Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Anyone interested in setting up an RAS this winter

Just curious if my article in the last Pond Boss magazine got anyone interested in doing it this winter for holding over tilalpia, growing out smallie fingerlings, or any other species.

If any of you are, and have any questions I'm here to answer them. If anyone thinks its complicated believe me it's not. It's really a simple concept once you understand it.

It's a good idea to get your materials together early so you won't be in a rush come winter. Been there done that!

And keep in mind you can build a smaller scale RBC, as the one in my article is actually over sized for the tank. It was built to handle over 100 lbs. of fish in a 12 foot tank. The tank in the article is only five feet in diameter.

Funny you should mention that Cecil. I really enjoyed your article and would love to have a RAS. Unfortunately my home is 500 miles from my pond so it won't work for me but I gotta tell you as soon as we move up there I'm going to see up a system even if I have to use the bathtub (shhhh, don't tell Ricki).

Cecil,

I have actually been wanting to get one up and running and have been trying to get some ideas on what I need to start looking for and where I should consider purchasing them.

I would also like to know if there is anyway to get that copy of Pond Boss. I plan on subscribing next payday so not sure which issue mine will start with, if I have an option of getting that issue as my first that would be great.

Thanks

Mr.Hello,

You just need to contact the Pond Boss office and they will set you up with an issue. However I also strongly recommend you get the book Small Scale Aquaculture by Steven Van Gorder which is available on Amazon.com and other places. The article didn't cover certain specifics the book does. The book isn't that expensive at about $25.00. It's well written and easy to understand and covers all kinds of ways to raise fish as in ponds, cages, flow through, etc. etc.

Why not raise fish to eat in your basement while you're away from the pond? You might be surprised to know you can raise trout in your basement. My basement stays at 62 F. in the winter and so does the water in the tank if I don't heat it.

Just to clarify it was the May-June issue correct. I just want to make sure I get the right one.

Thanks

It was the most recent issue, regardless of the months it covers. Maybe July-August.

So the one people are just now receiving. That makes it even better since I will be subscribing by the end of this week.

Thanks

I live in Southern California, most folks here have never seen a basement and wouldn't know a basement if they fell in one. I never saw a basement until I visited a friend in Pennsylvania. I have a garage here but it barely holds the two cars let alone a RAS. Unfortunately this project will have to wait.

It is definitely the July/August issue with this cover:

Hey Jeff, you don't need a basement or garage, mine was kept in the furnace & laundry room, if they don't have furnace rooms in S. Cal. put it in the earthquake room.

At least you won't have trespassers taking your fish.

Yep, that's the one. If you subscribe now, they'll probably send you that one to get started. Remember that you can also order back copies of pretty much every issue ever published, I think. The table of contents for all are available in the archives I believe, and are included in every magazine so you can check out back issues that may have articles of interest.

+1

And, besides, you can work on your angling skills while doing a load of laundry and then give us a detailed report on the merits of baitcasters versus spinning rigs.

We don't have furnace rooms in So Cal. You ought to see the size of my furnace - I doubt it would heat a closet at your place. The "furnace" that we have is in a tiny little closet, this closet is so small you can't actually walk into it, you just open the door and there is this micro heater.

We do have earthquake rooms - they are pretty much any room in the house. Actually if it much of a "shaker" we head to the hall since it is the only area in the house that isn't wrapped in windows.

We do have a laundry room but it is barely large enough to turn around it.

I had a nice baitcaster, brand spaking new and in the box and it was stolen with the rest of our stuff. That's okay though as I love my Shimano Spirex much better than the baitcaster.

I do have a jacuzzi though, hmmmmmmmm, I wonder if Ricki would notice any Sacramento Perch swimming around in the bubbles.

I dunno but my wife noticed a squirrel in the fridge and a coyote thawing out in the bathtub in a New York minute!

Now if Catmandoo posted that I would say that this was lunch and dinner.

I am definitely interested in setting up something like this. I have a shop with some extra room that rarely gets below about 40 degrees. I have several stock tanks which are galvanized, but I also have an old liner from an above ground pool.My goal would be to put some size on SMB to eventually stock in my big pond. The hardest part might be finding smb to put in the tanks in the fall.

If I can get my small 1/4 acre pond renovated (dug deeper) before fall I might be interested in trying out a RAS this winter. I have two round fiberglass aquaculture tanks that I acquired and have been itching to try out, one 450 gallon tank and one 175 gallon tank.

I'd definately love to do it, but finding a heated space is the hard part. The outbuildings are drafty, unheated places, and the water table is high, so the house was built witout a basement.

I gotta ask, What does RAS mean .

I've always been interested in the idea of getting some peacock bass fingerlings, growing them out to 6-8" overwinter, and stocking them in a small pond with tilapia for May-October.

I line in Minnesota at the moment, so it's not really feasible here.

Recirculating Aquaculture System

How large with peacock bass grow in that time frame?

Hi Cecil,
Thanks for the offer to help. Can't wait to read the latest issue (I'm on the road for a month and my wife is probably still reading it).
I am very much thinking about RAS, on a couple of fronts, forage, and possibly working towards commercial. Thanks also for posting the WE document. Had thought about adding them to the pond, but hadn't really considered them for RAS. I have a 110'x35' barn that is begging for a use, but it would need some insulation to make it workable. So it will be small scale for a couple years.

Had opportunity to take a tour of the Wild Rose fish hatchery (Wild Rose, WI) they recently completely upgraded their facility and operations for better bio-security made complicated by the fact that they collect spawn from Lake Michigan fish for restocking. Quite an operation and worthy of the time to tour (some things in WI are still free!).

Suggestion for the Forum managers... I wonder if RAS and other "system" type adventures could benefit from a forum section of it's own similar to the Aeration section. It would be a shame for RAS type info to be scattered about on the forage, fish, aeration sections when they really all are involved with RAS. Especially the water quality issues/filtering/denitrication etc. Even hydroponics stuff could be addressed in that type of a section. Just a thought.

Really enjoy your posts!
Jeff

Jeff,

The small system in the book would be a great way to get your feet wet and get experience. I also think building the components yourself would not only save you a lot of money but would be a worthwhile experience. The author of the book, Steve VanGorder is also a consultant if you want to go bigger, and from what I can tell a super nice guy that is not high pressure.