{"product_id":"barramundi-lates-calcarifer","title":"Barramundi | Lates calcarifer","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn icon of Australia's north, the Barramundi is a sleek, silver, savage feeder that grows enormous and grows fast. It is a spectacular monster-tank centrepiece for keepers with the room — and the filtration — to back it up. Reaching 60 cm to a metre or more, this is a serious commitment: a powerful predator that will outgrow all but the largest home systems.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLates calcarifer ranges across the Indo-Pacific, including northern Australia, in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. It is catadromous, moving between fresh and salt water through its life, and tolerates a wide range of salinity. Warm water, open swimming space, strong filtration and a very large tank or pond are essential to house it.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA streamlined, powerful fish with a large mouth, a concave head profile and a deep tail, clad in bright silver scales that can flush bronze or greenish over the back. The eyes often glow pink-red in light. Everything about it says predator, built for fast, ambush strikes on fish and crustaceans.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA voracious, predatory carnivore that will eat any fish it can swallow, and it can swallow fish surprisingly large relative to its size. It can be territorial with its own kind. It is best kept alone or with very large, robust tankmates such as other monster-tank species. Never combine it with anything small enough to become a meal.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA pure carnivore with a huge appetite. It thrives on meaty foods such as fish pieces, prawn and quality carnivore pellets, and will take large live and frozen foods. Feed a varied, protein-rich diet, taking care not to overfeed given its fast growth, and avoid relying on live feeder fish, which carry disease risk.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eProvide a very large system — a minimum of around 1000 L for a growing fish, and realistically a pond or custom tank for an adult, with powerful filtration and a secure lid. Keep temperature warm at 25–30 °C, pH 7.0–8.5 and hard water; it tolerates fresh through to brackish and marine conditions. This is a fish for dedicated keepers with serious space. Plant safe, as it ignores plants.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBreeding is impossible in the home aquarium. Barramundi undertake spawning migrations to river mouths and estuaries, where spawning is tied to tides, salinity and the wet season, and they are protandrous hermaphrodites that change from male to female with age. The species is bred only in specialist aquaculture facilities.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003ctable\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLates calcarifer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBarramundi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIndo-Pacific, including northern Australia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUp to 2 m in the wild; usually 60 cm to 1 m in captivity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10–15 years or more with good care\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePredatory\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntermediate (space and filtration demanding)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1000 L (pond or custom tank for adults)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVery large aquarium or pond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCarnivore: fish pieces, prawn, carnivore pellets, large live and frozen foods\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e25–30 °C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7.0–8.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eModerate to hard, around 8–25 dGH\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable (freshwater; tolerates brackish and marine)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVery large monster-tank and pond systems\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003c\/table\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuitable tank mates are limited to other very large, robust fish in a monster-tank setup, such as large catfish or other big natives. Many keepers house it alone.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAvoid keeping with any fish small enough to be eaten, delicate or long-finned species, and anything that cannot handle a large, powerful tankmate. Avoid an undersized tank.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55232770048291,"sku":"BA9234","price":17.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55232770081059,"sku":"AA1523","price":35.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (10-15cm)","offer_id":55232770113827,"sku":"AA1523-L","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"X-Large (15-100cm)","offer_id":55351954473251,"sku":"AA1523-XL","price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/barramundi-lates-calcarifer-43878518358307.webp?v=1790305551","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/barramundi-lates-calcarifer","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}