Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

bluegill (sunfish) will make nests in gravel.. yellow perch lay "egg ribbons" over brush/vegetations..perch breeders harvest the egg ribbons, and hatch in tanks, the fry then usually go into fertilized (green) ponds for growout from fry to fingerlings, then harvested again for sale as fingerlings..

for bluegill if you dont have media, you can probably us a saucer or plate with pebbles to use as a nest.

The hardest part of bluegill is feeding the larva because they are so small and require rotifers and plankton to grow. It will be hard to have enough nutrients in an aquarium.

learn from my mistakes.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17712

i will betrying again in a few months so maybe i will have more success.

brian

There are many many species that could be used that would breed fairly effectively in your aquaponic tanks. However, it is important to note that you do not necessarily want your fish to be breeding in your system. Tilapia are a perfect example of this. If they spawn and the fry make it out to your growbeds they will ravage your plant roots as they do consume plant materials.

However, if I were to breed your own fish I would set up a small breeder setup away from your actual system to supply yourself with your own fish as needed...

Tilapia are a very easy fish to breed. They are actually just a large African Cichlid and as many have said are very prolific breeders. You would only need a few fish in your breeding stock to produce hundreds of fry (1m x 3f).

These fish are mouthbrooders. As they spawn the male and female will swim in a tight circle. As soon as the female lays an egg she is swimming back to pick it up in her mouth all while the male is swimming right behind her fertilizing them. The female will incubate the eggs in her mouth until they hatch. This spawning behavior typically would be performed in a "nest" that the male digs out in the sand/gravel. However, it is not necessary. I prefer to keep my breeding stock in tanks that are just glass with a sponge filter. Other than that maybe a few large sections of PVC for cover.

Hi Andy,

You must be thinking of DWC grow beds to be concerned about the fry making it out to the grow beds. I'm not a Tilapia grower but I wouldn't be too concerned about them making it into my aggregate grow beds if you catch my drift.

Oh yes this is very true... I was referring to DWC and in that case fry don't matter nearly as much.

i was hoping my tilapia would breed to provide extra food for the perch and bluegill - it worked!