Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Please note that trout can be placed in a suitable pond, approx 14 to 16 days after hatching. A suitable pond would have the correct water, temperature, food etc. You need to wait up to 16 days, depending on water temperature, as the alevin does not have any resistance to UV light. Please note that the eggs also do not have resistance to UV light. UV light will kill both - the eggs and newly hatched alevin, up to 16 days.

Also, the eggs could easily be hatched in the pond, in the first place.
They would need to be in an appropriate egg basket. One of the problems though, is the predators, such as leeches.



I don't know of any reason why they would not. They ship eggs to SA. But you would have to ask IFS directly. I suspect the order would need to be substantial.

This is a photo of the egg basket I made for the FT. It's a clear plastic container, which is lined with black plastic. The bottom of the container has been cut out, and replaced with shade cloth. Approx 15mm layer of pea size gravel is placed on the shade cloth. An uplift pipe has been manufactured and fitted to the top edge of the container. There is a filter, made of a tube of shade cloth, on the inlet of the uplift pipe, to keep the fish from leaving the container.
The eggs are placed on top of the gravel.
I used a tiny crustacean called a seed shrimp, to keep the eggs clean. The main problem one can encounter is the growth of a white fungi, on the eggs, which will kill the egg. The seed shrimp keep the eggs clean, and provide food the the alevin, when they start feeding. The alevin start to feed approx 12 days after hatching.

I've love to see them growing throught the stages

Where do you get the seed shrimp from?

How's it go with the temps during our Adelaide summers as well? My FT got to 31-32C during the last nasty heat wave we had. Or do you keep it inside in an air-con room?

Thanks for that Dunder, I picked up a lot of info from the links you provided when you first started this thread. I'm inclined to do something pretty similar to the trout in the classroom website.

Looks like getting a small quantity of eggs will be my main challenge.

Seed shrimp are found in most waterways. They like still waters, such as lakes, dams and marshlands. Best way to see them is by placing a sheet of white plastic in the edge of the water. You could use a yogurt container, cut in half, weighed down with a stone. They are about half the size of a pin head.



I kept the trout inside, and only for approx 3 months. I placed them in a dam, once the temp got to mid 20s.

Centre of photo is a dead trout egg. It is covered with seed shrimp, that are eating it. Seed shrimp do not eat live trout eggs. They will also eat dead fish. Every fresh water aquarium should have some. They go in the filters, and clean them up.

You could try to hatch and grow one of our native species insead. Find out what's available from local fishing clubs or hatcheries.

Those little seed shrimps sound like handy little things to have. Although it does sound like finding a needle in a haystack, a very large haystack.

Do you use any sort of cooling for the tank inside? Even with my air con going full bore, it still in the mid 30's inside during the heatwave.

Actually, they are easy to find.


As mentioned, I have not kept trout during the hot season.

i've heard people use glass shrimp for the same purpose