Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Am in the process of enlarging my aquaponics system (as you do)and have to move the tank to a new location so I decided to harvest the trout. The tank is 2800L and earlier in the year contained 150 fish but for the last 3 months has only had a dozen fish in it as the others were slowly sold off.
The six fish pictured ranged from 650gms to 900gms, the other six fish (the bigger ones) went up to 1.25kg and were released into my dam. As a comparison the fish at bottom right (still alive) is exactly the same age as the others but only 200gms and came out of a tank with a similar volume of water but containing many more fish.

That may have been the last one to dinner is my guess.

Nice fish Trouty...

nice little comparison,thanks for sharing

So I gather the other trout in the tank the small one was from are similar size? He is not just a runt is he?

Hi Troutman, we have a 3000lt tank. Last season (our first lot of fish) we bought 60 fingerlings but ended up with 25 fully grown. This year we bought 70 fingerlings and still have them all.

We will have to wait and see if 70 are going to have space ratio growing difficulties or not. But so far so good.

Nice looking fish.

Yeah, all the fish in the tank the small one came from are similar size, around 200gms. I guess at the end of the day you have to stock as to whether you want lots of smaller fish or fewer but larger fish.

Makes sense that more you have the less room for growth, I have 50 in a 3000lt tank and all are over 350-400gms haven't weighed them since chucking them in, a guy caught a 580gm one down at Pemberton when I was there and I reckon I would have a couple that size,
Is a secret squirrel spot at Harvey that has millions have stunted Red Fin just because of overcrowding.
I am staying with my theory of less fish same amount of weight harvest, depends if you prefer 100 medium fish or 50 big fish I suppose, nice fish Gav, I thought you would be sick of them by now

OK here's a question whats the best 2 lots of 50 trout in 2 1000 litre tanks or 100 trout in 2000 tank the reason i asked my mate has just given me 2 more 1000 litre tanks i could bolt them together and cut a 3 ft sq hole between the 2

what shape tanks are they F&F?

I know you love CHIFT PIST, so how will you lift the solids out of the 2 compartments?

Use 2 separate stand pipes!

what shape tanks are they F&F?

I know you love CHIFT PIST, so how will you lift the solids out of the 2 compartments?

Use 2 separate stand pipes!?

Square ones like these as for solids thought to put one chiftpist and put the in feed in the other one and the joining link would be close to the bottom
Probably easier to run 2 and 2 chift pist to a common outlet threw a swirl filter then a bio ball one like in the last byap news letter
all this will go under the verandah of the shed to hopefully keep trout over summer

If you have two completely independent tanks then if you have a critical problem in one you only loose half your stock.

So does anyone know why the size is effected, is it to do with biological reactions to the proximity of others? Is it related to oxygen levels, presence of waste in water, lack of exercise?

Plus you can have two different sets of fishes or whatever with two independent tanks...