Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Bruce Envy

This is intended as a broader-scoped follow on to Cecil envy. (Bruce Condello's ongoing tale of the development and trial usage of a 150 gallon Po'Boy RAS.)

Bruce is using the system to grow out and eventually sex-select YP for planting in a small pond next Spring (as well as trade goods to obtain Diet Mountain Dew - a goal I can identify with).

I am interested in pooling speculation to figure out what good, viable uses of the Fish Condello-minium would likely be. So far I have collected or come up with the following ideas:

1) Bruce's YP growout

2) BG/HBG growout, possibly also with sex-selection

3) HSB growout over-Winter from small Fall fingerlings to intermediate bass better capable of withstanding predation

4) Over-Wintering Tilpia to save broodstock for the next year

5) Over-Wintering Threadfin Shad (???)

What are the pros and especially cons of the above uses? And what other good uses for Bruce's system can you think of? For the Aquaculture Density experts (Cecil and Bruce and ...) - can you make an estimate or wild guess as to what density any of these species could be kept in such a system?

Theo :

I will start with the idea of using such a system to make a genetic change/improvement to your pond. There are several papers on manipulating light (photo period) and water temp. in aquariums to induce early spawning. If you pick out your best geneticly fit fish (one male BG and one or two female BG) and add them to the aquarium feed them well and add the proper light and heat you can make them spawn early say Dec. & Feb. and thus give them the age advantage over the LMB yoy and their normal yoy BG cousins. Do this in connection with seperate grow out aquariums and with more than one set of brooders and soon you have a real genetic difference in your pond. But it will take some work and you better do a good job of picking the best stock brooders. ewest

Best utilization would be to use as an excuse to get away from home for extended periods in order to spend more time with the girlfriend.

I'm afraid that wouldn't do ME much good, Dudley. When I set up my Condello-quarium, it'll be in the basement. Even the pond is only a couple hundred yards away from the house! :p

I almost hate to interject anything here, because I'm really, really interested in more comments, but the indoor angle on this is pretty compelling. I'm planning on trying one of these at home, with the advantages of better temperature control and being able to check fish condition more frequently.

In respect to species, I've considered BG, HSB and GC as possible alternative species for this application.

Will Threadfin shad eat fish food?

One SRAC fact sheet contained the following about TS as baitfish. I think most growers rely on a well planktoned growout pond not art. feed.

http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/8989590-141fs.pdf

Supplemental feeding has served to
increase production in some culture
ponds. A floating catfish ration fed
at the rate of 8 pounds/surface acre
(5 days a week) resulted in the production
of 50,000-100,000 (400-800
pounds) shad/surface acre at one
farm.

Oh man no more Cecil Envy!

Seriously I'll be back with some comments. Got to build an insulated box to send a big brook trout to Massachusetts, reposition the diffusers and change out compressors for winter.