Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

OK Folks, here's the plan. I've been corresponding with the student organization in Valmeyer, Illinois.

http://www.valmeyerk12.org/clubs/valmey ... ILAPIA.htm

They have been very responsive to my emails and best priced. I have requested 100 total tilapia in both pearl white and red (so about 50 of each color). All of their tilapia are nilotica/aureas blend, so I expect they would have some cold tolerance because of the aureas blood. They are busy with the Christmas season right now, so may not ship until January. They also need to investigate shipment warmers; they don't usually ship in winter, so they want to make sure the fish will be OK.

I have enough space to get 100 fish up to a size I think I can sex them. (Never looked at the private parts of fish ...mumble, mumble... but I'll give it a try.) So in early Spring, I will select out my breeders (in the color I decide I like the best), and then will have about 35-40 female fish I need to get rid of. I'm also willing to let a few of the males go. I bet you all can figure out where this is going.

Assuming all goes well and I don't kill everything in my tank, I am willing to give away some harems with a male or two if needed. You can either come get them, or pay to pack and ship the fish to your place from zip 19350. Folks that have first rights of refusal are Mike Ferrini, Greenedo, and Dave Donley. Speak up if you think you want in. First come, first served.

Other options:
1) You can also place your own order with Valmeyer. They have quoted me $35/100 fish, plus about $100 to ship.

2) If you are close by and want your fish in the same timing as I do, let me know in the next few days and I can increase the size of the order. Then we can share the shipping charge.

Nice price it seems. I have never tasted Tilapia and can't bring myself to purchase a filet from china sold at the local walmart so guess I may never, I emagine you'll be neck deep in fish if you get your breeding up.

That's exciting, being that I'm just outside chicago. I'm not ready for anything yet, but my wife finally gave me permission(my xmas gift) to build an indoor mini-system. My local Home Depot has acrylic "underbed" storage containers that I eye-balled at around 60"x30"x8" for $4.99. I cant help but think that's gonna be a great GB. If I fill them to 6" deep (which is the plan) that gives me 6.25 cubic feet of GB each(again, eyeballing here), which is ~93 gallons in total. Two of those GBs could then support a tank ~55-gallon, which is easily done with another Rubbermaid storage piece.

Since this is going to be an indoor piece, I think I want to try to find some redtails; but I'll definately be in contact with these folks for tilapia...

As this is intended to be indoors I'm not worrying about heating and so forth, that will be easy. I also have a nice set of floor-to-ceiling windows to clear the entertainment center away from(that's terrible grammar...). A 55-gallon tank will be easy enough to come-by; i have a couple 55-gallon Rubbermaid containers for xmas storage already.
So I think this sounds ideal for me as a starter setup. It will be cheap, even if I plan 50 gallons of expanded clay, it shouldn't be too expensive. I'

Just one thing, I would suggest doubling the proposed depth of your growbed medium to 12 inches- better for bacteria!

I've read on this forum that most think 12" is the way to go. I've read other places that it can be done in as little as 4" of pea gravel. I was thinking I'd go with 6" for my inside system and see how it goes.
If it works well (I am planning on giving it a culture treatment to jump-start the system) I'll probably go 8" outside.

Hi Janet:

Perfect timing, I would be interested in some please! I was planning on being ready for fish in early January; things will come together before New Years. I will be able to drive over and get them I think. I still need to figure out how many to retain. The fuzzy plans involve a 500 gallon tank in the Spring - what is the poundage per gallon rule again?

Hi Dave,
If you're good at fish-keeping, 1 pound fish to 2 gallons water to 4 gallons filtration. If you're not as practiced, cut back for the first batch. Also, if your gravel bed is not matured, cut back. Let me know how many and what color. I'm delighted to be able to split the order with you!

Hi All,
An upate on the quest for tilapia:

Valmeyer is a high school aquaculture program. I had a very nice chat with Howard Heavner who runs the program (gosh, I wish they had a program like this when I was in school.) I learned some stuff:

- His tilapia were originally from Til-Tech and were supposed to be all male. (Genetically Male Tilapia, not hormone treated.) It turned out that there were actually a few females in the batch, and that's what they've been breeding from.

- He is very hesitant to ship in cold weather. He doesn't have experience doing it, and doesn't want to put the $100 shipping charge at risk. I understand his point. He would be very happy to supply any of us with tilapia, and will ship when Illinois night-time temperatures are at least 50. (I didn't ask about natives.) He is cautious about what the fish will be used for--ie, he wants to make sure we are complying with local regulations, and not releasing tilapia into the waterways.

- I asked what natives he felt grew the best. He liked largemouth bass (but it is more a 2-year fish), and catfish. He had a batch of half-grown hybrid bass die on him due to stress from moving. They apparently are nervous at certain points in their life. He felt that the bluegills don't grow out well. He has no experience with yellow perch.

- He also suggested Northeastern Aquatics in New York (845-876-3983) as a place that might deal at a small scale. They have only natives to my knowledge. I left a message for them to call me.

Given that I want my fish well before June, I am left with Til-Tech and Miami Aquaculture. They are the only two other companies that responded to my inquiries. Given that I definitely (not just probably) want some females to choose broodstock from, that leaves Miami Aquaculture http://www.miami-aquaculture.com/lvstk.htm . Their minimum order is 150 fingerlings (at $1/fish), with shipping and packaging adding about $112.

I will be ordering some Rocky Mountain White tilapia from them Monday or Tuesday next week (depending on whether they are open on MLK Day). Let me know if you want in on the order, and how many you want, and we can split the shipping. I can hold -some- fish for folks if you need a little time. I prefer that you pick up the fish from me rather than me attempting to ship in the dead of winter.

Tempted Janet, but...
1- I would be starting in my indoor 34-gal aquarium
2- I would be wanting about 3-5 fish
3- I would need to get a license before putting them into my non-existant system
4- I still need approval from the boss (but at least last night when I was experimenting with a dual-alternating autosiphon last night, she just joked, "sure, doesn't everyone have a dual-alternating autosiphon in their master bath?" <<resistance is futile, you will be assimilated>>

Greenedo, you might like plan B better. Wait until I'm culling females in the Spring, and pay shipping for me to send a breeding harem to you. When it's warm, I'm willing to try shipping.

That might work well. I don't know if I'll be getting anywhere near there in the near future, and unless my brother in Towanda wants to pick them up and run them down...
Plan B it is....
-Doug

Rock on guys..... Janet...pics when you get them plz;)

Mike: Oh, lotsa pics. I promise.

I spoke with a junior person at Miami Aquaculture today. He confirmed what I wanted and what state I was in, and whether I thought I needed licensing. The Marine Biologist aka Dan aka Boss will call me back. Since Dan was the guy who responded to my original email, and was quite positive and willing to answer my silly questions, I'm pretty sure things will go fine. What I am noticing/surmizing is that folks who have tilapia are being very careful about who gets them. They don't want folks being irresponsible with them--just fine by me. Even though I am terribly impatient to have my little snacks...err...fishies.

So in case you hadn't caught on, Dave Donley and I will split an order of 150 Rocky Mountain White fingerlings, delivered to my place in a box. Probably in the snow at the rate things are going.

Yay!!!

If it works out, perhaps I will order some myself. I would like to get a strain that is more cold tolerant. Your supplier of RMW's might not ship to CA though. Who was it again?