Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

In Victoria, Tilapia is declared a "Noxious Fish". It is an offence to possess, transport or release live Tilapia.

*SIGH* I was hoping there was a way around it.....

i would have found it..............oh well, WA can't have pretty much anything plant like live transported to them, we'll let them have the tilapia

There was actually doubt if the convict chiclids were declared here, the DPI website was amibguous, i emailed them for clarification and the reply was "check our website" It was at that point is thought *frack* you. That and the fact that i saw them in an aquarium shop.

Mate .. if you want to grow fish for aquaponics, you don't have to eat them .. maybe try growing some big fancy fish like discus or oscars, or whatever fetches a good price in the pet market.

Some of the cichlids and some catfish can get pretty good prices for relatively small fish.

If it pays for your equipment, power and food .. you are on a winner. (cos the veggies are free!)

There are some beautiful cichlids out there that are easy to breed and yet command a good price for a 4 or 5 cm fish.

Very true about not having to eat them, but don't the "fish sales laws" apply equally to ornamental? and how easy is it to sell them unless its to an aquarium who pay crap prices in my very limited experience

If ya join an aquarium society .. then its a case of pm'ing people ...

easy!

Lets do the calcs ...

for protien deprived families in inland ( water problematic) Ethiopia or somalia.

5 male fish per bin ...
Lets do some maths ...

6 months to grow from fry to pan size ...

One breeding tank .. 4 females one stud male ... ongoing ...

One grow-on tank ... (Holds fish until ready to be transfrred to grow up tanks)

For a family of 7 .. How many wheelie bins would be needed to service such a family so that every member of the family gets one fish per week?

Fish food ? .. insects and scraps ....

Water ... top ups if temperature is controlled ...

Aeration ... use air lift undergravel system .. powered by ... ?????

OK .. how many bins needed to feed a family a weekly fish dish?

So - one breed tank

One raising tank..

several ???? (How many?) grow tanks ...?

I just sold 20 Tilapia fingerlings to the local fish store for $2 apiece. They are selling them as cichlids (which they are). All under the table;)

Good for you, Michael! I found that when I sold back fingerlings to stores, they would only give me store credit, and sometimes only store credit for live things. They gave you cash?!?!?

This time they gave me money yes. In the past it was always store credit, but I told the gal who runs the fish dept that they have nothing I need as my system has exceeded the hobbyist level. It was "deal or no deal" for them. I think the fact that i wasn't desperate made them pay up.

good to step up to the next level mike. those fish guys are too greedy, hows the little pink one going i hope your going to add him to the breeders tank!!!!!!

Yes I plan on keeping him (or her) as one of the breeders. It is amazing how some fish grow so much faster than others. I kept the biggest/fastest fingerlings and will use them for the next batch, maybe.

The wife and I are in process of fixing up the place to sell, which means I will have to dismantle the system sometime in the next four months. Next summer I will be building a commercial greenhouse.