# Raising fish?



## blaundee (Nov 3, 2012)

I couldn't find a forum specifically for this topic, so here goes.
Do any of you raise fish for food?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Here are some links for you to explore:

http://www.fishfarmer-magazine.com/

http://www.permies.com/forums/f-106/aquaponics


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## Johnny Dolittle (Nov 25, 2007)

A water culture forum has been suggested but so far no deal.
The subject of aquaponics comes up regularly here . HT has some doing aquaculture also .... use the search function

Search : talk to me about barrel fish.... (fish raised in a barrel) [ I could not copy and paste ....?????]

I just posted in the Market Garden sub forum on the topic also


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## Keith (Jul 18, 2011)

I am going to start this Summer though I've already gathered most of the materials and got the spot ready, might have to create a Aquaponics forum here on HST.

I am going to do a very simple setup to start with. I have a primary tank for tilapia then a small pump with a float setup that pulls into a hydroponic garden, then pumps back into the fish tank.


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## SteveD(TX) (May 14, 2002)

One of my best friends used to raise catfish in a stock tank on his farm. The biggest problem were the great blue herons who would feast on the eggs and fry every day.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

We stock our pond with fish (catfish, hybrid bluegill, bass) to raise for our family, & because our daughter loves to fish! Nothing like pulling a couple of big catfish out, cleaning them, soaking in a little buttermilk, rolling in seasoned corn meal, and frying them up! Ponds are a wonderful source of protein for the homestead. Other than feeding them to get them started well, they take care of themselves. Definitely, one of the best "no brainer" forms of "meat" you can raise for yourself, and know what's going into them.


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## Johnny Dolittle (Nov 25, 2007)

A pond is also an easy way to store emergency food also


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## Copperhead (Sep 12, 2011)

Does buying a "trout stamp" count? 

I never forget hearing a "Realtor" tell me about the Hillbilly Dream: Living in a trailer and chasing the stock truck!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Built two small ponds on our place and keep stocked with catfish.

Backwoods said it all......


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## blaundee (Nov 3, 2012)

Keith said:


> I am going to start this Summer though I've already gathered most of the materials and got the spot ready, might have to create a Aquaponics forum here on HST.
> 
> I am going to do a very simple setup to start with. I have a primary tank for tilapia then a small pump with a float setup that pulls into a hydroponic garden, then pumps back into the fish tank.


How big are your tanks, and do you have to have a water heater over the winter? It gets very cold here, so winter is a major factor in all we do. We are too dry (9% humidity) to have any reasonable expectation of having a real, in the dirt pond, so a stock tank or better yet a fully enclosed water storage tank (so there is little to no evaporation) is what we're thinking of getting to raise fish in- but we dont know enough about any of it just yet.

Will tilapia breed in a tank? How long do they take to get to eating size?


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## theemon (Jan 14, 2013)

well, i breed tropical fish  not for food though. but i intend to build a pond soon to house edible fish.


ask any questions you have about it


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## Warwalk (May 25, 2011)

If your' temperature is even remotely cold I've heard tilapia will die en masse.


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

What's remotely cold? I'm in north central FL, but we see temps drop into the 20s almost every winter.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

in the 50s


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Usingmyrights said:


> What's remotely cold? I'm in north central FL, but we see temps drop into the 20s almost every winter.


Some species are extremely stressed at 70 degrees. They are very comfortable at 95 degrees. There are more cold hardy strains but nothing like our native fish. It's best to get them early and fillet them before fall.

Yes they will reproduce in tanks unless you buy all males.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I have largemouth bass and bluegill in my farm pond. I raise yellow perch in the greenhouse in rubbermaid stock tanks. They will grow in cooler water than tilapia, make nice fillets....James


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## Warwalk (May 25, 2011)

@Usingmyrights ~ I don't have any practical application with the tilapia raising, but I've gotten to see a few operations. Most southern states should be able to handle tilapia, although it's for commercial operations and they have to be harvested before the cold hits. Supposedly you can tell they're getting stressed temperature-wise as you'll start seeing a few looking like they're agitated in the tank; shortly thereafter they die very quickly. Tilapia I think are originally from Africa, where water temps are year-round hot enough to maintain them. But yes, I'd think that N Florida would be more than sufficient. Also, if you were to greenhouse them if you wanted to overwinter them I'd think this could help. The best thing about tilapia, to me, is that they'll eat just about anything, they're pretty efficient growers, and they grow fast. So these are all things that benefit a person looking for some decent protein yields per sq ft. There's a really good study that was done by the University of Auburn that I'll try to find for you on Tilapia.


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## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

We raise trout in an old spring fed stock tank. It is covered with an old satellite dish to protect it from birds and bears. We raised 50 trout last year and now doing 100 this year. I am adding some aquaponics to the system this year as a filter for supporting more trout. Here is a video of feeding time:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy2YhVMaDGg[/ame]


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## blaundee (Nov 3, 2012)

fishhead said:


> Some species are extremely stressed at 70 degrees. They are very comfortable at 95 degrees. There are more cold hardy strains but nothing like our native fish. It's best to get them early and fillet them before fall.
> 
> Yes they will reproduce in tanks unless you buy all males.


