I would love to see these schooling bullies one day HaNs, it fascinates me that they do it!
I don't know where Lake Hayes is, would probably be harder to see on my little distribution maps. Try googling. It may take a bit of hunting, but if the lake area is obvious there are distribution maps here for every freshwater fish in the country... http://www.niwa.cri.nz/rc/freshwater/fi ... fishfinder
6cm long with a strong schooling habit.... could be smelt or inanga, they look the same from above. Inanga would only be there if there was sea access. To tell them apart: inanga don't have scales, smelt have very silver scales, smell very cucumbery and have a purble sheen. I imagine koaro would be over schooling by that stage, possibly not though.
Smelt and inanga are great in tanks, inanga are less twitchy and less inclined to die in transit. Find out what fish are in there then we can get more into specifics
The other fish sounds like a bully. There are six species, but to narrow it down if it is landlocked you are looking at possibly common or upland, sea-access: upland, common, redfin, near estuary: common, giant.
I also find the torrentfish swim very much like plecos, but they live in very fast water usually.
Native fish need:
COLD water, preferably under 20 degrees. Can be a huge issue in summer.
Hiding places: lots of rocks and little caves
Invertebrates: they eat bugs. Either live food or frozen bloodworms. Many also love heart meat and some will take trout pellets.
Length is much better than depth for all native fish.
They are highly susceptible to whitespot in the early stages or if it gets too warm etc. Be prepared.
Also hunt through the archives here, a lot has already been asked and answered on various native
i know this is two years late . but bullies are amaizing fish . i kept ten in a tank . you want to have the tank looking just like a river bed . fast oxygenated water and lots of rocks plants and hidy spots. they will eat anything that moves. whitebait cloud minnows any fish tail it can catch . they are best kept on there own as they will destroy your fish . blood worms baby brine shrimp worms mosquitoes they will eat the lot. they have great personalities . i just collected a whole lot of eggs from a clutch
Various things about cockabillys
in Freshwater
Posted
i know this is two years late . but bullies are amaizing fish . i kept ten in a tank . you want to have the tank looking just like a river bed . fast oxygenated water and lots of rocks plants and hidy spots. they will eat anything that moves. whitebait cloud minnows any fish tail it can catch . they are best kept on there own as they will destroy your fish . blood worms baby brine shrimp worms mosquitoes they will eat the lot. they have great personalities . i just collected a whole lot of eggs from a clutch