Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Has anyone had experience of Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua)?

They are found in various parts of Australia. We periodically caught them in the Murray River when I lived in SA - they were known locally as Callop or Yellowbelly. There used to be a Golden Perch wildcatch license operating in the lower reaches of the Murray down toward the Coorong.

I've also eaten them in Queensland - caught in the Thompson River - and they are a good eating fish (some say better than Silver Perch).

Here's what the folks at Ausyfish had to say about them.... www.ausyfish.com/golden_perch_aquaculture.htm

Of likely interest to our Southern friends, is the fact that they feed at lower temperatures than Silver Perch and they grow faster.

Being carnivores, they won't eat your duckweed Gary.

I'd love to give them a go but I would have major troubles trying to import them into W.A.....

Hi gary yes we had them in the dam when we had the hobby farm beautiful would like to get them know for my system

Thanks for that link Gary. I saw them at alocal Aquaculture supplier the other day, but they are a very expensive place. He did recommend them though based on their temperature range/tolerance of lower temps. Damn, too many fish, not enough tanks!

Interesting pdf here containing information on Silver Perch, Golden Perch, Murray Cod and Catfish (from this PIRSA site). It was printed in June '99, so it is a bit dated, but still interesting.

Nova

I wanted to re-awaken this thread because I wondered if there was anyone now growing these? They grabbed my interest when I discovered (as GD mentions at the top) that they feed at lower temps than silver perch, about 14C. They'll also survive the summer water temps in the high 20's. Although I'm still happy with my trout, I'd really like a fish that I could keep year round and I dont think the trout will make it.

I know of people that have stocked dams with them KE....

Basically set and forget...... apparantly they take a least 12 months to grow out to edible size....

Most people just leave them in the dams for anything up to 5 years or more, until they get to 2-5 kilo... then sell them live to the Chinese Restaurant trade...

Think that research into reticulated systems have resulted in faster growth rates and FCR of anywhere from 0.8:1 to 1.7:1

Here's a couple of links.....

http://www.aaq.com.au/golden_perch.htm

http://www.ausyfish.com/golden_perch_research.htm

http://www.ausyfish.com/golden_perch_aquaculture.htm

would much rather goldens over silvers but was reading somewhere they can be difficult to get to take pellets, one of the fish farm sites but I'm not sure which site. Don't let them get to big though, the flesh gets a real heavy fat deposit which ALMOST turned my cast iron gut inside out, If I'm lucky enough to catch a 4-5 pounder again it's going back!
I'll see if I can get a few barra first, if I can't I might get a load of goldens along with the cod, seperate tanks of course!
Cod fish

have just been speaking to Granite Belt Fish Hatchery, $50/100 + gst available early january but they don't recommend them for ap due to the pellet feeding problems. Ausyfish say you can but I don't have the time/patience/knowledge/couldn't be bothered going to that much trouble when there is so many easier fish to get. I will put them in my dam when I win lotto and can afford some acres but that's another wish list. I can't find where but one of the hatcheries said they could supply trained/weaned fish, no doubt at an extra cost but if they're only $50/100 it probably wouldn't be overly expensive.
Cod fish

That's not a bad price.

If they are only 20 or 30 mm it may be false economy once mortalities are factored in.

On their small website they say all fingerlings are 50mm
http://www.aaq.com.au/granite.htm

as ke14 said, goldens are meant to be 50mm and cod 60mm, both on the web site and I was told this when I rang them. I don't think they are as aggressive as cod but I think they will still turn cannibal as they have a decent sized mouth. Would still love to try some but the weaning certainly puts me off.
Cod fish