the pain was still there , 9hours later the pain finally started going.... I have learnt my lesson....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danpri Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Don't give up now! You might be able to get stung by a stonefish, blue ring occy and then hit the talk shows as the " Hazardous Fish Wrangler" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waterboy Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 No thanks I think i have had enough pain to last me a life time...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batters Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 yer there not that common compared to other fish you find with them, but either are stonefish. think there doing fine just not a prolific fish. the easiest way to feed them would be to get some worms breeding in your garden, they love them. does anyone know how north these guys r? i'll be moving to townsville soon and hopefully setting up again n might keep a mix of cichlids/natives depending on what i can catch. cheers mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guido58 Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Has anybody breed bull rout in captivity and any hints would be of interest. I think these would be great in an Australian biotope aquarium along with the mouth almighty. Animal cruelty guidelines prohibit the feeding of live vertebrates to other animals. We discourage this practice and will remove posts, which indicate its implementation without notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronskwod Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 I have a bullrout in my 6x2 native tank. its about 20cm's long. his tank mates currently are a 30cm saratoga jardini, a 30cm giant gudgeon (oxyeleotris selheimi), a 20cm neosilurus ater, and a few large redclaw crayfish. Bullrouts like a ph of anywhere between 6.8 to 8.4, just make sure you acclimatise them slowly if you have a differing ph than the water they came from, i keep mine in water with a ph of about 8 and a salt level of about 5grams per litre. I hand feed my bullrout large green prawns every couple of days or so, they dont need alot of food because they dont move much, they are predatory ambush feeders in the wild and tend to gorge themselves and then not eat for a couple of days, although they will adapt to eating small amounts every day in captivity. They will tolerate freshwater through to heavily brackish water easily. their natural range of distribution in the wild is on the east coast, approximately from the south coast of NSW up to around the daintree area (near cairns) in Nth QLD. When startled or threatened they grunt loudly, mine does this when he occassionally gets chased by my catfish, and also when he takes the food from my fingers when feeding, although i like to think its him trying to say thankyou for the food! I've caught quite a few in fresh water creeks around where i live (northern NSW), they are quite abundant in my area and easy to catch at night with a hand net. Be carefull when netting though as their spines can get badly tangled in fine netting and make it bloody hard to get them out of the net. The easiest way to catch them is to walk along a shallow creek a few hours after dark with a bright torch AND dont forget to wear shoes, old sneakers will do. Its really easy to spot them sitting on the bottom, usually leaning up against rocks or wood as they lay their pectoral fins flat and they look like tiny shells on the bottom. They tend not to move once they have been discovered, so slowly place the net right in front of them with the end of the net resting on the bottom, then proceed to give them a tap on the tail with the tip of your shoe and they swim flat out straight into the net! They adapt well to aquarium life although some take along time to accept frozen food. One bullrout i caught took about 2 months before he ate anything, i was starting to get worried and then one day he just started scoffing down frozen krill. Dont be alarmed if this happens as they can go for months without food. That little guy was my favourite until the barramundi i had at the time ate him one day when i was at work. Their colour and patterning can vary greatly depending on where you collect them. Overal they are a great pet and make a really cool looking rock shaped ornament that occassionally moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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