Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hiya mackstaa, where are you getting your cat fish, I'd really like one in my system.
More about the Barra too would be nice, almost as nice as photos...

Hi Skeg,

Tandanas are being bred down south of metro somewhere - Byford/Mundjong way.
Apparently hard to breed but the pet shop in Cannington Home Base (Albany Hwy & Nicholson Rd across from Rays Outdoors) has/had some. The girl that worked there was up to speed on them.

But they are pretty pricey as noted previously (>$10), else I would have had a go with a couple as mop up options and to keep me amused. If they bred it would be worth giving them a shot as they are all tail whereas cobbler etc are all head.

Outside of that they are one of those no-no species for everyone except aquarium crowd - but are around for sale.
even saw a couple in City Farmers Willeton once. AQ industry sell quite happily apparently......

apparently people get them for aquariums and they grow too big (funny that).

they were also illegally released in a lake in Myaree but those fish (and in lakes around that area) developed a disease...
and it is a bit of an issue. so avoid anything like that.

Tandanus aren't likely to breed in aquaponics because they build nests out of gravel, need to guard the nests for a few weeks at least as the eggs/fry develop, aaaaand the males get really territorial while breeding so will attack other fish (and people who stick their hands etc near the nest). If you've got breeding age tandanus (at least 3-5 years old) in a dam they'll apparently breed quite happily once the water hits 20-24 degrees C, but there really isn't enough room or nest material in most aquaponics setups.

That is the 'natural case' Mel but artificial aquaculture/aquarium breeding and 'natural breeding' in dams are two entirely different things...
this is an interesting read.... http://www.nativefish.asn.au/files/nfa-tp1-tandanus.pdf particularly for those that are sourcing fingerlings. Even commercial goldfish breeding is akin to a 'somewhat forced process (squeeze milking of roe and human assisted male insemination - some pretty bad videos on the web of DIY) - all about getting the numbers quickly......

Tandanus like many things may not go too good in the controlled environment but they can go beserk when illegally dumped/released into natural ponds. (they are a no-no species here in WA - but still quite common in the aquarium scene).

But yep - not much breeding of this nature ever going to be done in AP
our best efforts are Colum and his goldfish love baskets and the odd romeo and juliet yabbie experience.

Well yeah, but I figured anyone who was going to be getting their info here isn't going to be up for the huuuuuge setups that inject the fish with hormones and so on, which seems to be the only way to get tandanus to breed commercially. That sort of thing is way outside (most of) our leagues!

Were those fish in myaree tandanus tandanus or bostoki?
I have had bostoki (i beleive they were) with the tandanus and the bostokis all died from some skin disease. Lucky nothing else got affected.

Skeg my fish were from morley aquariums. I checked the other day and he said they were $25each lol. Prices vary all the time and he has multiple sources