Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That's interesting Troutman...

Still not sure CD, you would have to radically change everything that would make things a lot more difficult, changing the feed to what they eat would make it to expensive so you loose the ease and viability that we work for in AP, I have no doubt they could be grown in AC but again loosing the benefits of AP.
You only have a few but I bet they are more *frack* ing around than the rest of the system, and again going to 50 or 60 would be a pain, I certainly don't have the time to hand feed them and clean up after them, shit would be like having 50 teenagers at home

Rup, I should point out that there are different ways that you can produce Triploid fish and the method by which the Trout Hatchery in Pemberton currently uses is generally the least successful. In more advanced hatcheries like the IFS one at New Norfolk in Tasssie state of the art equipment would be used and success rates would be closer to 90%.

You're better off than I as far as Tabbies of any sort (I just discovered redfin are a variety of Yabby) Yabbies of all varieties are strictly forbidden in Washington. I am kinda surprised since I have a hard time imagining them surviving the winter there.

Babylon, Red Fin here are a fish from introduced Europe and are known as Red Fin Perch, Yabbies are a small crustacean grow to about 6 inches with claws, yabbies will live in water at 2c and bury in the mud to survive, they can live buried in a dry dam for a long period

Yep, I confused red fin and redclaw. redclaw are a sort of yabby. My mistake.

Why so low still for state of the art equipment - the Europeans and Americans are regularly reporting results of 100±0% triploidy for salmonids and various perch species. As to what Pemberton are doing, I hope those numbers are the result of early trials and things are improving.


Golden perch, Tandanus tandanus, Jade Perch, Murray Cod, Bass, Estuary Perch, River Blackfish, Sleepy Cod, some of the grunters.......
Saying that greater diversity would not increase the size of the market is an assumption not supported by any particular economic models or examples. If there were only 3 kinds of meat in the world, or 3 car manufacturers, or 3 colours of paint, you're effectively saying there would be no place for a 4th, 5th and 6th if they were bred/designed/developed.
Open markets thrive on diversity, driven by human nature.
Now, using generalities admittedly , there is a perception that trout and barra can be difficult to raise (DO and seasonal/temperature issues) and SP's are perceived as a boring fish (though I love mine) as has been mentioned on this forum several times.

There is room, and the interest, in this market for a greater number of options.


Come on, your implication is that nothing is ever going to change, nothing new will ever be learnt or tried. Just because it hasn't been done yet doesn't mean it can't be done.
Or maybe they have and are too wary to talk about it in public.


Well, if you eat 'em small, they don't get to grow into big ones. How is that different ? If the cod were eating the big ones, they may at least have had a chance to breed first.

I'm not bagging trout at all, and certainly haven't said they shouldn't be stocked. I'm just saying there is no evidence (documented, not anecdotal) that they are better or worse than any other introduced piscivore or semi-piscivore. Trout do eat native fish and decapods just like any other introduced large species and when they're not, they're eating other food resources that endemic species could be eating - they have to be as there is nothing out there in the ecology that is exclusively of interest to trout.

I believe that the weirs, dams, farming, and land degradation have had and will continue to have a much more disastrous effect on the endemic species in our freshwater waterways than any introduced fish.


Yep, I agree they can co-exist. Redfin have also been co-existing with native species of all varieties in the Collie River since the very early 1900's too (Pen & Potter 1992).

So, I reckon, with some regulation/approval processes and the implementation of polyploidy technology (the warm bath technique is not terribly complex and usually bring better results than the pressure technique) we could/should have a more diverse range available to us.

Pemberton are still using the heat method, they have the equipment for using pressure but to my knowledge have not used it to date and I know it wasnt used with this years fry. The actual success rate of triploidy could only be known if all the females were dissected and males checked for milt viability. I know from experience that the fish coming out of Pemberton are no way near 100% successful. Even the state of the art IFS hatchery in Tasssie does not claim a 100% success rate of treated eggs being triploided.



