owen

What are the opinions here about releasing captive eels back to the wild? I bought a couple of eels yesterday from the auckland fish market. They had a relatively big female longfin that I wanted to save, but it was too big for the fishmart workers to catch in their net, so I ended up with a couple of smaller ones. One shortfin and one Longfin, both about 60cm long. I doubt they are going to get along forever in the pond, so I'm thinking it would be best to release the shortfin back to the wild. The local options are bush streams(not a good option as there's a native fish population), big ponds, a lake or a brackish estuary. I don't want to introduce any diseases into the environment, so I'm thinking that the estuary would be the best option. I just wonder if the eel would be able to cope with a sudden change of salinity?

I'm pretty sure they are bloodworm eggs.

I've still got one from 1989, and I've heard of others that are in their 20's. Are there any experts on here that know how old these frogs can get?

I tried using this stuff from para rubber for an outside vertical garden but it didn't hold up to the uv light and started to break down. I ended up replacing it with dark green acrylic felt from spotlight and that worked much better. It holds moisture better, doesn't become hydrophobic when dry and doesn't deteriorate in uv light like the foam did. However I wouldn't use something like this for a frog tank. Better off making a background out of something like tree fern fibre or clay imo, Because its more natural and doesn't require a pump. I made a background out of some old tree fern fibre from the bush and it grew moss like crazy.

I tried giving them ground up goldfish food but they just spat it out. I bought some tropical flake and they're eating that. I won't bother with the whiteworms because they're outside so should get plenty of live food anyway. BTW if people want to catch their own whitebait in Auckland, there are plenty trapped beneath the bottom dam at the Chelsea sugar works in Birkenhead.

I'm against fishing for whitebait as food for people or animals, especially since its illegal to catch and eat under-size trout(which are the aquatic equivalent of stoats IMO) But if there is an upside of whitebaiting its that native fish habitat is more likely to be protected. Sadly most people only value them for food. What really grinds my gears, is that commercial eelers are allowed to catch endangered longfin eels on conservation land

Thanks very much for the replies. I'll start feeding them crushed up flake food. I'll try and culture white worms(haven't done so since the late 80's) they should work well because its a bare-bottomed black pond. I would of thought that blood worms would be very nutritious? would they still be better than flake food?

Ah ok. I just wanted to say that it is possible to keep a local tank long term with minimal equipment, but the potential livestock is much more limited. The tank is still running. I'm planning on upgrading to a larger more sophisticated tank in the future, as the crab will probably outgrow the current tank by summer.

Just to clear things up, I am wondering what to feed whitebait. Not what to feed whitebait to.

They aren't being fed to the goldfish, they are going into a new native pond. The goldfish are too fat and floppy finned to catch anything, but there are old 18cm inanga with the goldfish that would have no problem cannibalising the whitebait.

I went out and caught a few dozen whitebait today. I've got them quarantined with some white spot cure(last time I got some they gave my goldfish ich) Any ideas what to feed them? They are going to go into a new pond that hasn't had time to develop natural food sources. I'm going to add water from an established pond to help with that.

I don't like disagreeing with what other people have said in this thread, because I realise they are much more knowledgeable in marine aquaria than me... But it is possible to keep certain local marine creatures in far from ideal conditions. I have kept a small local tank for more than two and a half years with no chiller or filter, just Live rock and water changes. I collected snapping shrimp, glass shrimp, anenomes, snails and crabs from the highest water mark, where the water got above 30c and there was freshwater run-off so the salinity was all over the place. I haven't seen any mortality other than predation(the glass shrimp and pistol shrimp get on fine) and the pistol shrimps and smaller crabs have bred many times over the years. Heres a thread on my tank if you are interested http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136377&page=7

what about the pumps they use to pump out septic tanks? ponds are way more gunky than any swimming pool I've seen. Try hire pool for something like this http://www.generalhire.co.nz/?a=826&t=7 ... uctID=7062

corr thats a big worm! 19cm!! "wheres me dinna?" "gotcha!" "your not going anywhere bub" "mmm mmmm!"

Thats a nice looking wee setup I have a few things to add though- golden bell frogs need uvb and calcium to grow well. Calcium from slaters, baby snails and worms. uvb from a uv light or the sun. or I guess you could dust their food with supplements? I have seen a lot of pet frogs that dont get uvb or calcium and they never reach full size and they tend to have weak floppy limbs. IMHO it is much easier to keep adult frogs than to raise them from froglets.