Again I am turning to the pond boss community to answer questions about pond fish but in the context of aquaponics.
As some know from my other threads, i currently grow largemouth bass, HSB, bluegill, redear and channel catfish in my north texas outdoor aquaponics system. I continue to work with native fish in this environment because of the the hassle and temperature vulnerabilities of other commonly used aquaponics fish (re: tilapia)
LMB have thrived in my system. They grow as fast as my average channel catfish and have handled the 110 degree summers and so far the winter temperatures, with a week long fish tank freezing very well. The one huge undesirable drawback has been the aggressiveness and cannibalism which seems to be more than natural because of the small enclosed spaces and no cover. I only have a a few fish tanks for all of my species and constantly grading all of my fish just isnt practical for me.
So it seems to me that maybe a better solution would be small mouth bass? Smaller mouth, reduced cannibalism? Could I expect them to thrive and be as hardy as their large gaped cousins?
I also noticed that none of the pond stocking places in the area seem to carry SMB. Is this because SMB do not do well in texas? do not do well in ponds? Both? neither?
If i wanted to work with SMB does anyone have a recommendation on a source? I am willing to drive to an adjacent state or even pay for shipping.
Thanks,
brian
