Stella Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 I suppose there are streams they *aren't* in..... Really they are all over the show. Not necessarily heaps, but if you look they should be there. If you can't see them, get a net out in the weeds or start lifting rocks. Most native fish (and crayfish and shrimp) you won't see unless caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 If someone knows of a good spot in Christchurch can they please flick me a PM. I'm looking for: - 1 Koura - 5 to 10 shrimp Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 it was bizarre when I first found one - me and a mate spent hours trolling through creeks in "no mans land" trying to find them, a spot where he used to see them as a kid, to no avail - all we would ever find was a little brown fish - I'm assuming baby trout? as I know they are a natural predator to koura ... then we head into the middle of suburbia and hit the jackpot under the second rock we turned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 MJ You're a star! Thanks mate! Will go get one soon enough...now just to get a nice trio of guppies.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 mj, so true....! Pretty much all natives are little brown fish, they just come in different shapes and shades! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Just had a thought for those of you struggling to find crays. There is an old maori technique of tying together a bundle of bracken and submerging it, then pulling it up (the next day?) and picking out all the crays. Gives them places to hide you see. I know the technique was used for lakes, as the crays have eaten any plants that were there so there were limited hiding options. I imagine it would also work in streams with little cover other than rocks. (Remember to tie the bunch to something solid) It wouldn't have to be bracken. The point is something complex for them to climb into. Something to try in the cold months when we are all wusses and don't want to get too wet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 something bizarre with my 2 - for the last 2 days I had not seen my little one anywhere and was getting worried he'd been eaten by the big one or had escaped. I have had 2 escape in the past - one I caught the next morning (no idea how I did not stand on him outside the bathroom door first thing in the morning - got him back in the tank) ... the other I found about a day to late, transformed into a statue Anyway I started searching under my couches and behind all large cabinets etc and a few hours later saw him come waltzing out of the big ones caves guess they can learn to get a long? or maybe the small one is a young lass coming of age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 LOL! Ah the joys of keeping natives! I have been known to search the floors and move everything over and over desperately trying to find a fish before it dried out, only to find eventually it was still in the tank :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museeumchick Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 If anyone wants/doesnt mind an extra pair of hands on a fish hunting mission some time I would love to help out. I am interested in getting into natives and am especially keen to have a koura or two but dont have tha tank/space etc.. at the moment, I would love to just tag along with someone just to check things out sometime so if anyone's planning a mission somewhere near here can i come? I dont have a net or anything but dont mind getting my boots wet and am not fussed at picking up koura (used to catch them as a kid, we had a refined technique of putting our fingers under the streambank and wiggling them so they would latch on then pull them out, only drew blood once) or slippery eels and the like. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 me too i wana come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Cool I am always keen to take people fish hunting! I have plans for a few 'official' things over summer, with FNZAS and Forest and Bird, but also go out a bit with my friends for the sheer joy of poking about in streams And of course anyone is welcome to drop me a line and come visit my tanks. I don't bite! 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Stella your tanks should be named a national treasure and tourist attraction, they are so awesome. I was so grateful to get a lift up there a few weekends back for the tank crawl. A once in a lifetime opportunity and they were awesome. I only hope one day you get a bigger place and lots more tanks to join them. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Preacher, you absolutely made my day! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted September 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Looked in the little Koura tank this morning :-? Whew, just a moulted shell, Crawly is still fine and hiding under a log. I've had him about 6 months now and this is the first moult, pretty cool I think 8) Note the gravel in the tank, it was a level layer. Now one side is bare bottom and the other is 3" deep. It's moved all that gravel over time. They can certainly dig if they want to. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museeumchick Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Wow, thats so cool! what a neat pet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Aren't they so. I love going out and shinging the torch in the pond at night, you just never know who's crawling about and which rock a heads going to dive under. Just when you think you know where they are, they surprise you! I found a dead weta in the pond today... I wonder how long it will last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 They sure gave me a fright the first few times mine moulted!! You will find crays are rather quiet for a few days before and after they moult. Then they usually seem go through this massive ego stage, suddenly they are fractionally bigger and they think they are THE MAN! 8) :roll: Fish are more at risk from them at this time. Mine usually ignored the skin then started eating it on the second or third day. It is a good idea to let them do this as they need to resorb the calcium, but if you wish to dry it do, just make sure you find a way of giving him some extra calcium (loads of crushed pond snails?). Crays are very vulnerable during moults. They are soft and squishy (well, comparatively) and subject to cannibalism and predation. It is also possible for a moult to go badly wrong and the cray gets stuck. This is more likely to happen if the cray is missing a leg or ten, but can happen to anyone. If they screw up a bit and get stuck and get tired etc the body can start to harden and a slow and boring death ensues. There is a very interesting doco video here about a snake eating a moulting cray (thanks PeteS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 That is neat looking, glad to hear he is doing well especially after reading Stella's post, whew didn't now that critters that moult could get stuck! Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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