Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I don't know what kind of regulations the rest of you have to deal with, but I am having to jump through hoops here to get trout. They are a "game fish" and so they are regulated. Was thinking of doing some talapia this summer then. Problem is I cannot find any close. Can anybody out there point me in the right direction?

i noticed a couple of "pond stocking" companies near gillette.. how far is that from you?
look for folks with ponds in your area, and find out where they get their fish from

Well that's real close. Dunno why I didn't find that??!

I looked them up on line. Nothing in there says anything about actually stocking fish. Looks like pond building and landscaping and such. I will try calling in the morning though.

there must be places in the Black Hills in So Dak
might need an aerator to get the little lovelies home, but that could be a workaround?!

trout, I meant, not tilapia

The problem with trout is that they are "game fish". Therefore regulated.

i dont think you will have any trouble stocking trout even though its a game fish does not mean you cant grow them in aquaculture - regulations are usually placed on non native species. bass are game fish here in texas and you can still grow them in your ponds or tanks

I am having trouble getting trout here. The folks I talked to even said it against the law for me to catch and transport them home!

so stop talking to folks.

/smartass

That is EXACTLY what I should have done to begin with!

It won't find you Trout but here is how you can buy small quantities of Bass, Bluegill, Catfish... they put 4 fish in each pack of 3 I ordered and shipped them with an ice pack, 2 day shipping to California and only lost 1/16 (I ordered 12)

www.carolina.com

So a simple idea has struck me. Stop as a Bait shop and get some minnows! Brilliant!

Not sure what to recommend. I see one of the location in Cody requires the purchase of 150 fish minimum. Sometimes things aren't geared toward AP setups.

it took me a while to find fish...but keep looking.. check out the pond boss forum.. i've purchased fish online as well as picking them up myself, i drove almost 4 hours one way and bought 100 fish, lost a few but the extra's the seller threw in made up for it..
the regulations are usually intended if you plan on selling your fish and or plants.... you probably won't have a lot of luck transporting "wild" adult fish you catch and throwing them into a tank.. it's easier to feed train young fish..
check craigslist as well.. fish trucks sometimes advertisetheir routes
i started my system with minnows i got from the bait shop, which ended up being eaten by the yellow perch that i eventually found..
worse case, (and it's really not a bad option) is to use koi or goldfish which can grow pretty big and will support lots of plants as long as you use a good quality food