Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello All

Sorry if you have covered this already but i am looking to build my aquaponics system with a view to sell the fish when they get to big. Can I ask if anyone could tell me how much fish food it takes in total from fingerling to harvest.

Also is there a specific feed that works best / the fish prefer?

Many Thanks

Me4net - Aquaponics Noob

Just to mention im based in the UK so the temperature is around 10 - 12 Degrees C on average.

I detailed how much my trout ate and how much they weighed when harvested in my system thread- see posts in mid December

Thanks for responding.

Just to check would i be correct in saying that you used 34.3kg (470G Per Fish Average) of Food over a 6 Month period for around 73 Trout that when harvested came to a combined weight of 31.5kg (430 Grams Average)

Many Thanks

Me4

Yes, that's correct... actually the yield is a little better than that, as I'm not including the ~150g trout that died a couple of weeks before harvest.

Troutman would have some extensive documentation on feed rates etc

Thanks. Thats just what i was looking for.

For some reason i was under the impression that they ate much more that, more like 1 - 3 KGs

Thanks Charlie ill have a look for troutmans posts also.

Regards

Me4

Ive had a bit of a look but cant find anything yet, he may chime in.

Thanks, Yes not managed to find anything. it would be good to understand how long and how much monthly.

Month 1 - Fingerling - X Feed Type - 10G (Per Fish, Per Day)

however its probably not that simple

For my 80 trout I started at 5-10g 3mm pellets/day up to 30-40g/day at 1 month. The amount varied per day, depending on how hungry they were. My trout were 80-100mm fingerlings at the start.

Is it rainbow trout you are planing?
Food conversion of 1kg fish per 1.2kg feed is possible. That's what commercial rainbow trout farms aim for.
Depending a lot on the quality of your feed.
Have you thought about organic pellets?
I have contacted a uk company in the past when they first got their certificate

From swim up to a 500g fish will take nine month.

Use the right stage food for each growth period is important.

Feed at 1.5-3% body weight per day.

Feed min 2 times a day and avoid wastage.

What density have you planed to stock?

Am envious of your water temperature. Hard to do that here:)

Ben

Thanks for the info, How long before you changed up to the next Pellet size?

Thanks for details.

Im planning for rainbow Trout, but I am just assessing the cost it appears the fish food in the UK is looking to be costly.

How much would you expect to pay per kg of feed?

also have you had any experience with auto feeders, are they worthwhile or just wasteful?

I'm looking to do a test of around 100 fish to begin with but im just waiting for my land purchase to go through, its taken 6 months so far.

Im also looking at options around the plants but its trying to see what would grow well in Aquaponic conditions im yet to look at this but something a little different like Wasabi, Grapes (Assuming the UK weather allows) Ginseng, etc.

im also still designing my layout, but that's next (the fun part)

Regards

Me4

I did significantly better than that on my first go, as posted previously, I wonder why the commercial farms are aiming so low?




I started changing to 5mm pellets at 2 months.

Skretting trout food is reliable and they have been around for many year, Donald cooke (01709365968) is the authorised local distributor, they will delivery any quantity but on small order there is a surcharge of £10 per bag just for delivery!
You are looking at £45 for a 25kg bag, unless like me you go organic for little extra.
The amount of food you need to feed is purely based on the weight of the fish and the temperature of the water, trout at fingerling stage can eat up to 8% of they're body weight x day while a mature fish will only eat up to 2%.
When you call for the trout food ask the to send you the feeding chart.
Food conversion ration will depend on many factor and one of the most important is water temperature and fish appetite!
The pellet size change is done when the trout reach a specific weight, it's not based on the age of the trout.
Fish feeders.... there are many option on the market, your choice should be based on the amount of food the unit will be able to hold in the chamber (amount of food extruded multiply by the amount of days you want to feed them in your absence) the cheapest option that I've used for my pilot trial system 3 year ago in London was a FISHMATE feeder, only cost £45 and still working fine (I'm using it for my Ducks now as my 400 trout tanks need a KOI feeder now (£120)
The choice of crops you have mention will do well under HID lighting only, unfortunately this country it's not hot enough for those heat loving plant! But there is plenty more you can grow....have a look at my selection to give you an idea, I will update soon photos of winter crops growing at present : brussel sprout, chard, radicchio, chicory, cabbages, broccoli, garlic, pack choi, Osaka purple, parsley, spinach, celeriac, celery, radishes, etc....