Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and am very interested in setting up an aquaculture system (and somewhat interested in a adjoining hydroponics system) in the coming months.

I'm in the unique position of owning a fish shop and have access to at least 100kgs of fish guts a week. I can also readily buy second grade mullet and red snapper fillets for under 50 cents a kilo. My shop can also sell about 30-40kg of silver/jade perch a week.

This got me thinking, can I use the waste products that I'd normally throw out (and possibly supplemented with cheap second grade fillets) to grow the silver/jade perch required for my shop. I would also consider growing barramundi if they are more suitable for these feeds.

Good question. My guess would be yes, but don't know what type of processing would be required. Will follow this one.

Sure as long as you know the waste is safe - no parasites, disease, etc.
i would think something like trout would appreciate the waste more than perch.

i would personally prefer a more round about way, like placing most of the fish wastes into a biodigester, using the digester waste as fertiliser for plants that the fish then eat, with a small amount of the wastes for protein, after maybe cooking for safety (?).

100kg of fish guts per week could probably cut your home gas bill down to 0.

Most of the fish waste would come from saltwater fish, do you think that this would raise the salinity of the water to levels that would kill any veggies and the fresh water jade/silver perch?

highly doubt it, as long as the waste wasnt mixed with the salt water... even salt water fish do not have salt in thier cells, they simply have better kidneys, etc so they can excrete the salt better as far as my understanding.

If it's possible, I'll definitely be getting a system in the coming months. The fish shop is actually part of my Asian Supermarket that also sells Asian veggies. From my understanding, Asian veggies are one of the fastest growing and nutrient demanding things you could grow so fish stocking levels could be abit higher.

Would be pretty awesome and very financially viable if I could turn all that fish waste into valuable jade/silver perch and/or live barramundi and Asian Veggies for my store.

For sure, you may even be able to write the system and power usage off on tax.

Sigh.....If only I had a bigger backyard

We have chatted about this before, can't find it on my stupid phone sorry

Maybe instead of simply cooking the guts for a protein source for the fish, he could use the guts to produce Black Soldier Fly or similar Larvae, DIY biopod style? It possibly could make for less work and less energy consumed during the cooking process?

yes!!
depending on piece size and temps, perhaps even do the old hang it over the tank and let maggots fall into the tank thing.

forgot to think about that option, thanks azira.

So what's in the pellets we are feeding our fish now?
Why cook it? Would that be to kill parasites etc.?
Mokahome where is your shop? Just a suburb will do.
You have a lot of food and fish don't eat that much.
I would like to investigate this with you more as would a few other here I'm sure.

Most white fish meat has an enzyme that locks out vitamin b1 when fed raw to trout and causes immune weakness and metabolism issues.
I don't know if it has the same effect on sp.