Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction RAS Build - documenting process

Sorry for getting so defensive yesterday... You know how it is when you put your ideas/plans out there.

Thank you for the sunfish culture guide link, I will read that today. The information about the HVAC filter containing flame retardant chemicals is also appreciated. I knew there was a possibility that the filter would contain anti-fungals/anti-microbials however I had not considered more volatile/harmful additives that might still be left after several dish soap soaking/rinsing cycles.

It appears that we have the same opinion of the screen pre-filters. They are nice but way too expensive. I've found 200 micron nylon mesh for cheap but unlike the more rigid stainless steel mesh, it would have to be supported with pllexiglass rails or something similar. I'm still working it out but, if it can be done for reasonably cheap, I'd really like to be able to strip out the larger solids before it goes to the clarifier.

I also wanted to let you know that I am doing this purely for fun and it is just a hobby, I have no illusions about turning a profit with this little experiment.

I assume you meant you have no illusions about turning a profit with this little experiment? If so, I have to warn you this stuff is addictive. It combines fishy stuff, tinkering, and bringing the fish in right close to home for observation, which really hooks in a lot of people.

I have illusions all the time, but I try to stay grounded in reality, if I stray my wife brings me back.

It really is fun to experiment with fish production and cross breeding, especially if you get good results, have fun with it.

Here's some info on different systems if you haven't already seen it.
https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/104/

Good catch. I did miss the word "no".
edited and fixed

Thank you very much for this link. I haven't finished reading it yet but I am enjoying it very much so far. This is a must read for anyone planning on crossing sunfish.

Thanks again!

Edit: I got a chance to finish it and looked through a couple of other articles that had information on sunfish hybrids.

I've found more information on sunfish x LMB hybrids than I have on PS x RES hybrids. There is virtually no information on PS x RES crosses even though (as I understand it) they are very close genetically.

Hopefully phase II of this little plan; to make a cold tolerant snail eating machine won't be a complete failure.

No need for an apology. I was being a bit unusual yesterday.

There is some interesting information on this link: NCRAC Worth your while to check out.

A word of caution on the Parabolic screen filters. The geometry has to be quite precise, and they use a very special mesh weave. I have not tried to source any material because they can't filter down tight enough for RAS applications. That is why they were a bust. Rotary drum filters are pretty much the choice in the microscreen department.

Cecil has a link to a small unit, if he would post it.

Patience! This project of yours will not show results very quickly. Think in terms of years!

Some research scientist may have the info you are looking for. Could also be bubba who never finished the first grade. You may even have to do it all by yourself!

The point is, This is not a Plug-n-play, instant satisfaction, got 400 channels, why do I get so many text messages, fast and unhealthy food thing!

It is gonna take some time

And to add to what JKB is saying with those king of micron tolerances you almost might as well go with settling tanks.

Here's are a couple of links to a couple of rotary screens that are less costly than the high end commercial ones, but still not cheap.

http://www.koiacres.com/koi-acres-products/rotary-drum-filter.html

http://www.aquatechmfg.com/Rotary%20drum%20filter.html

I've also never seen info on the ability of PS's and RES to cross, mainly either one crossing with BG.
Any of the resident fish biologist's have any info?

Redears hybridize with bluegills fairly frequently in some of the natural lakes in my region. I've also seen pumpkinseeds hybridize with bluegills. I've never seen a redear hybridize with a pumpkinseed, but maybe i wouldn't recognize if if I saw it?

Classic illustration of why one should never ask a question to which one doesn't already know the answer when examining a witness! I'm sure you did it with real style, too!

This is why it costs so much to retain a Lawyer, they keep asking questions they already know the answer to while the meter is running.

You're on to me!

centrarchid on the nanfa.org forums has crossed RES with PS and back crossed that with RES ((RES x PS) x RES) and from what I read the offspring are quite fertile (which is actually desirable for my experiment and undesirable for his). I have sent him a PM on those forums to pump him for information; I am hopeful but I believe the focus of his research was mainly on crating a sterile triploid fast growing sunfish, which eliminates the RESxPS branch of research fairly quickly. The results of his research (from what I have read) indicate that he did not view the RES x PS hybrids as viable for his purposes because they were so genetically close. For my research however, this would be a positive.

I don't think the RES & PS cross very easily under natural conditions, so in order to breed them, I will have to get a little freaky with them and a pyrex bowl (I'll be sure to dub some Marvin Gaye over the video; too far? :)).

We're a long way from that point but you have to have goals and I personally think this a worthwhile experiment. I know if there was a local hatchery that sold sunfish with the snail appetite of RES and the cold tolerance of PS, I would buy them in a heartbeat.

To be honest if it weren't for the risk of parasites, I would just fill a pond with bluegill and a couple of HSB, grow them out on Aquamax and be done with it... maybe.

Are there any members from the north, (outside of the RES comfort zone) who have filleted a yellow perch/sunfish that was filled with parasites who think this isn't worth attempting?

Most likely not. The RESxPS hybrid picture that I have seen looks just like a RES to me however, I am novice taxonomist.

Todd, that's also why you ask questions and elicit answers that a judge and jury can understand. Nothing can ever be considered intuitively obvious.

I haven't been on the nanfa site in a long time, good info I'll check that out.

DMRBG, I think your experiment is great. If you could get cold tolerance, snail appetite and resistance to stunting I'd be very interested. I've been toying with the possibility of adding single sex PS to a YP/SMB pond for snail control. Unfortunately, one mistake with the ID and the whole thing could nosedive.

Speaking of which, how fecund is the RES x PS hybrid?

I personally cannot answer that question from experience yet however; from what I have read so far, I expect that you would need to carefully manage the population.

Plain language and simple logic is the order of the day!

All I can say Todd, It was fun

Well, things are slowing down again and I'm back at the project. Here is the design for my RBC axle. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel however; I do like adding my own touches to the things I build. This is going to be a scaled down version of the RBC in the book Small Scale Aquaculture. It is designed to fit inside of a 55 gallon barrel cut lengthwise at about 35% of the diameter. I think this axle design should make for easy/cheap maintenance. I'll be sure to provide actual pictures as I make the pieces.

What do you guys think of the axle design.

Will the RBC be floating, or will the axle go thru the ends of the drum?

I might add some foam along with the media disks to decrease the weight on the shaft however I have not decided how much weight I want to dissipate vs. how much media surface area I want to sacrifice yet. I might not decide that until closer to the end of assembly once I see how much weight will be on the shaft and how the plastic needle bearings will wear with that much weight.

As far as how the shaft is going to be secured, the inside shaft is going to slip inside of 1" PVC flanges attached to the inside of the barrel. The joints of the 2 PVC flanges will remain unglued.

I'm thinking the entire barrel RBC assembly will sit inside of a rigid wooden frame that should prevent the plastic from expanding outward and making the shaft slip off of the flange joints. I am also considering (most likely will be) adding a set-screw to the flange/inner shaft joints.

Hopefully Cecil will chime in here. I helped him set up his RCB both ways, and I felt that the self floating style was less dependant on a constant water level in the tank to minimize drag on the bearings.