Catching Aquarium Fish

[Blucat]

Apparrently there is aquarium fish to be caught in the Australian freshwater system. There is fish like fancy guppy, white cloud minnow, rosy barb, molly, platie, swordtail, three spot gourami, native rainbowfish, native empire gudgeon, other native colourful gudgeon. What are your views on catching these fish for the aquarium? Especially the rainbow fish?

 

[TCTFish]

IMO...If the species is readily available as captive bred/farmed then I feel their wild counterparts should be left alone. Not only is it unneccissary to catch wild specimens that are widely bred in captivity, you can also easily introduce disease and parasites you do not want from wild caught animals.

 

[xray]

alot of people pay good money for F0 (wild caught) fish. Just make sure you quarentine anything for at least two weeks.

 

[RoK]

The only thing I can really think of right now is using a really big net.

 

[FishLover14]

I really dont car for wild cuaght fish and like cpative bred ones whole o better they are less suspectible to disease, paristes, etc.

This is JMHO though.

 

[Blucat]

i just really want to catch a rainbowfish. They are so beautiful especially the wild ones, and they are only sometimes available at lfs but currently they do not stock em. The only ones they've ever stocked were not brightly cloloured and looked weak.

 

[frog girl]

I don't know about Australia but here if you get caught taking fish without a license you can get in big trouble. & I am not sure rainbow fish qualify as game so you might have to apply for a special one. Best thing might be too hook up with a collector who already has the licenses and go with him/her to get your fish.

Just be sure that you aren't catching any endangered or protected species or populations. I know the rainbows over there have really different variants in terms of color depending on the watershed you are in.

 

[xahx]

Catching wild fish sounds fun!

 

[Blucat]

Its Ok here. Queensland Fisheries department allows a max of 50 rainbowfishes to be taken and anybody of any age can collect them using a trap, net or line. There are no endangered species of rainbow fish where i live. Maybe i will find some native gugeon?

 

[Blucat]

ok, well guess what! Parents are buying me a QT tank so now i can go catch some fish!!!!! I will be trying to get natives like rainbowfish, gudgeons, and pacific blue eyes! yay! ya yay ya ya

 

[ace1uno_00]

ohh sounds like fun. i wanna visit you and go fish catchin. lol
Are you going to go diving for hem?

 

[Blucat]

no... hmmm freshwater fishing, only little fish, creek/stream shallow,

using a net, bait, and a wire box! yay ayay it will be fun until i have to wade into the water. that im not looking forward to. but nevertheless, free cool fish

 

[Felf]

i personally like the "chum" method. throw a piece of bread into the water then scoop and reuse the bread.

 

[Blucat]

thanx ill try that! i will be catching my fish as soon as i get a filter for the QT.

 

[mattrox]

Get a live bait trap from the tackle store... those plastic ones you can put bread in.

use as many ways as you can and get piccies of you doing it. I like fishing photos! LOL

You will also get glass fish, depending on where you go, but I have seen them in fresh, brackish and salt. We caught them with mullet in a cast net in Darwin in the SW.

 

[Blucat]

hey mattrox i never actually realised you cam from austrlia aswell! umm do you have temperature problems? cause mine always stays at 30-31 defrees even now that it is autumn. my heater has only ever switched itself on once when it was 25.

 

[DeFeKt]

don't know about those fish, but i keep FW barramundi..imagine trying to catch a fish thats shaped like a bullet...Good luck!!!

 

[mattrox]

I never had a heater in Dawrin. The temp was alway quite high. Contrary to popular belief Neons can take "Discus high" temps. So can goldfish, lots of peole kept them and they grew huge. I wouldn't worry about high temps if I were you. Just make sure you have adequate water flow (oxygenation).

I am in Adelaide now... it is a bit brrr at the moment 19 deg C hehehe

 

[megladonsharky]

Check with local statues / laws first

 

[cougaran]

Good for you! I'd qt the wild caught ones for at least a month. Some species that just dont breed in the fish tanks are wild caught such as the clown loach. This is possibly one of the reasons it seems like they are always getting ich. Realistically the majority of saltwater fish caught are wild caught, so if you have the opportunity to catch em in the Australian freshwater system, go for it!