Anyone else raising fish for food??? Now with pictures of the Harvest!

[Magnum Man]

Didn’t really see a good place for this, so it’s farming of sorts…. If there is a better place, mods can move it please

So this year I decided to set up an aquaculture set of tanks, using several used food grade 275 gallon totes ( IBC’s ) in looking for fish… I decided on Tilapia, even though I have a limited grow season… ) my www info says the blue tilapia are more resistant to cooler water, but, they will stop growing, and die, long before the water gets close to freezing… I chose tilapia, because of the fast grow rate, and the way they tolerate density in the tanks… this is my 1st venture into something like this… I got 100 supposed fingerlings…. ( though I would have called them fry )… but they have more than tripled in size in the 3 weeks I’ve had them

I’m Doing some hydroponics of vegetables, for the kitchen, and growing duck weed, both as feed, and part of the filter

I thought about catfish, but I’m pretty happy with my choice, so far…

Anyone else growing their own fish to eat???

BTW… the graded fingerlings I bought, were pretty expensive… and tilapia are supposedly easy to breed, so I’ll be holding back 3-4 from harvesting, and will be trying to breed my own, over the winter ( indoors) to raise next summer in my system

 

[GaryE]

I'm not farming fish, but Tilapia are easy to breed, grow like bad ideas and are easy to feed. Large adults are hard to keep in tanks, although post breeding, you'd do well with them in a stew.
I expect that in summer temps, you might get breeding in the ponds. They're mouthbrooders (maternal) and can be precocious, starting early. I'd keep an eye out once they hit about 10 cm. Tank breeding could be hard because they need space.

I know there was a co-op breeding them in old disused factories in Detroit, as part of a hydroponics project.

 

[Magnum Man]

I have a 65 gallon empty to use as a breeding and fry raising tank, and will put it with a 45 gallon to move the breeding pair into, while raising the fry…. Plan on putting 3-4 potential Mates in the 65, then only keeping the mating pair, I’ll use a tank divider in the 45 to control the mating, to work out, to only when I’m ready, I’ll transfer them back to the 65

Got some cucumbers along with some other veggies in a tank with the duck weed… no tilapia in this tank… my density charts say I can do as many as 75 per tank… right now there are 2 tanks with 50 tilapia each, beside this filtering tank

As you can see, all the tanks have heaters, if nothing else, to monitor the temperature

 

[GaryE]

I was trying to remember where I had read about the problems associated with keeping these brutes in tanks. It was many years ago when these fish were marketed to Christians as the species in the loaves and fishes story. I think there were three Tilapia group species marketed as such, and they destroyed the tanks they were put in. People were looking for info on keeping them - tank size, etc, and discovering they needed enormous tanks if they were kept north. They are tank buster fish.

I wouldn't keep Oreochromis in my tanks, as i have nothing bigger than a 120. You really should hope they spawn and that the fry aren't eaten in the aquaculture crowding. If you are raising them indoors for next year's stock, breed them outdoors and collect young.

It strikes me as our northern problem - without a year round shelter, thinking 75 per tank is because they will be killed to be eaten. You can't sustain 75 in that space for long. But where can you raise 250 fast growing fry for the Spring? It might be cheaper to rebuy.

How long would they be indoors in your climate?

 

[10 Tanks]

Didn’t really see a good place for this, so it’s farming of sorts…. If there is a better place, mods can move it please

So this year I decided to set up an aquaculture set of tanks, using several used food grade 275 gallon totes ( IBC’s ) in looking for fish… I decided on Tilapia, even though I have a limited grow season… ) my www info says the blue tilapia are more resistant to cooler water, but, they will stop growing, and die, long before the water gets close to freezing… I chose tilapia, because of the fast grow rate, and the way they tolerate density in the tanks… this is my 1st venture into something like this… I got 100 supposed fingerlings…. ( though I would have called them fry )… but they have more than tripled in size in the 3 weeks I’ve had them

I’m Doing some hydroponics of vegetables, for the kitchen, and growing duck weed, both as feed, and part of the filter

I thought about catfish, but I’m pretty happy with my choice, so far…

Anyone else growing their own fish to eat???

