18 replies to this topic

[Keddy]

Hi all
just went to a fish shop and saw that they were selling Gambusia. I thought that this was illegal???? Can any one tell me if this is so

cheers
keddy

[retyped]

i dunno if its illegal but if their are selling it then thats sad........gambasi can be caught for free in park lakes and stuff...

[SynoAngel]

Yes its illegal to sell gambusia. If caught they face massive fines (might be worth a call to tell them, if they didn't already know).

Daniel

[Matthew]

.

Please note It is illegal to catch freswater native fish from the wild, without a relevant licence from the Department of Fisheries

This is all that is said under gambusia on the fisheries site

http://www.fish.wa.g.../index.php?0404

Perhaps they are confusing them with western minnows?

There are several licensed, native fish farmers, who can sell you stock of western minnows and pygmy perch

[Vebas]

As far as I am aware they at least used to be Class 1 noxious (same as Piranha etc), although on the fisheries list they seem to be Class 2 now (like Barramundi).

http://www.fish.wa.g...Page04.php?0506

"What you can do
If you catch them, keep and dispose of them humanely. They should not be used for live bait or sold for aquarium purposes and never released or returned to waterways or dams."

I know that we used to sell about 5000 a week a few years ago until Fisheries confiscated them and told us it would be a $50.00 fine per animal if they found us with them. However, people still seem to advertise them in the Quokka and I have heard that some shops still sell them.

Cheers
Pacco

[NicholasC]

we used to buy gambusia as feeder fish from the LFS but we found out how disease filled they are and they even nibble away at fins of other fish.

But we stopped buying them and they eventually killed them selves by jumping out and boldly squeezing there way into a submersible pump... i think there TSTL (to stupid to live)

[jon]

yeah, i once had some gambusia as feeder fish and they were banished to a plastic tub on the balcony after chewing on my glass cats.

what i heard from a lfs was that the dept was going around issuing warnings that 'next time it'll be a fine' and so shops were only selling the fish till they got a warning.

[Keddy]

cool thanks for all the info guys
i thought i was right

[skittles]

ahh gambusia afinus or mosquito fish
I used to love catching these guys at the little lakes and rivers i even once fed them to my johanni untill i found out they carried many dieseses and also i dont know if this is correct but i heard that people in perth were feeding there cichlids these gambusia and then selling them the gambusia would make there fish sterile making the sellers more rich cos the fish could not breed for the buyers :evil:
but one of my johannis after 6 months have finally bred when i was away camping so maybe gambusia make fish sterile for a long period 8O

I hope this makes sence

[spud]

8O 8O 8O 8O 8O

[Fish Antics]

I second that 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O
I have no idea what you are saying skittles?

[skittles]

Ill try and put it into an easier sentence lol
Some fish breeders in WA were breeding fish and selling their fry but before they were sold they were fed on gambisia wich was meant to make the fry sterile so they would not breed for the buyers of them therfore eliminating compitition against other people that wanted to breed the fish because they were been sold sterile fry.

Heres my story
When i first started fish keeping i fed gambusia to my johannis wich i had got from a friend who had them breeding too much he didnt want them anymore.There was aproximatly 4 males nd 6 females and about 3 unknown.
So ever since i got them and fed them gambusia they did not breed, When only two weeks ago they were breeding like rabbits this was a big let down cos i was looking forward to getting them to breed.I stopped feeding them the gambusia and fed them just normal fish food and then a few days or a week or two (carnt remember) i heard the story above and nearly started to cry I thought i had lost a whole colony of johanni wich could not breed.Untill a week or so ago one of my females was holding i was over the moon I had broken the myth above or atleast kindoth.

I thought to myself maybe the gambusia do make your fish sterile for the time it takes the hormone or watever that the gambusia give the fish to flush out of thier system.

Hopes this makes sence

[Fish Antics]

The danger with feeding your fish wild caught gambusia is that you may introduce parasites or disease to your stock. It cannot make you fish sterile, even temporarily. I would look at other factors for the lack of success at breeding.
It is also an offence to catch Gambusia from the waterways, so I wouldnt advice people doing it.

Tony

[MONSTAF1SH]

Wouldn't advise any one to even buy them, i wont anymore, i have just lost one of my fish from feeding them that crap my fish ended with internal parasites and stopped eating and wasted away.

Luckily I recognised the problem and saved my prize fishes but ened losing one of my peacock bass. I will NEVER EVER feed this crap to my fish again!! And I hope no else does either, just not worth it!! :evil:

[monobono]

I use to catch these from the rivers and creeks in Jarrahdale when I was young, fed them to my breeding colony of axolotls - who slowly died later, probably from the desease these fish (gambusia) carry.

I was young(er), I was un-aware and now I'm here to tell everyone not feed Gambusia to there fish, for the simple fact of desease/prasites and as skittles said, it can have the effect of making fish sterile.

I would highly recommend informing the store selling these

[dazzabozza]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure it's safe to feed these to salt water fish as the diseases don't transfer from fresh to salt correct??

I used to feed these to my lionfish which prefers live/moving food. What sort of live food are people using instead?

[skittles]

Hey dazzabozza
I use convict fry that i breed to feed my fish i have every size of convict there is. I even feed my baby cichlids baby convicts they love them
Some people use feeder barbs also

[BiGz]

Hey guys new here, just wondering about the gambesi. Wouldn't they be safe as feeders if they were bred in a relatively clean environment such as another tank? Just that we had a few once in a large pond and from 3 they spread to literaly hundreds if not thousands within months, so to me would seem the ideal feeder fish if disease free.