Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone!

Ive been reading and researching for a couple of years now and coming up to a year since I got my first system going.

Even with the wealth of info on this site the biggest lessons I have learnt so far has still been trial and error, sometimes I just have to make the mistake to get the picture!

I have silver perch and trout in a couple of systems and my trout have grown nicely so far (caught 2 of them last week) and starting to think about what to replace the trout with over the warmer months

Cheers
mac

Well? You did ask! Barra!

Ok I have the two now, it was suppose to be five, but the guy in the shop got it wrong and I ended up with three silver perch? Going back tomorrow for a few more Barra, their a better looking fish and they grow faster, and if you have the room like I do, you can move them inside when its cold, so twice as big next year!

Welcome to the registered part of the forum!

With the other fish. Did you want something to grow out in 6 months and eat? Or something that can survive year round, and you can take a feed from every now and again?

Another option is to grow decorative fish (like koi), fatten and grow them up, and sell for a bit of profit!

Start a system thread, it's always good to see a new system there.

Why cant we get Jade Perch here? Will Livefish sell to Perth?
Maybe it will be Barra! I will do a system thread when I can start tidying things up. We are about to have a baby and Ive been summonsed to other priorities!

Blizzard I did read your thread re your Barra/Silver perch mix up. Do you think it was a mistake or on purpose?

Colum I finished reading your build only last week..Im an electronics tech/Electrician by trade and also following your Automation progress..cool..
I want to grow the fish out, I dont mind doing Trout/Barra but Ive read the Barra dont get very big in the 6 months in Perth

Definitely a mistake, I went back that Saturday to get two more barra, the guy apologized for the mistake and offered to take the silver perch back? I decided to keep them as they can and did go outside, I put the last off the goldfish in with them today, the barra are still indoors, they like goldfish to much?

You could get JP's from livefish but it's illegal, aquarium fish suppliers just don't tell you that because they don't care.

Barra are an option but you need to purchase advanced yearlings to make it worth your while to grow out in the short summer months. I personally don't see the point of that but it's an option none the less.

Tandanus cats are another option but they are not cheap.

Or just stick with the silvers you have and then restock trout again in winter. You actually don't need many fish to grow a heap of great plants, they will actually run well for a long time with no fish at all.

I just dabble with electronics. Or bang my head against the wall making it sink in, and fiddle till it works.

Charlie, where's a good place to get the cats? I was hunting around, and nobody seems to have any, well not that they'll sell just as cats without silver perch too.

I was lucky to get some from a friend when I was over there but livefish do have them if you don't mind paying $13 - $18 per fingerling. I don't know of any breeders in the west sorry but there may be some around.

Cheers for that Charlie and Colum.
I have also been told that the cats could be medicated and the meat considered carcinagenic if eaten - if bought from an aquarium shop.

Livefish sell aquarium and farmed fish. A tandanus cat isn't an aquarium fish and would come from a farmed environment for dam stock, same as SP, JP, cod etc.

But your right, aquarium products are not good for fish intended for consumption.

That would depend on the fish and the way they are handled? Clean water the right food, fish that wouldn’t go so well outside can be housed indoors when the weather is not so kind to them? The last time I was in BYAP, there was a Barra in the shop in a tank, ok we are doing aquaponics now but I still have aquariums and a garden outside, I thought combining them all would benefit them all?

But that’s my view,

I didn't say an aquarium is not good for fish, I said some aquarium products are not safe when the fish are for human consumption.

I must apologize for my post as I did try to change it after reading your post again, when I posted, I have no excuse other than I was watching the football on TV, no I will not say who won,

Since the trout are coming out, I can get some Tandanas cats from my local but they are a bit pricey as per most other places so far..Im really hoping they will aid in eating a bit of missed fish food when it drops to the bottom..hope Im right..

I wonder if they will be ok with Barra of a similar size..someone has to do it first might ss well be me.

Ok I did the whole summer with 4 barra now 35cm, 4 silvers with the largest at 34cm and 1 tandanas hes a cool 30cm. All in an ibc and they get along great.

So I have 4 tandanas now and they are 30 -40cm, has anyone tried to breed them before?