Originally posted by Bender:
Meadowlark,
How did the Redneck Aquaculture project work out? Didnt you have some Tilapia in there? Bender,
Yes, I stocked it with 55 3-4 inch Tilapia in Jan. and removed and stocked 54 8-10 inch Tilapia into my ponds on about April 1.
The results were tremendous....however, it was not without a lot of daily attention. My spa/hot tub proved to be a very good grow out tank, but I overestimated the volume of the tank and when the Tilapia, as they will inevitably do, grew to large sizes, my tank capacity and associated filtration system became a limiting factor. I would have preferred to keep the Tilapia in the spa until about May 1, but their growth rates just couldn't be supported in my system.
When the system reached capacity, I observed ammonia and waste accumulation problems that required more and more frequent water changes and daily attention to the system.
Next year, I will go with a smaller number of fish and try to get them to an even larger size for stocking. Fortunately, Tilapia, and Pacu apparently also, tolerate relatively low water quality for short periods of time.
If you are thinking of trying this, be prepared to be committed to daily activity with the fish. It isn't highly time comsuming, but it is constant day after day. I never felt I could be gone for any length of time, especially when the fish reached the capacity of the system...and for someone who travels on fishing adventures, that is a bit constraining.
One season of experience isn't much, but anything I can help anyone with in this regard I'm very happy to do so...just send me an e-mail. Thanks.
