aquarium

[Batters]

does anyone know if you can buy mangrove jack juveniles (fingerling size) for an aquarium? if so where abouts and how much

thank you
mick

[Fitzy]

I saw 2 in a pet shop in Brissy sth side. From memory they were something rediculous in price like $140. A pretty fish when little. Cant put anything with them. I'd love to see a jack & a sooty in together!!

fitzy..

[Batters]

thanks for that, it's a shame they cost so much though looks like i won't be geeting one.

iv'e kept yellowbelly, silver perch, bass, spangled perch, ell-tailed catfish, murry cod and barramundi, they can be kept together as long as there the same size and the tank give then enough space for a snag each. ive seen sooty grunter before i wonder how'd they go

thank anyway
mick

[jocool]

Dont know where you are Batters...But I was looking at an MJ in a pet shop in Auburn Sydney. It would have been about 6 cm...$79! I thought that was good value!

A full size 25cm model (is that full size???) was $240!

[DRJ]

Fitzy

Not sure you would see a lot if you put a sooty and a jack together - there would be a lot of white water and stirred up bottom.

The result would be interesting. Not having done a lot of fishing for jacks, how territorial are they? The sooties are very territorital.

Regards
Darren

[Duncs]

I remember reading an article years ago, might have been by Warren(?) Steptoe. Mentioned keeping a jack and sooty in a tank together. The sooty was smaller but it was definitely the dominant fish in the tank.
Most of these territorial fish will tolerate large Gudgeons, catfish and archers in their tank, as they occupy a different ecological niche and long as they aren't pushed for space. Try to avoid having two large grunters, jacks or combinations of those together; the more similar the species, the stronger the reaction. Its an expensive lesson to learn when you drop a new rare fish in the tank to have it killed in a couple of minutes by the very territorial resident grunter/jack/barra. It can also help if you put the most territorial fish you intend to keep, in the tank last, after all the others have had time to settle in. It usually allows you time to watch and take action if other less aggressive fish are threatened by the newcomer, while the fish is getting used to its new surroundings. A well landscaped tank also helps to keep aggressive fish out of each others faces!
Consider coal grunters - they are the best looking of the grunter clan (IMO), have great personality, are aggressive feeders, don't outgrow tanks too fast and will usually tolerate small fish like larger rainbowfish, particularly if they 'grow up' together.
When you look for a tank, think of the overall volume of the tank. A long skinny tank give the fish a lot less room to move than a shorter wider one. The shortest side should be a minimum 1.5 x (preferably 2x) the length of the largest fish, or the length you expect the fish to grow to.

As far as supply goes, try calling some of the hatcheries that breed bass, they should know who breeds jacks. You may have to buy a quite a few though; as they grow up you can progressively sell off the ones you don't want. While they are small they should live together in a school quite happily.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Duncan

[DRJ]

Hi Duncs

It was what I was thinking (the sooty being a territorial fish would be the most aggressive). I have seen them take on large barra, large sleepy cod and anything else that gets in their path.

Gives you a big hint as to how to catch them - get in their face with the lure!!!

Have not thought of the coal grunter as an aquarium fish before but why not - have to disagree on the best looking bit though.

Prefer my aquarium to have smaller fish like rainbows, blue eyes etc

Darren

[Dodgy_Back]

Pet City at mt gravatt sell small jacks and sooty grunters, but the jacks are expensive!. However jacks are a great fish to have in a tank.
i had a 6 inch jack in a 5 ft tank, he had plenty of room and still killed evey thing in site. it is surprising to see how much of a nasty little bugger a jack can be.

regards Mick

[Batters]

at underwater world there is a big jack kept with barra folk-tailed cats, bass, barcoo grunter, mary river cod, sotties.

didnt have any teeth though wonder if from natural causes or filed off to stop the jack from damageing other fish. didn't seem aggressive, very large tank, logs, large rocks etc.

an established cod in a tank can be quite aggresive, but only to establish its territory, shouldn't kill fish the same size. mine even was bold enough to chase silver perch twice its size away from its area. oh and a worning don't stick your fingers in a tank with a cod over 30cm will consider them food

[Needmorerum]

I was going to change my 6 foot tank from tropical fish and have a go at raising my own Barra. I was told that if I approach the guys that are releasing the fingerlings into the dams that they would probably give me one for nothing. Might be worth trying to get in touch with whoever is raising the fingerlings for Jacks, they may be willing to give you a couple for next to chips. Might have to offer them a carton, it's surprising how much a carton can talk.

Corry

[Batters]

corry you can buy barra figerlings at petshops for abot $5 so there not that dear, just remember that they grow really fast mine outgrew my four foot tank in six months reached over 30cm, they eat lots, you can feed them on pellets but i just feed mine on shrimps, crays and small fish. you can mix barra with other fish they won't attack them unless they are small enough to eat, and watch out that can be any fish half there size or smaller.

michael

[Take5]

Was this a salt tank or fresh??

[Batters]

it was a freshwater tank, all the barra iv'e seen were kept in freshwater so easiest to put them strait into fresh water.

also a freshwater tank requires less maintanence and is a less expensive set up

michael

[Cloud_9]

these a fish shop at mt gravatt on newnam rd that mite have MJ'S they have most other things ,barra saratoga's and the like.

Cheers Cloud 9