Ash Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 EFC - you do know that pond is artifically heated by a power station & any native cold water fish would probably have carked it anyway, plus they can't exactly get away due to the water temp dropping off too much. Hey, I know all about tilapia, but this is a bit different cause at least they can't spread. I agree technically they should be culled, but I'd have a hard time doing it myself too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViS Posted March 29, 2006 Author Share Posted March 29, 2006 Sorry maybe I should have explained the situation better. Hazelwood pondage is the cooling pond for the Hazelwood power station. Cichlids can survive there because the power station keeps the pond at a constant 19 degrees or so. The surrounding waterways would get below 10 degrees in winter, killing cichlids well before that temp. There is very little chance of any tropical fish surviving out of the pond. The cichlids have well and truly taken hold in the pond. The only way to eliminate the problem is with mass extermination. The situation is tolerated because of the fact that it's a segregated, specific area and there are no native species in the pond to my knowledge. I know there are carp It's a situation where you say "It's so wrong to show such blatant disregard for exotic fish in our waterways, but on the other hand, it's pretty damn cool to go fishing for cichlids!" I have it out of my system now. Next step is to organise that trip to the Rift Lakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Hey Where exactly is this pond? Cameron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 I'm sure if you put Haselwood power station into google you might get some more info - at least enough to then go to whereis.com.au with anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy001 Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Great Pics Vis The marbled zebra's look awesome were you tempted to take any home for a display tank? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViS Posted March 29, 2006 Author Share Posted March 29, 2006 Nope not for a second. Great fun to catch, but probably mostly hybrids, and a definite threat to the hobby if mixed in with pure strains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efc01 Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Sorry i should have got some more information before i shot my mouth off. I assume then that the pondage is a man-made facility and not a natural body of water? If the water is always at 19oC it could be a great opportunity for some saratoga or murry cod to become the high order predators thus make the fishing more interesting!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McCormick Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Hi Andy & others, You can argue all day on the ethics/morality/legality of releasing the cichlids into the lake, the fact is that it is done and unfortunately what is done is done. What probably started with a few people releasing their unwanted fish has turned into a lake literally full of cichlids, we are talking thousands upon thousands, not somethiing that a handfull of fisherman can fix on a couple of fishing trips. To try to undo it would cause bigger problems than what is already there, what would the authorities try to do? poison the lake? I think not, we are not talking about a back yard pond here, this lake is huge, Andy I'm sure you would back me up on that point. I in no way condone what some twit or twits have done in the past but I can't honestly see any way of eradicating them except maybe Nile Perch only joking folks. The chances, as Andy has said of them moving out of the lake are less than remote, the water temp in the creek would be far too cold for them to survive too far down stream. On the occasions that I have been there I found the water temp to be around the 26 deg pH 8 ish, general hardness 250ppm carbonate hardness similar. Almost perfect conditions for the cichlids that are there. Hazelwood is located roughly 1 3/4 hr drive Sth East of Melbourne in the Latrobe Valley, I will attempt to attach a map. And to ID the fish in the photos here goes, The first seven fish photos are all Zebra crosses as I'm sure you will all have guessed. The next four are variants of Red Devil, you would find that the colour fades very quickly once you get them home. The next four are Tilapia mariae. Next two, back to variants of Red Devil. And finally a nigrofasciatum (convict). I also doubt very much that the mariae or the convicts have crossed with anything else as their shape and colour are nothing short of brilliant. The Red Devils, well some people have said that there may have been both citrinellum and labiatum released which would lead to the large range of colour varieties found in them, I have watched the new Nicaraguan DVD on the crater lakes of Nicaragua and it shows many colour morphs of citrinellum in the wild. I have heard many other reports of different species in Hazelwood, for instance, dovii, oscars, blue acaras, longimanus, none of which I have ever seen, this of course doesn't mean that they aren't there just that I have never seen them. So whilst we don't like what has been done it gives us a bit of fun catching cichlids "In the wild" as someone else said in this thread, and until someone comes up with a safe method of eradicating them as poisoning and culling is not the answer, we shall have to live with it. Cheers, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepperfish Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 WOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 What probably started with a few people releasing their unwanted fish has turned into a lake literally full of cichlids, we are talking thousands upon thousands, not