Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I've checked all the results from a search on the forum and there doesn't seem to be much serious use of spangled perch in AP yet.

I know that generally in aquariums it is a myth that fish only grow to the size of their tank. It reflects more on their nutrition, conditions and I guess age. Small, old fish are usually under fed or given poor quality feed in my experience.

Taking that as a given (yep, I'm full of myself ), if they were fed adequately their eventual size shouldn't be limited by AP.
Maybe they are simply slow growing too?

Just bouncing my thoughts around, hoping if someone has a tank of elbow slappers that they come out of the closet and tell us!

Has anyone had any results to report on them?
I'd love to know!
Cheers,

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Bodgy's Scrapyard AP viewtopic.php?t=19779

If you this other thread entitled "Spangled Perch".... viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1542

You'd see that Fisheries has a "bio-security alert" with regards to the species... and recommends that they be destroyed...

Thanks Rupe, would have sworn they were ok in Qld? I'll have to double check on that now.
I did see other threads on spangled perch but I didn't see any real reports from trials, other than one particular over assertive specimen. Pavlov I believe?
Is that the link you meant to use? Couldn't find Spangled mentioned in that one, interesting as it was.
Thanks for the input tho. Cheers

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Bodgy's Scrapyard AP viewtopic.php?t=19779

It seems, in the wild at least, they are pretty slow to grow...

"Individuals mature in their first year, males at about 58 mm length and females at 78 mm. "

So not looking good in that department, hopefully on a good diet and in good conditions that might be different. Bloody small if that's at the end of a year.
The quote seems to imply that maturity happens at some stage during the first year when they reach this approx size. Hopefully not at the end of a year.
I'm probably clinging to a dream here, but I'm not giving up on the idea just yet. I wouldn't ever expect them to grow large, but 200mm would be nice.

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Bodgy's Scrapyard AP viewtopic.php?t=19779

Some more info for the interested -

http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF9880569.htm

" Fish held at a mean temperature of 16.8ºC did not grow significantly over a period of 180 days, whereas individuals maintained near 22.6ºC showed a weight increase of 32.8% over the same period. Both groups of fish metabolised approximately 38% of their energy intake, excreted 57% and allocated 5% for growth."

Nothing flash... but we should be able to extrapolate expected growth for a given feed ration?
Dunno, it's getting late and thoughts aren't so clear now.

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Bodgy's Scrapyard AP viewtopic.php?t=19779

they are native to qld, so no destruction required. there is a catch limit of 20

the biosecurity alert is for WA

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Very tough, aggresive little fish. Good eating, but dont play well with other species.

Native to S/E Qld so your temps will be ideal.

if your thinking of using wild caught fish, it might pay to think about salt bathing them before you put them into your system.

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IBC AP
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=14891

fish pond
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=16559

disasters
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=14491&start=30

My first system won't be large and I was heavily leaning to goldfish but I'm getting keen on a few spangled now.
I can attest that in creeks and particularly in rock pools they are fierce feeders. They'll even leap from the water to get baits, fearless little things.
Decisions, decisions... Ahh bugger it, goldfish would bore me!

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Bodgy's Scrapyard AP viewtopic.php?t=19779

I'm with you mate, at least the Spanglies are good eating.
They will eat any bugs, feeder fish or anything else that drops into the tank.

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IBC AP
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=14891

fish pond
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=16559

disasters
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=14491&start=30

Hi Bodgy,
Just a bump. Did you ever get around to trying out some spangled perch? They certainly look like an interesting fish to trial.....if you can keep them in the tank.
Certainly tough enough....approaching bullet proof from what I've read.

nearly six year old thread Nhibbo

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All vegies would be nicer to eat ......if they tasted like BACON

Thanks Tonzz,

Yes, I noticed Bodgy hasn't posted for 3 years or so, but he has sparked my interest re Spangled Perch. I was discussing them with my elderly mother yesterday and she swears she saw some skating across the fields when she was 10 or 11 years old. Her father was running water across the paddock to feed dams on their farm north of Birchip in the mallee. She had no idea where the water came from. The maps of their range that I've seen suggest they have never been in Victoria but Mum's recollection would be from the late '30's or early '40's. A lot could have changed since then. I spoke with my cousins who still run the farm there, but they don't think they've ever seen any in the area. interestingly, I once found some very old quandong trees in some timber there that also are not supposed to be in Victoria, so since things change and often what once was may no longer be.

I had some spangled perch at one stage but they didn't grow fast.A friend talked me into giving them to him do that was that.I am a bit keen to get a few more now and try a different food. For a small fish they have a lot of meat on them. I think if you were in the bush and short of food you would only need about two. I have seen reports of them being caught in a pool when they were the only single fish there and one was 40 centremetres long and another 50 cm long.It was not known how old they were. I have been going to contact Roebourne prison to see how they go there ,The have a AP system there using spangles.They are the most wide spread native fish in Australia. The are all around the north from Geraldton to Queens land and can be found in lakes in Perth.

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Cheers,Don.

40 and 50 cm? Wow. dbird, you dman!

Please post what you discover re the system at Roebourne prison.

An interesting article from 2015 on the lower Murray Darling Rivers System and Spangled Perch breeding in Hawthorn Lake, Mildura after the 2011 floods.
The best info I've found yet on Spangled Perch.

http://natureglenelg.org.au/wp-content/ ... LYVIEW.pdf