There is no point having options if the species to choose from are not suitable for the environment they are to go into. Cows, cars & paint are far less demanding of environmental conditions than most species of fish.
I would say that I see more aquaponics systems than anyone else on this forum and I constanty see (and often have to net out) fish that are suffering or diseased because they are in environments that they are not acclimatised for. I dont really enjoy netting out and dispossing of fungussed Barramundi before I can add trout to someones tank and bringing in fish like Jades and Sleepy Cod etc will just exacerbate this problem. Perth unfortunately has a wide range of extremes when it comes to temperature with summer air temps often above 40c and winter minimums below 0c making for water conditions that dont suit many fish on a year round basis. From what I have observed the growing season here for warmwater species is too short to get fingerlings to edible size before the temps drop again which means you have to buy your Barra at a larger size if you want to be able to eat them before the water temps become unsuitable.



Thats the thing, most of the species you mention have been tried and apart from Murray Cod are not suitable in SW WA for one reason or another.



The advantage of Trout is that there are only a couple of isolated instances in WA where they can breed succesfully and they are also relatively short lived. This means that if it was decided that they were not wanted here anymore the existing stocks would die out within a few years if fisheries didnt re stock them. If Murray Cod were ever released into some waters that would be it and you would never be able to remove them, much like the situation that exists with Redfin Perch. Is it worth the experiment?? Dont get me wrong I would love to be able to fish for Murray Cod in certain WA public waters but I can see why fisheries have taken the stance they have.



Where did you get that from??? I think you'll find that the pressure technique is the far more successful method.

Wow what a debate, I can say 200km's inland from bunbury that climate is an issue with most fish except trout, I still reckon I will be screwed for a summer fish, Certainly Barra wouldn't do without even trying, I really doubt barra are even suited to Perth, they only appear to work if bought at a larger size as TM say's, this to me makes them financially not viable, I can by the fish cheaper gutted or filleted, the only benefit is keeping the system going. Jades seem to be a warm climate fish as do most others mentioned, I am giving silvers ago this year but have yet seen them grow in a short season in this area, I will pay a bit more for a reasonable size (have to sweet talk the supplier TM I have your ad back on my site ) but this is too get a better summer Veg Crop, I doubt I will grow them out before April/May, I will be busting my arse though to get them there, I agree with TM , in my short experience not much is suited to SW conditions, most species mentioned here would do well Geraldton and North,
Just look at what is grown where over east, and when they are located in parallel with WA, Vics - South NSW mainly trout and SP, central - Northern NSW SP and a few trout, far Northern NSW and QLD no trout and most of the other species mentioned here, I remember when I use to visit Murray's forum he was trying anything to grow trout, up to when I stopped visiting he had failed.
Red Fin grow here but are not an option for me, after my short trial I can only see disaster if tried in numbers, in my opinion they are not a tank fish, I would love for someone to show me it can be done, but I think you will only have heartache for trying.
CD I think you have to agree with TM, it would be nice to have those species you mention but you would have to evolve them a lot before they could live in our climate, or you would have to have a heap of heaters, which again would not make them economical.
I am about 2 months short of having trout 12 months of the year, and about 2 months short of growing out SP, my other option is going to be Cobbler, not far off going on the hunt now, I don't know enough about them to know how they will last, so a trial again, Don Bird has a few and they seem to be going OK, I doubt though I would be able to have them in Numbers above 10-15, more of a companion fish and a tank cleaner

All the other stuff is to technical for me)

Sorry NFI what happened there

Mmmmm, need a bit more than that Nocky for the real bolters. I'm still waiting on that rain you promised me!! Send me 100mm before winter ends and you can have the pick of the crop.

Not sure what you call "a short season" Nocky...

But even if you stock 100mm Silvers in October... you still wont have them 500gm+ by end of December the year after... except maybe one or two bolters...

You're looking at 15-18 months IMO...

I mean a short summer season Rupe, and yes I am well aware of the problem, I doubt they would survive the winter, Rick & Don have cover and Don has a bit of heat from memory.
But most of the other Varieties that CD is mentioning I can't see working south of Geraldton is my main point, we already know Narrogin is a Hole
TM you are a hard man. every time I look at the Rainfall figures there has been 30mm+ throughout your area The 2nd of September will be the next decent drop though