BTW… the graded fingerlings I bought, were pretty expensive… and tilapia are supposedly easy to breed, so I’ll be holding back 3-4 from harvesting, and will be trying to breed my own, over the winter ( indoors) to raise next summer in my system

Hello Magnum. From what little I've read and understand, the tank water temperature needs to be steady and very high to increase the fishes' metabolism. About 85 degrees isn't too high. From fry to adult size is going to take several months, even close to a year. You'll need one very large tank.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[DailyLunatic]

I have two 5m x 15m x 2.5x ponds, I've just started.
We are a bit out of order on the Order of Operations on them as the wife keeps jumping the gun (I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say, she thinks she is helping.)
I wanted to drill a well (solar) and dig the ponds on either side of it. Long story short, the ponds were dug before the well, and now the well digger can't get back there to drill between the ponds.
Him: *Holds out dowsing rods* "Besides, there's no water there anyway. Drill here." *points to the middle of where my BBQ/Pizza Oven/Outdoor Kitchen are planned.*
Me: *Rolls Eyes* No, thank you. I'll wait until the dry season. Wife, you're attempt at accelerating the project has failed.

Since then I have been trying to get the stagnant, milky white ponds stabilize the pH (varied from 3.98 to 8.67 at the beginning. And to start to support... something. An attempt with Duckweed failed spectacularly overnight. (Sun Burning I suspect).

That failure inspired wife to brings a bucket of seven half dead Tilapia from one of her sister's ponds, and toss them in to Pond#2.

Wife: "Sister says this should be okay."
Me: *Looking at six fish floating belly-up in my pond the next morning.* Okay, so I guess one made it...

My next attempt with getting the pond to support something was Azolla. Documented in another thread here on FishForums. It did not die overnight. It took 3 or 4 days. (so, progress?)

Despite my having stated repeatedly that I did not want fish until the well was drilled, the wife took this lack of immediate failure as the green light to start raising fish. Or maybe it was me asking for a few dozen snails from her sister's pond. Dunno, but she just showed on afternoon like a stray cat with a bag of 100 Tilapia fingerlings. The fish guy was 'literally' driving by (she has video). I can't get used to the way things are done here in rural Thailand...

Over the next hour I balanced the pH, and temp and added them to the pond. She was amazed and had never seen anything like that done.

I hadn't planned for this, and the next trip to town is still a week away. Been feeding them bread crumbs, chicken scratch, and a bit of aquarium fish food I had left over. I hav't seen any bodies, but no feeding activity either.

If anyone has temp food ideas please let me know.

She's also been using Pond#2 as the midden. Just found out yesterday. That may be why I'd been fighting with the pH being all over the place.

-sterling

 

[Endlersendlers]

What is a midden ?

 

[DailyLunatic]

What is a midden ?

Definition of MIDDEN

dunghill; a refuse heap; especially : kitchen midden; a small pile (as of seeds, bones, or leaves) gathered by a rodent (such as a pack rat)… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Living in the country most of my life, we always dug a pit to dump kitchen scraps into. Like a compost pile, but with food and such.

-sterling

 

[Magnum Man]

I’ve heard, that before fish, some people have added farm manures to encourage algae growth, in new ponds…. On my tank system, I’m attempting "aquarium clean” water

Feed depends greatly on the size of your fish, and training them… they are like little pigs, once they start eating, they figure out you are the source of the food, and start begging… mine are only 3 weeks in my tanks, but when I open the protective screens ( to keep the birds, and raccoons out) they all group at the top begging

My supplier recommended Ziegler's algae tabs for fry to small fingerlings ( mine were so small, they were supposed to be fingerlings, but I would have called them fry…
My supplier also recommends Purina Aqua Max feeds for the tilapia, for fastest growth

Mine were small enough, that I had to buy extra of the Ziegler's algae tabs… but I nearly have them switched over to the smallest pellets

