Aquaponics Digest - Fri 01/30/98
Message 1: unsubscribe
from "Brock, Alfred L."
Message 2: Red Claw Update
from Gordon Watkins
Message 3: Tilapia sexing and breeding
from PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Message 4: Re: Red Claw Update
from Rebecca Nelson
Message 5: Re: Tilapia sexing and breeding
from "Lloyd R. Prentice"
Message 6: Life's small pleasures
from S & S Aqua Farm
Message 7: Re: Tilapia sexing and breeding
from CarlaNH@aol.com
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| Message 1 |
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Subject: unsubscribe
From: "Brock, Alfred L."
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 09:41:15 -0500
unsubscribe
-----Original Message-----
From: Harrop [SMTP:bluejay@istar.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 1998 8:45 AM
To: aquaponics@townsqr.com
Subject: Hello?
Is there anybody out there? Haven't heard from the list for a
couple of
days now. Rob
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| Message 2 |
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Subject: Red Claw Update
From: Gordon Watkins
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 09:03:18 -0600
Hello all,
Thanks to input from this list, I just acquired my first batch of Red
Claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) and I thought I would provide a
brief update on my explorations.
Thanks to Dick Bristol's referral to Aquafind and Rebecca Nelson's
mention of Belmont Hot Springs, confirmed by a third referral from Dr
David Rouse at Auburn, I ordered 50 juveniles from Belmont which I
received yesterday. The fellow at Belmont (unfortunately I didn't get
his name) was very friendly and helpful and has a fascinating operation.
He has a 4,000gpm hot spring and a series of small ponds where he raises
Red Claw, freshwater prawns, and tropical fish (mostly livebearers and
mbuna). He specializes in Red Claw sales to small growers and
researchers. The price for 50 juveniles (1-3 inches) was $100, ppd.
1,000 babies (1/4 inch) are $170, ppd. Shipment is via Priority Mail,
which took 2 days to reach me. He shipped 55 in a styrofoam box with
about a cup of water. 4 died in transit and as of this am I've lost 5
more, all of which were molting. The others look fine and are percing
right along in a 50 gallon aquarium. I highly recommend Belmont Hot
Springs as a source: PO Box 36, Fielding, UT, 84311, 801-458-3200.
I've been curious how they would fare with my tilapia, but haven't yet
introduced them to each other. I did drop the dead ones into my breeding
tank, though, and they gobbled them up before they hit the bottom, so I
will proceed with caution.
They reportedly begin breeding at 4 inches, so I'll keep the biggest
ones in aquaria for now but I plan to move most into my aquaponic
system, a few at a time.
If they perform according to the literature and personal experiences of
those I've spoken with, I think Red Claw have excellent profit potential
in aquaponic sytems. I spoke with a fellow in Texas who was getting 8-10
oz crays in 18 months. He was providing live tanks to local grocery
stores where he sold them for the same price per lb as lobster and they
sold very well. Because they are much less agressive than other crayfish
such as Yabbies and Marron, stocking rates are higher if provided with
hideouts. They are susceptible to Crayfish Plague, a fungal disease
carried by all native crayfish, so I'm a little concerned about the
spring water I use as a source. Time will tell, I guess.
I've got feelers out for more information from Dr. Rouse at Auburn, one
of the foremost Red Claw researchers in the US, as well as the fisheries
extension folks here in Arkansas, and I hope to accumulate as much
information as possible on these interesting critters.
I'll let you know how this experiment progresses. Rebecca- what were
your experiences with your shipment?
Swimmingly,
Gordon
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Subject: Tilapia sexing and breeding
From: PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Date: 30 Jan 98 12:50:38 EST
I am going to ask some very basic questions, but I could use some help. I
have been only marginally successful at breeding tilapia. I am not after
producing thousands of fry, I just want to do a better job and know what I
am doing.
Questions:
Is there an easy way to tell males from females? I have been told that the
only way is based on the shape to the opening on the belly of the fish and
that to be accurate it requires the use of a dye of some kind. When I just
look at my fish in their private areas they all look alike. And no, I at
present do not have all male fish. I primarily have Rocky Mountain whites
I obtained from the Speraneos.
Are there optimum conditions that encourage the tilapia to breed. I have
set up a 50 gal tank with a 3 inch pea gravel bottom I heat it to 78 to 80
deg F., provide good filtration and oxgenization and feed them what they
eat in 5 min. three times a day. I have added no light, the tank is lit by
the other light around the room. Is there anything I should/could do to
improve breeding conditions?
