Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,

I most likely already know the answer but I thought I'd ask to get some feedback anyway.

Would it be a silly idea to keep 100 Silver Perch fingerlings in a single IBC system for a couple of weeks?

While it's full of hungry plants at the moment I'm thinking I'd probably be pushing my luck, even if I'd be keeping their feed to a minimum until they are settled anyway.

The only reason I'm considering it is while I only need a small amount of fish, a friend is keen on getting some too and it works out a lot cheaper to buy in a lot of 100. He'd be taking the majority to stock his dams, but he isn't quite ready yet and if I don't take the opportunity to go soon, chances are I won't be able to for a month or more.

I think erring on the side of caution is best but then I wonder how much poop little fish will produce over the course of a couple of weeks?

Any help you can give I'd appreciate.

If you feed them minimally, and the system is cycled already, and they are quite small, it should be alright.

Just keep an eye on everything (test everything far more often), and do water changes if things get too high.

Most of the people that follow the 1 fish per 100L seem to survive for a little while until they start to grow out.

Do you have additional aeration?

How much filtration? I'm guessing around 300L is single IBC system, or more likely 200L wet gravel. My rough calc would put max feed input at around 40g/day (32% protein).

So if you keep below that and monitor ammonia/nitrite and have additional aerataion I reckon you'd be ok. I'd also get agreement as to when you're friend will absolutely take them ready or not!

System is cycled and stable and I have additional aeration. Hmm, so I might get away with it. I definitely wouldn't be feeding them a lot if I did it.

I'll have to double-check exactly when he'd be taking them and what the reason for the delay is, I don't actually know if he said why now I think back to the conversation, lol.

Thanks for the responses guys, I'll have to see what happens as to whether or not I do it.

Thanks again

I'd do it, but I'm a rebel like that

Good call on the checking for a "final", final date for him to take them though. You don't want the stress of being stuck with them for months and months.

Yup I definitely will, I don't want to be lumped with a whole bunch of fish I can't manage!

I think I need to get them as soon as possible if for any other reason the system they would be going in isn't really being maintained by the 2 little trout left swimming in the tank. Methinks I'm going to have to supplement with some feed soon, one of the tomato plants is starting to show signs of deficiency.