livingart Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 there is a koura and salmon aquaculture place in blenheim it is for sale on same site maybe where they came from Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 No, on another site he was trying to sell some apple snails but there wound up being a huge discussion about the crays. He says he was catching crays and some MAF guy got talking to him and told him he needed a license to keep them. He apparently paid $15 for it and the license is to go with the cray if it is sold. Sounds like utter BS to me. To those who don't know, I am writing a book on keeping natives including crays and had a lot of input from DOC on the legalities. I honestly wonder if someone invented the 'license' for this guy. Seriously anyone can catch/keep/kill/eat/feed to the dog without a license or permit or anything. Just you can't return them to the wild without a permit, and you can 'only' take 50 per day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 typical nz law easier to kill something than it is to keep it :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzoom1 Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 i just saw the auction about the apple snails (it took me a little while to realise where to find it :-? :lol: ) anyway.... the sellers seems pretty unconcerned about the topics your raising i think they just want to sell the apple snails and get the auction over and done with :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 there was an action on there for just the koura i cant find it now maybe its benn removed yay and hopefully the koura goes back into coldwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 seller withdrew his listing after stella sent him the doc link realised he was doing something illegal methinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 I sent the doc link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I'd like to keep a koura in Wellington. Any idea where I can catch one? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I'd like to keep a koura in Wellington. Any idea where I can catch one? Thanks I'm going to try and find one in a creek where we used to catch them back in primary school days! haha They're such groovy creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Sounds cool. How will you catch it? And going at nightime? What abou tclose to Wellie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Its amazing where you find these little guys, look in your local 'native' streams at night. Low and slow streams with lots of rocks and vegetation. I would wait a while for the weather to calm down a bit though as the streams are all really full and fast flowing at the moment which makes it hard to spot them. There are several spots in the Hutt Valley where they have been found up near Belmont Park. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I'm going to wait until saturday to try and catch one. That way - i can spend the day getting the tank set up right and then (as long as the weather holds out - looking like it will) I'll go for a looksie in the early evening in a little creek up over the rail way lines in waikanae. eeeep excited to get a new creature!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 At night they are often seen out and about. Though you need a stream that is not too deep, too turbulent or the surface is too broken, so you can see through it. When catching a cray that is out and about, put your net BEHIND it and scare it backwards with a pokey stick. They shoot back with a sharp flick of the tail. They are also frequently caught when doing the trick of putting a net downstream of a rock and lifting the rock. Also a good way of catching fish, invertebrates, leaves and general muck... If you want to pick them up, it is quite safe to do so be grasping either side of the carapace ('thorax', or bit between the head and the tail...). Personally each time I try I squeal like a girl and drop it the moment it starts to move... despite knowing it cant grab me back.... :roll: :lol: Bear in mind they can stress quite badly. A stressed cray looks much like a dead cray but is really stiff (a dead one is all floppy). I haven't had too much trouble with that, just know what to look for. Tank: I can't say it often enough: HIGING PLACES! A big pile of rocks with many nooks and caves is great. The more hiding places the safer the cray feels and it will be out and about more. Please tell us all about your trips! Take your camera (oh and if you are going at night, check your torch batteris first, I speak from experience :roll: ) Crays do ROCK as pets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Thanks a lot guys. You are all a real friendly and helpful bunch I'll let you know how things get on. So one could keep a few together then? And not just one? Will have to fend off those who might want to eat them :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Technically you can keep a couple together, but chances are you will wind up with one big cray in hte end. Even if they seem to get one fine, they are quite at risk of cannibalism when they moult (less crunchy and somewhat preoccupied). And just tell any hungry humans that they came from the local sewerage settling ponds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 And just tell any hungry humans that they came from the local sewerage settling ponds Hahaha love it Stella, I'm so going to use that! Dispite my shrimps being small and see-through many people get excited and drool when they see them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Guys I am so excited about this. Nice photos on your page Stella. Those redfin bullies are cure. Are they also to be found here in Wellington Upper hutt area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 The Hutt river is full of Bullies, red fin, blue gill, common... not sure about some of the others. Again, low and slow seems to be their preference so now is not really the time to go looking for them. Wait until some fine weathers coming up and the river drops a bit. Often when it drops you find small pools under overhanging trees and small bullies that are trapped. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 went and caught myself a wee Koura today. hes probably about 11cm (edit: huge exaggeration - he will be 11cm if he has his claws stretched out, but he's really about 6cm) long and pretty feisty when i grabbed him!! I imagine it'd be much easier to catch them in the night time, because he had me turning over rocks trying to find him. and in the end i just saw some feelers and some beady black eyes hidden in the mud. So i put the net behind him and startled him in. Job done. Will try and get some pictures of him when he is happy with his new environment, hes finding all the good hiding spots at the moment - teehee. Most fun you can have with your clothes on, on a sunday morning. Yay for catching Koura! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Great one!! My turn will come too! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 werner there are heaps of koura in the little creek at Khandallah (behind the swimming pool) .. just go at night with a torch and they are literally everywhere I have 2 in my tank, both with their own separate caves systems (collected rocks from where I found the koura) .. they are definitely territorial, I never see them both out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_am_Elmo Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Does anyone know any good locations around Auckland that may have some? This all sounds very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplecatfish Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I've seen them in the Waitakere Ranges but as its a Regional Park I don't think you're allowed to take them. I'd love to catch one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rimbauer Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 They seem common enough in creeks around the Waiuku and Te Toro areas - a friend of mine netted about a hundred shrimp and a couple of koura in approx 10 mins in a farm creek near his house. He reckons you're best looking in weedy overgrown areas - use a torch at night to look for the eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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