something that a handfull of fisherman can fix on a couple of fishing trips. ← The same could be said about people catching carp on the Murray. I don't see your point. Just like they should get rid of speed camera's because it's out God given right to break that law too. The Red Devils, well some people have said that there may have been both citrinellum and labiatum released which would lead to the large range of colour varieties found in them, ← I think you will probably find that like our aquarium devils, nothing pure came in to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickgibbo Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Are there any other places across australia that are like this? Or is this the only place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisso81 Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 The Pondage Here it is fellas, just zoom out on this map, and to think I actually lived in Churchill for 4 years BEFORE I was into fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Damn... Error 500 Notification Whereis® is currently undergoing an upgrade to our service. We'll be able to help you find a location soon. In the meantime, have you been to our other sites? Click on the link below to visit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisso81 Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Here ya go bud: New map Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Thanks I'll have to take a trip next time i'm south of the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McCormick Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi Ducksta, All that I am saying is that it is not a simple matter of removing a couple of fish at a time, this will not work, however I agree if you catch any of these fish they should not be returned to the lake, it's against the law, the fact that you could fish the lake every day for the next hundred years and not even put a dent in the population, well what can I say poisoning has been mentioned as a solution to the problem, how much poison would need to be put into the lake to kill all the fish, then what happens to all the other aquatic life that inhabits the lake, and the native species that inhabit Eel Race creek downstream, from what I can see it is the only outlet from the lake. You ask what is my point what is there, is there, it isn't right that they are there but what can you do, don't go there as a protest as I said before it's a novelty and until they come up with a feasible solution they aren't going anywhere, so why not let people amuse themselves until then. As for the Red Devils I have no doubt that you are most likely correct that we may never have had true species of either in the country. I can't quite see the connection though with speed cameras and what I have said in my earlier post. Cheers, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgoid Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 given those parameters and the shots of the foreshore I can see why they have thrived so much. John a reason why you may have not seen any dovii in the system if beacuse given what is in there they are proablly the top preadators meaning they probally only occupy a small amount of the pondages population. but damm that does look like fun. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Don't mind me, I'm an idiot. I wasn't disagreeing at all. I am sure you could have daily fishing comps to see who can destroy the biggest weight in feral fish and still make no real difference. The fact is, it is a law, and that was my point initially. I guess it just reminded me about how people seem to think that Speed Camera's are just useless revenue raisers and fail to see the other side of the argument which is, no matter how good a driver you think you are, speeding is still illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efc01 Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 seriously the pond would not have to be poisoned to get rid of the cichlids, i think a few predators like the native murry cod, bass and then possibly barra could put a dent on the numbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Bass and barra need at least brackish water to spawn. Making the few released only a short term solution. And even if the Murray Cod do manage to spawn, the fry will be faced with a lot of competition for fodd and very territorial and protective cichlid parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 i think a few predators like the native murry cod, bass and then possibly barra ← Isn't that then also then putting us into the same position we are currently in - ie. introducing foreign species. Although they might be Australian natives, putting them into an area where they are not supposed to be is no better than filling the pond with cichlids, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
novafishy Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I reckon put in a native fish - Saratogas!!! That way, we can catch BETTER game fish as well. Anyone interested in a trip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoozie Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Wow! Some of those colours are great...I would never have thought that there would be cichlids living in a pond somewhere in Aus....A bit irresponsible of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwboy53 Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 i think a few predators like the native murry cod, bass and then possibly barra ← Isn't that then also then putting us into the same position we are currently in - ie. introducing foreign species. ← Cain Toads ring a bell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 RING - RING!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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