Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have never eaten or cooked silver perch. Does anyone know what its like to eat? Is it better cooked whole, or filleted? Is it firm fleshed, or flaky? I have just been given a beautiful Indian cookery book which has a coupla great looking recipes for fish curry. The recipes both call for sole, leatherjacket or pomfret fish. Could I substitute silver perch?

Hi there Clueless,

I've managed to find some info about the culinary sie of silver perch.



Check this out for some recipes etc. Let us know how you go with the silver perch, and post a recipe here on the group for others to try if it works out well...

Hi all, i know weve' talked about the temperature tolerances of silver perch, and i'm sure i've been saying that they are not too good below 10C.

I may have been flawed in this! Mine all bit the bullet after a few months at 7C, and i'm sure i would have got my info sfrom somewhere, but i have just found this aquaculture note http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/2703.html
that states their tolerance range is from 2C to 35C

I hope Ausyfish logs on soon and can confirm this for me, cause i'm a little confused. It may just have been my water conditions that killed them off

If the 35 degrees is correct and does not stress the fish to death, then this is good news for killing any ick that may be present

didn't even think of that.
might need to do some more web searches. It sounds a bit high. Wheres Ausyfish when you need him ?

i know this is out of the blue but how easy are silver perch to breed or does everyone just buy fingerlings every year.

Dan, this has been covered quite a bit, and just a few hours ago too!

check these links

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... .php?t=265

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... .php?t=311

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... .php?t=120

But short answer is no, not easy and yes we are all buying in.

They are $1 each for quantity of 100, but they may do smaller orders.

Steve are they local or thru aqua supplies.
I am waiting for a quote for 2oo silvers+jades from bunbury.
Hard to compare am thinking more of backup service if supporting the local guy.Should I?

Hmm, a recipe section would be great!

Many will get a chance to mix n match produce and fish before too long.

I may have to convert a fridge to a smoker and bludge my friends smoked fish pie recipe for y'all. Soo nice...

C1, I'm pretty sure, Steve's quoting from Ausyfish in Queensland. Seems as though they are a high quality supplier. I'm not sure about back up service. Any aquarium shop I've ever been to says on the tanks: Our fish are healthy and free of disease and our tanks are well maintained, no responsibilities for fish deaths etc taken...or something to that effect.

Thanks mon,
thats what I thought! Have made contact with them late friday.(Ausyfish)
Have just stacked first grow tubs around the pond and got the pump and plumbing going.
Looks like I am going continuous.

I gotta be getting a few freebie fish from ausyfish! Seriously though all my fish from them have been really happy, and they ship internationally as well as nationally, so i think they have the experience. I wouldn't stress about the back up support C1, you have all you need here An i take comfort that my fish have not been mixed in with the water from god knows how may petshop fish. Ask VB about diseases and the stress they cause (to US)

I know that Tilapia are extremely hardy fish and a different kettle of fish to what we are using, but a couple of interesting things that Dr James Rakocy (Jim) of the University of Virgin Islands said at the lectures are:

- they have never treated their fish, not even with salt, to get rid of disease. They have gone on the principal of natural selection. Of course this is different for us because we are not breeding in house. If we were then using this principal may be a good option.
- They lose about 10% of their fish (Dr Nick Savidov of Canada stated they lose about 2% of their Tilapia).

I think that regardless of where you get the fish, it is unlikely that you are never going to introduce Ich and costia (fungus) into your system. All you can do is hope that the ecological balance that you achieve in the system is sufficient to minimise the affect of parasites/diseases. It is not beyond reason that the huge amounts of beneficial bacteria may stop the parasites/diseases from taking hold and the fish will be strong enough to sustain the initial onslaught. I'd be interested in getting some scientific comment on this. It would be a good question for somebody to ask Dr Wilson Lennard at the Sydney or Melbourne lectures (Wilson is the guy behing Minnamurra and of course is not using Tilapia so is better alligned with our issues - he is using Murray Cod). One of the reasons Wilson has split his system into the aqua and hydro sides (aqua in shed, plants next door in greenhouse) and put in place biofilters on the aqua side, is to enable the systems to be run seperatelly if needed. This means that he could treat the fish for a disease outbreak if required, while shutting of the plants from the system and feeding them a hydro solution. Something I didn't get the chance to ask (I asked plenty) was what he would use to treat the fish should this happen. Salt is the obvious I guess, but I am not sure this is what he had in mind.

VB,

I will ask these questions at either the field day or the lectures. I have decided that the lectures are a goer, considering I am going to Melbourne and you sounded like you were impressed

Thanks for the heads up

Monya

Thanks for that steve.
I will be considering the stock mix over the next week or so.

Side note:I have plumbed my first 3 growbeds with auto syphon.
love a challenge.
Also have a shade wing to install..AAAARRRRG
seedlings are looking ready to transplant.