[Ivan Sng]

Hi there,

I have seen some LFS keep a lone barramundi with some other fishes in their display tanks, hence I was wondering if there are those that keep barramundi as display fishes? If so, what would normally be the going price for such a specimen??

[Shane_H]

Hi Ivan,

As I'm guessing you know by your avatar picture in your posts (thats a young barra right?) that barramundi fingerlings/fry/juvis are pretty cheap (eg less than $10). They grow amazingly fast (mine has grown to over 40cm in about 6 months from a fingerling) and doesn't look like stopping any time soon. The cheap fingerling price and fast growth rate usually means they're not all that expensive as adults. I'd only be guessing, but I'd say one of 40cm might go for $30 or $40? Any one disagree?

I bought mine up in my african cichlid tank, once he started to 'sample' his tank mates I had to gradually remove the smaller cichlids to another tank. Just last week I had to remove two blue dolphins and a red empress that were all about 15cm and being stalked by the barra.

I now have just the barra (40cm) with a Mangrove Jack (~18cm) along with two salefin gibbi/pleccos (~20cm) and two Synodontis ocelifers (~20cm) in the tank.

The tnak is set up with a large dead branch and some limestone in an attempt to make it look like a northern river/esturay snag. The sheer girth of the silver barra as it moves slowly up n down the tank is an awesome sight, with the deep reds of the mangrove jack smashing everything makes for a great display. But it's in the eye of the beholder...i know others that don't like that sort of set up.

[Ivan Sng]

Not sure what you categorise as a fingerling or young barra, but mine were about 3-4cm long when I got them... they are about 30cm long now...

Do you have a photo of your setup?? I think it is a bit like keeping Arowana... just cheaper... just make it feel like it is the king of the tank...

[Ronny]

I'm guessing fingerling is reffering to when they are about the size of your finger, that's what I've always thought of it as?

I haven't seen many display tanks with barra in them, only 2 from memory.
I think the main reason being is that they get huge!

Not many people can accomodate a group of large barra...

Personally, I'd rather grow fingerlings into big dispaly fish rather than buying big ones, more fun that way and as Shane said, you can get them pretty cheap when they're small

[Shane_H]

Yes, there's definatly something about pointing at a 75cm monster and saying, "I got him when he was about this big" (indicating between thumb n fore finger).

The term "fingerling" I think gets used more in the fishing industry, it basically just refers to a very young version of a big fish....as Ronny says, about the size of a finger.

I am amazed at the rate in which my Barra has grown. He's in a 6x2x2 at the moment, and am just hoping he'll slow down at around 50cm or so...but somehow I doubt that. I have heard stories from people saying they tend to stop growing once they're about 1/3 the length of th tank, but heres hoping. An upgrade to a 8x3 may be on the cards. Or a backyard pond.

[Ivan Sng]

Well I think backyard pond may be out of the question unless you are willing to heat the water... Barramundi do not do well/survive below 20degC... Well from the response, I suppose there is usually no one looking to buy grown barra... Will just have to eat all of them then...

[Robbotheyobbo]

Will just have to eat all of them then...

What time is dinner mate ?

[Shane_H]

If you're looking to sell a few of them, it can't hurt to advertise to see what response you get?

[walks]

Build a ######## huge tank, buy sum lures and try catchen em haha saw a massive custom tank in darwin with 80cm barras in it at the reidy's lure factory, u could test the lures on em (obviously they had no hooks) it was awsum fun!!!!!!!!!!!