adamh

Hi I have a 38L tank with two kuhli loach. 4 neons and 4 black neons. I would like to get two platys or balloon mollys. would that fit and would it leave room to increase the neon school by a couple? thanks.

My pond(in Auckland) is not massive and it has no cooling . Kokapu are active and koura has moulted and is eating well today the temperature is 18C.

Hi.I have incorporated a little running stream bed(so a small pond at the top that overflows down the streambed into a bigger pond) this aerates and filters the water. you need a pump and good quality pond liner. Got mine from mitre10 mega. You can increase shade with azolla and duckweed -the water movement keeps a space open. ..but some people hate this type of weed...

Funny you should ask just now as I have just added four very small bullys sourced near the outlet of a lake, some shrimp and what I believe is a smelt -it's long, thin and has a forked tail. The existing inhabitants are well the koura is eating plenty of peas and worms and the two banded are putting on size and getting very interested in grated ox heart so is the smelt ... I was just about to search for what bullys eat (very small ones) but perhaps you know...? Cheers Adam

Just an update - some one said they would not recommend native fish for an outside pond as you would only see them at night with a torch (I can't get the quote function to work). Well you are right but wrong. When you go out at night you really look at the fish.(and koura) can't say I have ever spent as long or taken as much pleasure looking at the gold fish I used to have.

Hi I have two little Galaxiids, one has developed thick dark vertical bands (or thinner lighter ones depending on how you look at it) so I am guessing it is a Banded kokopu or perhaps a Giant. The other is longer and thinner and does not seem to have the bands - more like a indistinct darker stripe runing along each side. What do you think is it likely to be an inanga? I originally thought them to be the same. Thanks

Well that is the thing. .I see these lovely, reasonably big kokopu in tiny streams. ..but where are the younger ones. .looking for something a little larger than the almost white bait sized ones (probably inauga)that I found. .something needs to eat the mosquito larvae and I don't want a goldfish! thanks.

Thanks. There seems to be enough bug life in the pond for these little fish..certainly they don't seem to interested in the grated ox heart. Maybe my torch light puts them off? but speaking of food do you think these guys would become dinner if I put a larger kokopu say 15cm give or take in there?

Caught (and deposed of) one .three to go. Should have guessed they were no good when they were so easy to catch. Still I have two mystery galaxiids guess I find out what they are when they grow. good news caught the remaining Gambusia. I have fed the two natives some grated frozen ox heart. I'll buy some fish food also does about a 50/50 mix sound right? '

They are very small. .bit hard to tell if they have scales. .These gambusia are a pest?will they be a problem or will the galaxiids eat them when they are bigger? Thanks

Hello I wonder if anyone can help me guess what I have here. The long skiny one at the top looks to be a young kokopu or inaunga? but what about the slightly shorter stockiers ones? They seem less shy and darty - did not run straight for cover in the pond this morning when released. In the creek where I caught them were bigger fish - looked too big for inauga maybe but quite fast, did not sit still when spotlighted..maybe as its is a medium sized creek kokapu move around more as there is room to do so? Location Henderson (west Auckland), high tree cover, in a vineyard, not a single Koura sighted. Thankyou for any light you can shed.

Just had a look in the pond and he/she is still in residence. Yay.

Thanks...but can anyone give me an indication of a suitable daily intake? ie how much?

Hi. I have just caught a reasonably large one armed koura. I have it outside in a chilly bin so the kids can see it before I put it in the pond. It has eaten 5 peas and a worm already. .so it occurred to me you could overfeed them. Is this a concern and how much should they be fed to keep them happy enough to stay?

Azolla...does it look like a little fern leaf?

I'm thinking banded kokopu. . conflicting comments re duck weed. ...I like it will keep it out of the local water ways and enough clear space to feed and occasionally see fish. ..is there a problem with it other than spreading into the wild?

This is the pond - note the "creek" leading into it - this does seem to be keeping the water nice and clear. not completely cover but still pretty shaded and there is that floating pond weed.

Hello how do you post a picture. ..is it possible to do so on a phone?

Thank you flor the replies. re fish selection I have looked at some pics but are what are the general difference between inauga and kokopu (Billies are chunkier? - look a bit like a rock cod?) and what are you most likely to find around henderson valley (Auckland). I understand that the natives won't stand out like goldfish - maybe a bit of regular feeding will bring them out (otherwise I do have a spotlight)...by the way in the wild they seem to lay low during the day, so is there any point feeding them then? cheers

Hello I have set up a shaded pond and feel it is ready to stock it with native fish. it has a main pool that is about 40cm deep, 40-60cm wide and a bit over a meter long..water is pumped up from this pond to a smaller one with the water overflowing and trickling down through a short stony "creek bed" back into the main pond. I hope this will proved oxygen pickup and a bit of filtration. My question is this - how much feeding will each fish (probably some kind of kokopu) need given that the conditions look to be very similar to where I have spotted them in the wild. (I live in the Waitakere bush). I was thinking of farming mosquito laveae, is that a good idea also I understand Ox hart is good - do you get that from the butcher or a pet shop? Thanks Adam