I've been keeping tropicals for 7 years now and have been getting very frustrated with planting it wright - so much that I've considered giving up fish.

My solution is to turn a tank into a natvie tank as my room doesn't get above 20C (even in summer) so keeping it cool will be straight forward.

The tank is 60x40x40cm. We're going on a fish hunt tomorrow. Hoping to get a koura and 2 bullies. (I am aware that in the other thread I was told to get either or, but i'd like to try it beacuse i might get a nice koura).

We went looking yesterday and found 8 koura! They were a range of sizes. What size is best to get?

Later tonight (hopefully) i'll post a pic of the tank.

We went looking yesterday and found 8 koura! They were a range of sizes. What size is best to get?

Smaller is better to start with IMO

Make sure he has loads of hiding places.

Remember not to use any additives in the tank!

Smaller is better to start with IMO

Make sure he has loads of hiding places.

Remember not to use any additives in the tank!

including water conditioners? This is something my daughter is going to look into soon.

Smaller is better to start with IMO

The smallest ones were about 2.5cm, up to fully grown. I want a juvenile, but one thats big enough to feed easily.

including water conditioners? This is something my daughter is going to look into soon.

Especially water conditioners. It should say on the back if you can use it with crustaceans but some don't say at all.

You don't need conditioners really.

Good reminder, Heir! I usually forget that one.

Small koura are seriously cute and will be able to be in that size aquarium and with bullies for much longer. They are detritivores so will pick away at scraps of anything.

Am envious of your cool room!

The tank looks much better in real life:

I tried wood in there but it didn't look right. & will get some fern leaves tomorrow.

That's fantastic!

Wish mine looked like that!

Smaller is better to start with IMO

Make sure he has loads of hiding places.

Remember not to use any additives in the tank!

Some salt is ok for the koura if you have to treat. I have has 3g/lt in my 400lt native tank for the last 2 weeks for whitespot (that returned ) and the 2 koura seem ok with it - but do watch them for stress.

I would go for the smallest koura you can find, they will feed just fine on scraps of food and the odd bit of pea.

PS oh looks nice

Nice cave! I bet one lucky male bully is going to have a great time defending that!

Good move sprinkling the finer gravel over the rocks, always makes things look more natural. Very nice.

I keep seeing really nice sand-substrate setups and get tempted to try it, but I really don't need any more tanks! Shall just live vicariously through you guys

The cave was my favourite find. If I put stones down the middle, to make 2 caves, would that be better in the hopes that a bully could have one side and the koura have the other side? Or maybe I'll do another cave on the right hand side

Went on a koura hunt today. (Will do bully hunt tonight)

Found 1 adult, 2 juveniles and 1 really little one.

Got one of the juveniles & called it Rocco:

Rocco exploring the tank:

The tank, with added ferns and more rocks, and a bone (probably leg bone). It has a really nice tunnel :

well done

I would live in that cave

Aww its so adorable !

Got back from the fish hunt. Very happy :happy2:

We first went to the place where we got Rocco this afternoon. Found another Koura (just to look at)

Found no fish there It might have been too early.

Then we went to another river. And found a bully hot spot. There were heaps of them!

First one we caught was kinda yellow, got some bad pics:

Then we found a rather large bully - we're thinking its a common bully?

Annoying cellotape got in the way

And then caught exactly what I wanted :happy1:

2 redfin bullies:

Now my tank has 2 redfin bullies and 1 koura

Awesome pictures :happy1:

Those redfins remind me of big killies :lol:

Nice one, I love the red fins, I have two females, no males must go closer to the coast on my next fish hunt.

The second one does look like a large common bully, the first could well be a Crain's?

Rocco has chosen the bone as his home

nice setup can crays be breed in captivity?

awesome bone-home!

The unidentified bully could be either a common or Cran's, a bit hard to call. I can't remember, are Cran's that far south?

Wow that is seriously awesome !drool: :love: :happy1: I think those Redfin Bullies are fantastic !drool:

I think that other bully is a Common Bully. Cran's have an orange/red stripe on the dorsal fin I think.

This tank is really making me regret getting tropicals :lol:

I think that other bully is a Common Bully. Cran's have an orange/red stripe on the dorsal fin I think.

You are right, but only the males. You have prompted some more thinking...

This one has brown speckling right to the edges of the dorsal, so I think it probably female. Some males don't show their colour stripe all the time, in which case the coloured area looks clear, no speckles.

So let's settle on it being female. If it was a Cran's female there should be a dent behind the eyes, but there isn't one. If it is a common you expect a tapered head, but it isn't really tapered...

I am guessing it is a big fish, maybe around 8-10cm? Maybe the tapering lessens with size, not sure, my big common seems less pointy than a small one I had.... (oooh, sample size of two...)

The face looks splotchy like a Cran's, and whiskered like a common.

The number of dorsal spines could be either.

Damned difficult fish :evil:

This tank is really making me regret getting tropicals :lol:

There is still time 8)

I don't think this pic will help, but its all I've got

nice fish