Breeding Gambusia as feeders?

[Teamsherman]

Hi guys,

I know Gambusia aren't a very popular fish, but to save me spending a fortune on feeders for my turtles, I'd like to know where in Sydney (East Hills area) I can catch them and what's the best method to do so? I've got a quiet little spot with filtration ect in my man cave to breed them and I can assure you none will ever escape or be released anywhere unless they've been digested first!

What sort of plants will they like to hide in to give birth?

I'm planning on medically treating the first caught batch and purging them with decent guppy feed for a few weeks before they go anywhere near my turtles.

Any help would be greatly appreciated not only by me but Pebbles and BamBam aswell (my turtles)..

Cheers,

Alan.

[danielsplakat]

i like how you put your wife in your interests haha!

[Ducksta]

Mate I dont know East Hills but pretty much every bit of fresh water is plagued with them.

Run a fine net through a weedy patch and you're golden.

Just make sure to know what you are looking for and if you scoop gudgeons or something non-invasive just move to a different area.

Breeding them is going to be a low yeild thing I would think. They are prolific, but not that prolific... If it were me (and it has been in the past) I'd be looking at catching and quarantining big numbers of them at a time. Medicate them with something general purpose like multicure - then gut load them with a decent food and let the turtles at them.

[Rod54]

You need to understand they are a noxious fish....possession for any purpose is illegal....even as Live food

Breeding them at home is a big No-No....legally

It is unfortunate that is illegal to collect noxious fish and use the resource....but totally legal to catch native species to use for food

I've discussed this issue with authorities.....their argument is they allowed noxious fish to be collected for feeding/commercial exploitation

then some less principled individuals may seed local water-ways......they have caught people doing this with aquarium plants!!

[Teamsherman]

Hmm, I'll have to weigh up the pro's and cons of it all then.

Any recommendations for an easier less illegal fish to buy and breed? I remember years ago it was convicts, but I have a huge soft spot in my heart for them so won't be able to do it to them.

So yeah, any others that will fit the bill?

[gillsysyd]

Multicure is pretty useless, you need to treat for worms, and parasites more so than disease as i'm not aware of any fish disease passable to reptiles. However worms and parasites are a different story.

Turtles can get Ich but that's more than likely in your water, just whatever you do keep away from goldfish.

D

[joller]

i found that endlers guppies multiply quicker than regular guppies, the strain that i have show very little interest in eating their own young

[Teamsherman]

I've got some Endlers guppies now with a pregnant female that's dropped 2 bubs in the last 8 hours. I have a fry tank ready for them all but I'll give her another 12 hours or so to drop more if she has any.

[malawi sand diver]

I remember I went on a holiday to Eaglereach resort in the Hunter Valley a couple of years back, high up on the ridge there are a 2 ponds with great native species all around. The last place you would think there were gambusia, but they are there in their thousands. A symbol of how far they have spread.

Near where I work, I have seen them in brackish water of Lane Cove River, but there are native freshwater gudgeons there aswell.

[Teamsherman]

My preggers female only dropped 2 bubs which are in their rearing tank out in the garage. I've got 3 females and about 6 male Endlers so I'm hoping to slowly get a steady supply of babies, I'm in no rush, my turtles eat just about anything I give them anyway.

[gillsysyd]

Near where I work, I have seen them in brackish water of Lane Cove River, but there are native freshwater gudgeons there aswell.

Are you sure they weren't blue eyes, heaps of them around lane cove estuaries and water coarses.

[rowie]

i have kept and breed alot of africans in my turtle pond or ex turtle pond some ahole stole my turtle

but anyway i used to breed electric yellows and livingstonii in the pond with the turtle all year round including winter when the water was close to 10 degrees

if you have a big enough pond i'd throw aroun 20 guppies in with him with a few stacked rocks for them to hide i stacked rocks in the middle of my pond to make him a sunning rock which had plenty of hidey holes in it while i was feeding him any poor quality fry i had he seemed to have plenty of guppies in with him at all times and wouldn't of gone hungry

[malawi sand diver]

Hi Gillsysyd

It was about 2 years ago, I was on the banks of Lane Cove River and the fish was the same size as the Gambusia but had a gudgeon shape and I remember it had red on its fins. A very nice little fish. I think it was either the Empire Gudgeon or Firetail Gudgeon. Good to see they are still there competing with the gambusia and the large Koi that now live in the river.

Regards, Rob

[cobaltcraig]

Gambusia breed every 6 weeks ,and when the fry is 6 weeks old it is breeding as well

In a previous life I have six barrells in the yard set up I would deplete barrell one leaving a small amount of stock and then move on from barrell to barrell

But I would go normal guppies as they are polific breeders as well

Cheers

Craig

[Citypainter]

If you wanted to see Gambusia in the wild they are under the bridge at the bottom of Mars road, Padstow. Also in the creek behind the bowling club at Revesby on Uranus Rd.

[mdk54]

i have kept and breed alot of africans in my turtle pond or ex turtle pond some ahole stole my turtle

but anyway i used to breed electric yellows and livingstonii in the pond with the turtle all year round including winter when the water was close to 10 degrees

if you have a big enough pond i'd throw aroun 20 guppies in with him with a few stacked rocks for them to hide i stacked rocks in the middle of my pond to make him a sunning rock which had plenty of hidey holes in it while i was feeding him any poor quality fry i had he seemed to have plenty of guppies in with him at all times and wouldn't of gone hungry

That's awesome they survived the winter. I wonder what temp the water would get down to in Sydney?