Cathy Isom has some tips about getting started with an aquaculture or aquaponics system. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
An aquaculture or aquaponics system can be a beautiful addition to any backyard or farm. But you’ll need to know the best place or places to source fish species to stock it.
Forget about the local pet store or large-scale hatcheries which help supply the stock that ends up in local rivers and lakes. Instead, look for smaller hatcheries. They’re all over the country, that specializes in the needs of backyard aquaculturists.
Know which varieties are best suited to your region and also the specific conditions in which you’ll raise them. Once you know which kind of fish you want, decide how many you’ll want. The holy grail of commercial aquaculture is one pound of live fish per gallon of water. Perhaps a good ratio for your first season of raising fish is one pound per 10 gallons of water.
Your aquaculture system should be fully operational prior to the arrival of your first fish. So that you don’t shock them, consider preparing a small transition tank of dechlorinated water and a functioning aeration and filtration system.
I’m Cathy Isom…
Image credit: A backyard aquaculture system/Burt Lum on Flickr.com
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