Steve -- first things first. Please accept a big welcome to Pond Boss. You sound like someone after my own interests. It is great to have alumni join us. Like many here, I too am a struggling student in the "Continuing Education Department" at the School of Hard Knox!
I have some experience with fish farming, mostly as a volunteer at West Virginia University Extension Service research stations. Unfortunately, we lost most of our research funding, so even us volunteers got laid off.
I also have a little bit of experience with worms, going way back into the 1950s. My present worm/compost piles are as high as my tractor loader will pile them. I would guess that three out of the five piles are usually maintained at somewhere between 10 and 20 cubic yards of stuff for the worms to enjoy. It is too cold right now to turn the piles, or even to go get more manure to help warm the piles.
Late last summer, I think my chickens and guinea hens got every live worm out of the five piles I currently have "brewing." The compost/casting material is mostly used in my gardens. The worms, except for the chicken's amusement and snacks, are normally used for fishing and creating more compost.
What I do here on the the side of a mountain is just a hobby. I've got some overwintering tilapia here in the basement, but far from your scale of operation. I'm able to keep my water at 80 degrees with two 75 watt aquarium heaters. I think I've only got males remaining. It seems that all of the females committed suicide before I realized just how high they could jump out of an uncovered tank. They came out of one of my aquaponics tanks.
My other fish are chillin' out in my two main ponds. I no longer keep track of what we harvest since it is mainly a hobby. I've got two approximately 4'x4'x4' cages, each with about 15-20 pounds of large bass and large bluegill. My smaller pond is designed for "put-and-take." It has channel cats, hybrid bluegill, and winter trout.
Anyway, welcome to Pond Boss. We'd love to see and hear more about your operation and experiences.
Ken
