Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I had a look at the Fisheries site and could not find any restrictions on having eel tailed catfish. They appear to be a WA native. Does anyone know where and if they are available in WA?

Hi there Rkdraft,
You could try aquarium shops and some City Farmers stores have them from time to time I believe.

Thanks Faye,
I visited some catfish farms overseas. I was hoping to grow them out for food. The ones o/s seemed to grow very fast and had some of the best meat I have tried on them.

I have one in my aquarium , it is an awesome fish. One of the biggest I have. When smaller fish go missing I believe he must of breathed them in or something. Good aquarium fish. I bought him from malaga aquariums.

I was reading that they can bread from 50cm. Not sure about how long that takes with Eel tail catfish. Other ones I have seen in farms recon that is about a year.

Hi pjenkyn,
how do they handle the hot and cold weather,I had some cobbler ,they were alright in the summer but they died abouy mid winter .Someone down south had some and the same thing happened.

Here is a little bit of info.

http://www.nativefish.asn.au/tandanus.html

Eel-tailed catfish wont reproduce in RAS tanks... not without hormone injection anyway...

Maybe in gravel bottomed aquariums... with all the right conditions... but I'm doubtful...

Also rkdraft, they're not native to WA. The eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tandanus), also called the Murray River catfish, comes from the Murray-Darling system over east.

The smaller Cobbler (Tandanus bostocki) is native to WA, but you won't be finding them in pet shops. The pet shops will be stocking the above introduced species.

Fisheries WA, as usual, has conflicting web pages about whether they're allowed or not.

But they're pretty darn awesome fish to look at. I have 4 in an aquarium + some in my aquaponics. Cool fish. Apparently very tasty too.

Even the eel tails taken from our river taste good so grown in AP they should be great. I need to take a day off and do a field trip to Glenburn.

Oh no! Won't be able to look at him the same now, Pet before, Meal now!.lol

Yup cleanning catfish can be pretty gruesome.

I've got a few in my system and they are great to feed. Haven't tried any but most people I talk to say they are good eating fish.

Come Via Bendigo i'll tag along