Australian Bass

[GaryD]

Hi,

Bruce from Ausyfish advises me that he has Australian Bass fingerlings for sale. They are very small at the moment......about 25mm......just the right size to be training on to small fish pellets.

Australian Bass are widely used for stocking impoundments and dams for sport fishing but very little is known about them for aquaculture purposes.

I'm keen to give them a try.

Gary

[twintragics]

very hardy fish Gary but very slow growing.

[GaryD]

Hi TT,

What sort of time frame do you suggest to get to eating size?

Have you seen them grown in a aquaponics/aquaculture system?

Gary

[twintragics]

Nearly 2 seasons in a recirc environment where the water is spot on, with a commercial food profile Gary. Good solid hardy fish, just slow growers.

[GaryD]

Are they good eating fish TT?

Gary

[Murray]

I have a 100 or so Bass fry in a small container. I obtained them from Sunland Fish Hatchery at Boreen point when I was there early this week.
Very very small, not much bigger than mosquito larvae. Trying to get them onto blood worms. They can be seen having a go at the blood worms but it will remain to be seen if they are successful or not.
Gwen at the hatchery gave them to me so that I could see how they go.
Bit of an experiment. It was very kind of her to pander to my curiosity.

[twintragics]

excellent food fish. Tight texture, nice white flesh, good meat to carcass weight. Best way is to purge in salt water other than that which they have been raised in prior to eating for a few days, magic.

[Murray]

I only have about 20 or so of these mini Bass now. They just did not take to blood worms although they were trying to eat them. I have started to feed them on mosquito larvae. The bigger bass take to the mosquito larvae really well. I can see them attacking and swallowing the smaller larvae.
I am hopeful that the remaining ones will survive now that they are able to eat.