Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So while I am planning out my system, I am trying to decide which fish species to raise. I would like tilapia but can't find a breeder locally which would mean I would have to mail order. Most places that I have seen charge anywhere from $100- $150 for shipping on fingerlings which is not really an option right now. The other consideration with tilapia is that it might be hard to get an 8 month growing season here and keeping the water temp between 65F and 85F.

Here is what I can get in state. (West Virginia)

Trout (Rainbow?), Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Grass Carp, Koi, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Bluegill, Hybrid Bluegill, Red Ears, Catfish, Flathead, Channel Catfish

We are in US Zone 5, with weather that usually is mid 80's to 90F max in the day and 50's to 60's at night. Frost dates are mid April and mid October. So that is a definite 6 months frost free but more commonly we are around 7-8 months.

I know trout should be able to deal with the colder temps, but I am not a huge fan of trout for table fish. Would prefer a less fish tasting meat like tilapia and one with less bones that could be filleted out if possible. Seems like a lot of people raise perch in aquaponic systems. Would this be a better bet?

Let me know what fish you think would work best for my weather conditions and length of time to grow them to full size or at lease close to full size.

Thanks a lot,
Greebe

I talked to a local fishery today and he was telling me to stay away from Tilapia for this area. He recommended that I stock the tank with Israeli Carp. Apparently they are very tolerant to water temps and as long as the water does not freeze solid I should be fine. He also said that hey would eat just about anything and can be stocked heavily up to a pound per gallon, which seems a little to dense to me but he has been raising them for 30 years now so must know something about them.

Does anyone have experience with these? How do they taste compared to tilapia or salmon?

Any thoughts? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Thanks
Greebe

i'd go with the yellow perch and/or bluegill.. if you water gets over 90, yellow perch will have a rough time.. both are very mild tasting, white fleshed fish.. (yellow perch has a "sweeter" taste to me)
all the recent studies on hybrid bluegill has shown that while they may grow a little faster the first year, and non-hybrids will catch up in size.. i think one of the big advantages of hybrid bluegill is for pond owners, hybrids are mostly male, and there is less chance of overpopulating a pond and stunting the fish
my wife is allergic to catfish, otherwise, i'd probably try a few of them myself..
bass need lots of food to gain weight, or very high protein food, like beef heart..(as someone else here has mentioned)
the only time i've had carp it was smoked, and.. eh.. nothing much to write home about..
trout will struggle if the water is at 70..
i've heard that crappie are hard to feed train, but i may get some just to see for myself..

Thanks for the reply. I was originally thinking yellow perch as well but the fishery guy was suggesting not to go with it. To be honest I forget why he suggested not going with yellow perch as I was on the phone with him for close to half an hour. Would yellow perch be as hardy for the colder climates? It can get pretty cold at night here. Sometimes we have been known to get close to freezing in the summer. I think the reason he was suggesting Israeli Carp was because of the hardiness. I would personally prefer a fish that is more mild like a tilapia. How would perch or carp compare?

Thanks,
Greebe

carp (at least what i've had) is,, i dunno.. oily? it definitely has a stronger taste..
yellow perch handle the cold just fine and are considered a cool water fish.. lots of ohio pond owners have pretty much full ice overs, and their perch survive as long as they have some airation, or sunlight penetrating the ice.... definitley one of the most mild tasting fish you will find..
some "southern" bluegill won't handle the cool water
the problem i had is when the water got up into the 90's, the perch stressed and i lost a few..
trout won't make it past 70 or so..

I like bluegill, they handle iced over water just fine. I would like them more if I could breed them myself.

I was wondering if I could do a mix of the Israeli Carp and Channel Catfish. Apparently both are good for the colder climates and I really do not know which I would like the taste of better until I were to try them out. I could probably toss in a few bluegill just for kicks as well.

Any thoughts about raising these two fish together?

Thanks,
Greebe

they should be ok together..
i'm still wondering why the guy said you shouldn't use the yellow perch..mine have grown quite a bit..

From what I've gathered from various experiences and readings on this forum water shouldn't be able to ice during the winter if you run CF...
You should also cover it or shelter it from the wind which can help freezing liquids... and you should be ok!

I read you can get grass carp... maybe you should consider them, being completely vegetarian.... they might save you some money on fish feed!