One little rescue

[Baccus]

The numbers of fish gasping for air along the banks of the Fitzroy had greatly reduced today, still alot of catfish, even eel tailed catfish where turning up along with eels. But with all the death and dieing I did manage to get one sleepy cod. I had already thrown dead gudgeons, small boney bream and a couple of mouth almighties off the fishing pontoon, and when I saw this poor fella being pushed futher up the rocks by a heap of big catfish and eels I couldn't leave him to die like the rest. Thank goodness for understanding husbands dropping off a bucket with a lid and a battery powered airstone :tears_of_joy: on his way to work.

After spending the day in the bucket with an airstone he is now exploring a 2ft tank I have just finished cycling ready for some shrimp. He's sulking in the tank at the moment while checking it all out as well as the log that is in there. But later once he's settled I will get some more pictures.

[fishmosy]

Kept one of these guys before. It was very charismatic, even after swallowing everything in the tank large enough to fit into its mouth!

Enjoy and keep the pics coming.

[mickeyG]

Nice save baccus, is the heat the problem with fish gasping on the Fitzroy?

[Baccus]

Thanks.

I think the gasping is a combination of triggers. Namely on the salty side of the barrage (where I caught this guy) they have gone through hell in the fresh water with all the flooding, taken a wild ride through the rough water spewing out of the barrage, with tons of silt in the water and then hitting the salt water too boot. But largely the problem seems to be rotting vegetaion starving the water of oxygen. I wish I could give you scratch and sniff pictures... the water reeks around here. And yesterday when we had a shower of rain even the falling rain had that rotten plant matter smell.

And quite possibly the mines will be dumping their water in to the river systems again as well.

[mickeyG]

Well its a good thing you grabbed the lil guy then, sounds like he copped a beaten.

Haha you should come down to altona beach on a summers night after they drag the beach seaweed gets the nose tickling that's for sure

[BlueBolts]

Well done mate.....I wonder whether Dean has a oxidator the size of a car lying around anywhere ?

[Baccus]

I think I would prefer the smell of seaweed on a beach, at least you can go home and escape it. Right now as soon as you set foot out the door of the house you cop a snout full of rotting vegetation. And thanks to all the damage done to the roads the speed limits on the highway into Rocky have been reduced and your nostrils get a fresh lengthened assult from the now rotting flood plains.

[lachie1998]

Great save ! :encouragement: How big is he?

[Baccus]

Only a little tacker, about 10cm maybe 12 tops. For now my Bristle noses are way bigger than him.

I gave him some mozzie wrigglers before and because he has discovered the hollow log the dirty little cheat was only poking his head out far enough to scoff a wriggler before disappearing back into the log again.

I have an empire gudgeon that is roughly the same size as this guy, maybe a tad smaller, but the gudgeon is used to eating various fish foods like tropical flakes, micro pellets and shrimp pellets. So I was debating putting the gudgeon in with this guy in hopes that the gudgeon will teach the sleepy all about prepared foods over live foods. I have quite a few guppies I can use as feeders, but I would prefer not to unless its a last resort.

[fishmosy]

I'd suggest you don't put him in with your other gudgeons. Mine ate a striped gudgeon as large as he was. The only fish that was safe with him was silver dollars, too deep to fit in his mouth.

If it fits in his mouth, he/she will eat it. If it doesn't, he/she is still thinking about it.

[Baccus]

Considering the gudgeon has been a endler fry eating machine, not to mention shrimp scoffer, I dont want to sentance it to death by having the sleepy cod choke to death on it.

He likes his log and seems quite happy in there being able to poke his head out of a number of holes in different parts of the log.

"If it fits in his mouth, he/she will eat it. If it doesn't, he/she is still thinking about it." LOL when I read that I thought of my cat Shiya who likes drinking out of the fish tanks and dangling his paws in the water.... and what a nasty shock he will get if the sleepy cod decides cat paws are dinner.

Firstly here is his temp home, no plants yet because I haven't got around to rearranging power boards to plug in another light, but that might be this weekends job.

And him safe and sound in his log

[fishmosy]

I'm sure once it settles in it will come out from the log more often. Mine used to hang mid water waiting for a feed. Great looking fish mate.

[Gbang]

great save baccas :)

[northboy]

Have mouth will eat EVERYTHING LOL

One good thing is, they are one of the best eating fresh water fish, so there is a possibility?

HEAD LINE

Fish keeper turns the tide on fish that ate every thing in the tank LOL

Bob

[Baccus]

Have mouth will eat EVERYTHING LOL

One good thing is' date=' they are one of the best eating fresh water fish, so there is a possibility?

HEAD LINE

Fish keeper turns the tide on fish that ate every thing in the tank LOL

Bob[/quote']

LOL, or Fish keeper takes bite of fish LOL

[Jess]

Good on you for taking him in, Baccus And how lucky he is to have such a nice log for a house! Sounds like he's going to be very happy in his new home :)