Phil, your advice is solid...and theoretical in this case. In reality, suppliers have what they have. You get what you can get. I tried to overwinter small tilapia in my RAS. They died...every time I tried it. They can't be bought in Texas. Fish farmers want to sell what makes the most money for them, and it's not tiny tilapia in the spring.
Not disagreeing with what you said...you are right. But, I've made a good living for 42 years with hands-on, in the field, doing the things you write about. Doing my best to add to your good information with a small dose of reality. My reality, with your theories, can help more people.
I'm a big fan of the literature, whether from scientific journals, extension publications, foundations and other sources. But after years of scraping pond mud from under my toenails, raising fish, helping literally thousands of clients with thousands of ponds, I do understand what Swingle did. Dr. Richard O. Anderson is a personal friend (yes, he's still alive at 95), and the other researchers that built the data that guys like me use every day. I also understand the marketplace, what's available, what you can stock, and how every single pond is different. Love all that stuff. Theories are just that...theories. They give you a starting point. That's it.
I appreciate your calling me out about following Swingle's protocol. No, I didn't. Neither will any other pond owner. I play in the real world of the marketplace, not a controlled lab.
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