They are growing like weeds, right now I feed a scoop of pellets 1st, then a minute later add an algae tab, so the biggest all have pellets in their mouths, when I drop in the algae tab, insuring the littlest ones get some of the algae tabs, before I started switching to pellets it the algae tabs disappeared into a swarm of fish, like dropping a beef steak into a tank of hungry piranhas

 

[DailyLunatic]

I’ve heard, hat before fish, some people have added farm manures to encourage algae growth, n new ponds…. On my tank system I’m attempting aquarium clean” water

Feed depends greatly on the size of your fish, and training them… they are like little pigs, once they start eating, they figure out you are the source of the food, and start begging… mine are only 3 weeks in my tanks, but when I open the protective screens ( to keep the birds, and raccoons out) they all group at the top begging

My supplier recommended Zieglers algae tabs for fry to small fingerlings ( mine were so small, they were supposed to be fingerlings, but I would have called them fry…
My supplier also recommends Purina Aqua Max feeds for the tilapia, for fastest growth

Mine were small enough, that I had to buy extra of the Zieglers algae tabs… but I nearly have them switched over to the smallest pellets

They are growing like weeds, but I feed a scoop of pellets 1st, then a minute later at an algae tab, so the biggest all have pellets in their mouths, when I drop in the algae tab, insuring the littlest ones get some of the algae tabs

Wife wants to put a few bales of straw into the pond. I suppose it will promote infusoria. I've been hatching a 1/4 capsule of Moina (similar to Daphnia, but smaller and more heat resistant.) and then introducing that to the ponds about once a week for a while now. Trying to build up an eco system and not having much luck. Monkey wrenches in the process do not help.

Just so you know, the rural nature of where I am in Thailand means that a lot of commercial items common in the states, are not available at all here. The local sundries store has fish feed, but the size is for full grown adults. No way my 'fingerlings' could wrap their mouths around it.

Not familiar with the distinction between 'fingerlings' and 'fry'. Pic of what I introduced attached.

-sterling

 

[Magnum Man]

Can you mail order stuff there, or are you limited to what is offered locally???

I have to mail order everything here...
these are the algae wafers... ( not sure if you can mail order them, or see if you can get something similar )

Amazon.com

these are the Aqua Max 300 ( the baby pellets ) again, not sure if you can mail order, or use this to find something similar locally...

Amazon.com

if you can mail order, let me know, & I'll link you the place I get mine from, they sell much smaller packages, & the whole line of grower foods, that will speed up your process...

 

[DailyLunatic]

Can you mail order stuff there, or are you limited to what is offered locally???

I have to mail order everything here...
these are the algae wafers... ( not sure if you can mail order them, or see if you can get something similar )

Amazon.com

these are the Aqua Max 300 ( the baby pellets ) again, not sure if you can mail order, or use this to find something similar locally...

Amazon.com

if you can mail order, let me know, & I'll link you the place I get mine from, they sell much smaller packages, & the whole line of grower foods, that will speed up your process...

Sure, we can mail order. Lazada and Shopee are both sites similar to Amazon.

Imported products are horrendously expensive, what with the double whammy of international shipping and tariff/duty/taxes, both way to high imho.

I will see what I can find for similar products on these sites, just that a) it was unexpected and I was unprepared, and b) it is doubtful I can find the same products you mention. Also c) translation issues. I was looking for powdered milk last month and couldn't find exactly what I needed until I used the term 'nipple powder'. lol.

-sterling

 

[sharkweek178]

I tried, but guppies just aren't that filling.

 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Cool project, @Magnum Man ! I understand your short season issues being in MN myself. I'll be curious how this works out for you, especially what you end up doing in the winter. I love tilapia! One of the few fish I've cooked that takes to an easy browning with a nice maillard reaction. My kids call it "crispy fish". Good luck! I know I'll be following with interest!

 

[GaryE]

Just a thought. If you have to treat the fish for parasites at any point, I believe the standard fish meds make them unsafe to eat.