 
20 degrees is a normal day at my house in the winter. 30 degrees in the winter is WARM! So I guess tilapia are out lol Except that I don't mind using a stock tank heater- we have to do that for all of the horse troughs anyway.

I would like something that I don't have to keep buying from someone else, so want them to be able to reproduce easily in tanks.


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## Oswego (Dec 5, 2011)

fishhead said:


> Some species are extremely stressed at 70 degrees. They are very comfortable at 95 degrees. There are more cold hardy strains but nothing like our native fish. It's best to get them early and fillet them before fall.
> 
> Yes they will reproduce in tanks unless you buy all males.


Its the water temp thats important for fish. If the water temp does not drop below 50 degrees or even less for some species then they will make it through the winter.
There are tilapia that live year round in Florida as far north as Lake City. Catch some of the ones that have been living in your climate and use them to raise your own.
Or bring in some breeding stock inside for the winter to put back outside in the spring.


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Perch will live under ice. They do it every year but they aren't growing. Survival and growth are separate.

Probably the best is to buy fingerlings early in the spring and fillet them in the fall when growth stops. The flesh will be firmer if you wait until the water gets cold. It has to do with the change in lipids in the cell membrane each fall. That's why summer perch are less firm than those caught in winter.

Channel cats, bullheads, perch are all good fish for cooler water. Perch don't tolerate 85 F for very long but grow well at 70 F.


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## manfred (Dec 21, 2005)

I have had fish in my ponds for 10 years, great fun for the grandkids and good eating.I've been frustrated by the Great Blue herons too. One bird can eat 2 pounds of fish per day and the law says you can't harass them.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Electric fencing works for herons if your shoreline is relatively straight lines. Put it up out from shore a couple of feet because herons normally land on the shore and walk into the water. In most places you can harass them you just can't shoot them without a permit.

A trained dog works even better. Get the bird!

Just turn the fence off when the grandkids come to fish.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

We have in the past stocked our pond with a few hundred rainbow trout. I would like to stock it this spring again. In this established pond, a 4" trout will grow into a 1 pounder by late fall with no feed costs. You just got to catch 'em somehow before the water freezes up in the fall, as they do not survive in our 14 foot deep pond, they run out of 02. 

They are a great source of food for a very economical input.


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## blaundee (Nov 3, 2012)

fishhead said:


> Perch will live under ice. They do it every year but they aren't growing. Survival and growth are separate.
> 
> Probably the best is to buy fingerlings early in the spring and fillet them in the fall when growth stops. The flesh will be firmer if you wait until the water gets cold. It has to do with the change in lipids in the cell membrane each fall. That's why summer perch are less firm than those caught in winter.
> 
> Channel cats, bullheads, perch are all good fish for cooler water. Perch don't tolerate 85 F for very long but grow well at 70 F.


Do they have to be fed through the winter? How big do perch get?


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## CurvyTAS (Mar 6, 2013)

There are 2 small spring fed ponds on the property we are currently in negotiations to purchase in Eastern TN. The owner said there are fish in at least one of them. What sort of "eating" fish can we make sure we put in there to provide a sustainable food source? How do you "take care" of them so that they eventually nedd little care? Any ideas of books or something I can read up on this? We are not looking to have a fish farm or anything that large, just to be able to catch and eat fish.

Any suggestions would be great!!


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

in the south most ponds will have bream and bass. the water birds will bring them in. channel catfish do good in farm ponds. dont over stock small ponds. catfish will not spawn until about 6# and then require some sort of pipe or log to nest in. bass and bream will spawn and quickly overpopulate a small pond.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

I'm hoping to keep fish in a heated greenhouse this winter. It's the summertime temps that concern me with a tank. I'm thinking of sinking it into the ground.


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## WJMartin (Nov 2, 2011)

CurvyTAS, your county extension office should have lots of info for you on pond maintenance.


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## CurvyTAS (Mar 6, 2013)

WJMartin said:


> CurvyTAS, your county extension office should have lots of info for you on pond maintenance.


Thanks, I will check them out!


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## solidwoods (Dec 23, 2005)

blaundee
Tilapia need 80deg constant.
For fish in a tank you will need a bio filter.
Sounds like your are considering aquaponics?
If so set up a greenhouse on the south wall of a bldg. with grow beds for vegs and put your fish in a tank/s.
Tilapia will be about 1.5lb in 8months, they are easy to grow and breed very easy.
Check out these fourms:
http://www.aquaponics.net.au/index.htm
http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/index.php?sid=d13b040fcaa2f55aa96e08421c7647ef
Lots of companies sell tilapia mail order. They are a favored fish because they are easy to grow the grow very fast and are easy to breed.
jim


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

blaundee said:


> Do they have to be fed through the winter? How big do perch get?


For this purpose the males should get 7" and the females 8-10" if you buy large fingerlings to begin with. Given enough time and food they reach 3 lbs but that's an old (5-6+ yrs) fish.

They can be fed a maintenance diet through the ice but mine never ate much. I normally fed them live food like amphipods or the zooplankton that was produced in the ponds. Small minnows work too. Perch are easy to spawn but it takes a full season to produce the fingerlings for grow out.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Here's an aquaponics listserve that people interested in the topic might find worthwhile.

https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/sc-aquaponics


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