Suggestion for adding Aquaculture Forum...

DailyLunatic

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I am trying to get an personal Aquaculture fish pond started (i.e. non-business), and do not see a forum dedicated to that.

As we have a forum for non-fish (horses, goats, etc.) would it not be possible to have one for issues related to personal Aquaculture (tilapia, catfish, prawn, crayfish, etc...)

Just a suggestion. Thank you,

-sterling
 
Assume you saw this…. A thread I started earlier
 
Just start it under ponds.

There's nothing hard about aquaculture, it's just a bigger version of an aquarium. Large ponds with a filter and plants. Add fish and food and watch them grow.
 
Beg to differ mine is a probably a little more complex than an aquarium with a sump filter, as mine is actually 3 - 275 gallon tanks in steps, so they can flow into each other, which flows through a 5 gallon bucket full of holes, and filled with lava rock, suspended above a 30 gallon barrel, with a sump pump, that pumps the water into the highest tank
Each tank drains with self starting siphons into a sediment filter, that drains into the next lower tank… so there is a lot of airation

The lowest tank is just for water conditioning, there is giant duck weed, I’m growing for filtering, and to feed the tilapia, when they get to that stage, as well as hydroponic vegetables… I was getting mosquito larvae in that tank, so a couple baby bichirs and a few mosquito fish were added to that tank ( No tilapia in that tank )… there is also a baffling system in the lower tank to keep the Duck weed out of the filters

So mine is a fairly complex system, with a lot of variables to figure out, like adding water from evaporation, what happens, with varying amounts of rain, and each of my tanks is heated, as tilapia grow the fastest with water around 88 degrees… sp I’m doing my best to keep the water temperature as close to that, with varying temperatures from the lows overnight, to the highs during the day, and with all the airation going on, with those varying temperatures
 
Also mine is easily expandable… I can add additional tanks, with little or no changes needed… the place that sells the tilapia fingerlings says I could put many as 75 tilapia to harvest size per tank… since this is all new to me, I’m doing 50 per production tank, and monitoring my water conditions in a log, as the fish mature
 
I don't have anything to do with the running of the site, but I know from reading here for years that fish farming questions are rare. I really like the questions you raise with that set up, but I'd look at it in ponds. I find new discussions in 'what's new' anyway.

I'm crossing my fingers that those Tilapia grow fast enough for your season.
 
Assume you saw this…. A thread I started earlier
While I had seen the Forum for 'Horses, Farm and Work Animals', it had never occurred to me to look there for information on Fish Ponds. No. Sorry. I'll check it out.

-sterling
 
Also mine is easily expandable… I can add additional tanks, with little or no changes needed… the place that sells the tilapia fingerlings says I could put many as 75 tilapia to harvest size per tank… since this is all new to me, I’m doing 50 per production tank, and monitoring my water conditions in a log, as the fish mature
Have you actually tried tilapia?
A lot of people don't like it so if you haven't tried it yet, perhaps try some before you grow lots of them :)

Temperature wise, 28C (82F) is the best temperature for growing tropical fishes per kilowatt used. They can grow slightly faster in warmer water but you spend more on power and get fewer returns with higher temps.
 
My supplier ( very reputable, & knowledgeable ) recommends 87-88 degrees as the temp of fastest growing... since mine are in big above ground tanks, the heaters I'm using are big 1800 watts & they won't warm up a tank that size, if it's too cold outside... but right now, during the summer months, they just run for a few hours at night, when the outside temps fall as low as 60 degrees... I mostly have them on the tanks to reduce the fluctuating temps, & to monitor the current tank temps

I'll turn your question around... have you tried clean water raised Tilapia??? yes we having been trying some Tilapia... it's Ok... but all I can find is product of China... even domestic raised Tilapia is usually from southern mud ponds... to me, that tastes more "earthy" kinda like catfish... again, we will, & have eaten it...

I expect "clean water" fish to taste a little less "earthy"... but I can only grow until the fall season in Minnesota, so if I absolutely did not like the taste, I could try catfish next summer on the same equipment, or a cold water MN species... just if I did that, it would require a lot more water exchange to keep cooler temps...

right now, I'm just starting water changes, as the fish were so tiny to start with... I have put together a gravel vacuum on steroids, to suck all the solids out of the bottom of the tanks, into 5 gallon pails, where those will go to the hazel nuts I'm growing...

prior to the water changes, I add 1 minute of warm water from the hose station in the morning, & again in the evening, to make up for evaporation from aerating of the water
 
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We put bubblewrap on top of our ponds. Cover about 90% of the surface and it will warm the water up a few more degrees. This is more for spring and autumn when the temperatures are still a bit cool, and winter if you get any sun at that time of year.

You can also make a solar pond heater out of a black wood or metal box with a glass lid. Have it in full sun and put 50 meters or black poly pipe (irrigation tube) in the box. Run some more poly pipe to the pond and have a small water pump come on in the morning and go off at dusk. The pump will pump pond water through the pipe, into the box where it heats up, then back to the pond. It can help warm the water a lot in cooler weather, and even more in hot weather.

Putting a green house over the ponds can extend the growing season.
 

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