imsweet Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Hey Supasi..... I used to go to a place between Patea and Mokoia for crawlies. Only theyre black / dk brown, not like Ian's one. And they do go red when introduced to very hot water. 8) We would stop at patea river (town side) grab some mud worms (the ones that suck on to you) thread them onto nylon then onto a bamboo rod, not quite surfcasting size. You just stick the rod into the stream and can feel them tugging on the worms. The small straem used to be surrounded by bush but the farmer has cleared it, you can see it from the road (well depending on how fast you drive). My uncle still goes there today. If youre interested i'll check a map to find the exact location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 A couple more pics. Busted trying to escape via the airline. With the escape thwarted it returns to the bottom of the tank. It's really getting used to people being about now and will wander around the tank in full view. And make another expedition up the airline. It seems that they are pretty good algae eaters, you can see how far from the airline it can reach to eat the algae. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 My 3 seem to have settled in, though I don't see them much in my 3x2m pond. Every so often I go out at night and shine the torch in and see 1. The 7cm and 5cm I have are a lovely dark green and usually blend right with the algae. Last night I spotted the we 3cm one which is a light brown almost white, he was crawling up from bottom of the deepest part to the shallows with a few shrimp 'buzzing' him. Does anyone know what sort of territory these guys have? As I found 2 of these quite close together in the stream I assume it's not very big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 I suspect you are right, they probably claim the territory they can defend, under a single rock or log. No more than a square meter anyway. So your pond has plenty of space for 3. From what I observed as a kid hunting them in the small streams on the farm, there would be several living in a small pool, maybe 1m x 1m x 15cm deep. There seemed to be one under each rock. So I guess with a decent size tank you could keep several, as long as they have a bit of space to call their own. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 Well there's certainly plenty of rocks and wood to hide under, I have found several excavations but nothing home. So it sounds like their territory isnt that big, that would make sense. Theres certainly enough to eat in there, lots of algae, dead leaves, and dead slugs/worms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Yay! I finally have my own Koura, well two infact. I caught them in a stream today north of Wanganui. Also got a fair few Bullies(although released them again) They had reddish fins, I know someone here will be able to give me correct name. Also a few small eels. This stream is its own little paradise, spent most of the day there. once i sort myself out a bit i will prob set up a Native fish tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Cool 8) Have a look at Stella's web page, lots of pics of the native fish there to help with the ID. But I'd guess that if it's a bully and has red fins, it's probably a Redfin Bully http://picasaweb.google.com/nznativefish Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Well done Supasi! It is such a surprise seeing them in the wild for the first time! I love going fish hunting, any excuse. Reddish fins, probably red fin bullies! Imaginative huh? It takes a while to get used to the different species. Only the redfin males have the red, the females have the same pattern but in brown. The main way to be SURE with a female redfin is the three diagonal stripes on the face (both sexes have this). One of my favourite bullies. Eels: You can tell the difference between the species by the way the skin wrinkles. If the eel is bent and the skin seems to wrinkle quite freely inside the curve then it is a longfin. Shortfins also wrinkle but in a much more limited way. Easy to spot in a net. So where are you keeping your koura? Any names yet? Winter is a good time to get into natives. Much nicer fishing for them in summer, but winter means you have to worry less about the temps of the tank while you get used to keeping them, just make sure you have an idea of what to do over summer (I start keeping a close eye on my temps by later october, usually cooling by november, depends on what the seasons are like) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 I still havent found a koura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imsweet Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Yay! I finally have my own Koura, well two infact. I caught them in a stream today north of Wanganui. This stream is its own little paradise, spent most of the day there. Did you go to where i suggested or were my directions a bit hard to follow? OR did you find a new place?? do tell :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Did you go to where i suggested or were my directions a bit hard to follow? OR did you find a new place?? do tell :lol: NAh I found a place closer. Lismore forest 3rd gate.Start of theParapara's Where theydid those huge realignments about 10 years ago.Just before you go up the first big hill. Used the net and lifted big rocks and hoped for the best. and i got them. Dixon, persistance pays, My partner thought i was never gonna get any koura myself as this was about the fouth time Ive gone hunting for them.YOU NEED TO GET WET IF YOU WANNA FIND THEN DURING THE DAY. I am currently housing them in a 1200 x 400 x 400 tank with lots of stones rocks and wood.The big one already chows down the peas. No names yet stella,prob wont get any as i never call my fish names, except a skunk loach i used to have was called SKUNKY. Well im pretty much into the whole native thing now, bully tank will be next. By the way stella? how far away from publishing is your book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Keep looking, its amazing where you find them. I spent weeks looking in streams and culvits going into the Hutt River. But I think I was too close to the river itself. When I went further back upstream I found a couple. I went back the other night to where I caught one little fella, the ppol is less than 1m x 30cm and barely a finger length deep. I found 7 in that one pool and thats just what I saw. 3 were bigger than 5cm and the biggest had eggs. I also found them in a pool of another small stream further up the road. Small pools full of loose rocks seems to be a local favourite. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Supasi, that tank look fabulous! Great wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsurfs Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 Yeah, they are so easy to catch! Apparently you can pick them up easily by holding them either side of the carapace (what would be the thorax in insects), but I tend to squeal like a girl and drop them when they wriggle..... LOL I took some friends for a bushwalk one night to see the gloworms. We spotted beady little red eyes in the creek, so friend dipped a finger in and the koura latched on tightly... made him squeal like a little girl until he could get it off; hahahaha. I don't think my friend will offer to be the bait again, so guess i better try the downstream netting method. But, before I "take the plunge" a few more questions. What is the optimal pH and temperature to keep em happy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 Hi again DJ I don't know about pH....I just used unmodified tap water.....but I know they need cold water and are very uncomfortable in water over 20 C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsurfs Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 Thanks for the info I guess it 'll have to wait until I get over my potbelly seahorsing and marines. Cannibalise their chiller and give FW a go.. oh! but i just remembered I have some "ice probes" laying around.. I Could do another tank! hubby is gonna kill me! BTW that is an excellent pic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 .. I Could do another tank! hubby is gonna kill me! Go on..do it...you know you want to...hubby can only kill you once, he'll get over it....eventually :lol: :lol: BTW that is an excellent pic! Cheers. She was an excellent model. Very photogenic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
si_sphinx Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 can bullies be kept with koura as i have kept them with each other before but koura only lasted a couple of days as they climbed out the air hose line lol and i found them half way through the house half munched on by the dog haha :roll: I'm going to set up a tank with some big bullies,unsure on the type(will take photos and find out when i get them), and i might put in a few koura as well if the are ok with each other...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 bullies are a little more at risk from crays as they sit on the bottom most of the time. Crays are also at risk from other crays..... they tend to eat each other. Go for small crays (I find 7cm plus is about the size they start to become more of a threat). It can work having a couple, but any more than one is a risk they will eat each other. And as you found out, everything native is an escape artist, make sure you have seriously good lids, and use tape to fill in any gaps. The main key to getting natives of any species to mix well is LOTS of hiding places and as much ground area as possible. With getting big bullies, remember smaller (and therefore younger) fish adjust much easier to captivity than big ones. I would go for 6cm-ish and less. Try setting up over winter, that way things will be settled, adjusted and used to everything before you get into the temperature issues over summer. Some kind of cooling is a must, be it ice, fan 24/7, chiller or air cond. So cool seeing more and more people getting into native fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 it is good seeing people getting into natives what they need now is a good book on keeping them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorkel Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hi, Scuba diving in Lake Rotoma (Rotorua area), koura are absent untill you get down into the cold water layer that starts (in summer) at 20meters. Once this layer is reached koura are everywhere and the water temperature changes very quickly from 18*C to 12*C. Brrr! In this enviroment, they space themselves out on a clear sand/scoria gravel bottom about 3-4 meters apart and seem to feed by sifting thru the sand for organic? matter. Any trout/divers that approach are greeted by waving nippers! Also, any cover(something to hide under) will have koura crowded together living under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Snorkel - thanks for sharing that! Always neat hearing about these critters in the wild (and I don't know that my love of natives could convince me to go swimming....! Much though being greeted by waving nippers sounds cool! :lol: ) I read the lake ones hang out deeper during the day, out of sight of surface predators, then come up higher at night, even out of the water and onto the beaches. The old Maori way of catching them by sinking bundles of bracken into lakes is very clever. Crays love to hide but there are hardly any plants in lakes with crays (they eat them all!). Sink a whole lot of bracken and they all hide in it during hte day. Pull up the bracken and pick out they crays for a BBQ Livingart - well tell that to Bob McDowall who has had my book for a MONTH and I am starting to get impatient Though it is nice having a forced break from writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 this is a quote from a site we all know i see dixon is on to there case allready note the words currently in my tropical tank ****Due to popular Requests***** ******NOTE THIS IS A SOUTHISALND KOURA AND IT NOT ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN TO THE NORTH ISLAND. SORRY***** I Have 1 Koura (fresh water Crayfish) for sale. This one is surplus to my tank as it gets bullied by the other 2. Roughly 10-12 cm long and has had 2 shel sheds already Currently in my tropical tank and doing fine with the heat. Will nee to climatise the cray when you get him to a warm tank as he will be sent cool. Great addition to any tank. Feeding im on bits of fresh fish once every 3 days. (like mussels) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 this is a quote from a site we all know i see dixon is on to there case allready note the words currently in my tropical tank ****Due to popular Requests***** ******NOTE THIS IS A SOUTHISALND KOURA AND IT NOT ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN TO THE NORTH ISLAND. SORRY***** I Have 1 Koura (fresh water Crayfish) for sale. This one is surplus to my tank as it gets bullied by the other 2. Roughly 10-12 cm long and has had 2 shel sheds already Currently in my tropical tank and doing fine with the heat. Will nee to climatise the cray when you get him to a warm tank as he will be sent cool. Great addition to any tank. Feeding im on bits of fresh fish once every 3 days. (like mussels) Both me and Stella must have put him off. check out our comments,lol I made a deal about the temps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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