Do Fry and Fingerlings benefit from special foods, Such as high protein
crumbles and ??? Will broken up normal catfish or trout chow do just fine?
Pete T.
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Subject: Re: Red Claw Update
From: Rebecca Nelson
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 10:19:00 -0800
Hello,
I also received a shipment of Red Claw from Belmont Springs this week
(Tuesday). Mine only took one day via priority mail from Utah (to
California). I got 20 lobster of varrying sizes: 1 - 6 inches. All
were alive upon arrival. I put them into a 400 gallon tank with fancy
goldfish and Koi. This system feeds NFT trays growing lettuce and
basil.
I was concerned about the lobsters climbing out of the tank and
exploring the rest of the greenhouse, but so far they seem inclined to
stay in the tank. I haven't seen any interaction between the fish and
the lobsters. Overall they look healthy and are eating well. I have
been feeding them sinking pelleted food, but they will eat just about
anything and particularly like decaying vegetative matter. I do plan to
feed them some of the vegetable scraps that would normally go to my
compost pile.
The person I have been talking with at Belmont Springs is Scott
Holmgren. I agree with Gordon in that he is very helpful and operates
an interesting operation. In addition to the warm water species he
cultures, he has scuba divers from Utah and neighboring states who do
training in his warm-water ponds and has a golf course on his 600 acres.
There will be a feature article on his operation in the Feb/Mar issue of
the Aquaponics Journal.
I'll keep you posted on their progress.
Rebecca
Nelson / Pade Multimedia, ph 209.742.6869, fax 209.742.4402
http://www.aquaponics.com
Publisher of the Aquaponics Journal, a bi-monthly newsletter
The Encyclopedia of Hydroponic Gardening CD-Rom
All About Aquaculture CD-Rom
Hobby Hydroponics Video
Hydroponics Curriculum
How To Start and Succeed in the Hydroponics Business
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Subject: Re: Tilapia sexing and breeding
From: "Lloyd R. Prentice"
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 15:11:12 -0500
PeterJTheisen@eaton.com wrote:
> I have added no light, the tank is lit by
> the other light around the room.
I've been wondering for awhile now, just what are the lighting
requirements of Tilapia?
Thanks is advance,
LRP
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Subject: Life's small pleasures
From: S & S Aqua Farm
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 19:11:07 -0600
Sorry if this is off-topic - We've just "harvested" our first strawberry
from the growing beds. Another one of those "silly experiments" that we
can't seem to resist. I took, last July, several thinnings from my
brother-in-laws "June-bearing" strawberry plants from his garden. After
several weeks, I managed to get the plants into the growing beds (they had
been kept in pots with their roots barely covered in soil outside after an
8-hour trip from his place).
Two of the three died (go figure!). The remaining plant sent out runners
and tried several times through the year to produce fruit. Between the cold
temperatures (we lost the outside covering of our greenhouse and had to
replace it after several weeks of severe cold), and the cloudy weather, the
temps inside were not ideal for production of very much. Several fruits had
appeared and were lost to whatever strawberries are susceptible to. (I've
NEVER grown them before.) This week, with mostly sunny weather, the
greenhouse has been especially warm during the day, and temps don't drop too
drastically at night thanks to the termal retention of the fish tanks.
We've "mulched" around the base of the plants with extra gravel, and finally
are getting ripe fruit.
I guess the most amazing for me is to discover that the nutrients we have in
our growing system are condusive to strawberries if I can manage the
environment more closely. Strawberries in January! Now to take a closer
look at the market potential (my practical side says).
Sorry to take list space for this, but it's one of those things that simply
must be shared. I apologize to our researchers and those who must read this
as part of their business.
Paula Speraneo
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775 417-256-5124
Web page http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/
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Subject: Re: Tilapia sexing and breeding
From: CarlaNH@aol.com
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 21:21:33 EST
I have had Tilapia breed successfully in a 55 gallon tank, but take out the
gravel. They breed by the female dropping her eggs, the male laying down a
line of milt on the bottom of the tank and the female scooping up all the eggs
and milt and incubating in her mouth.
Also I think that you should raise the temperature up to between 82 and 84
degrees.
I feed my tilapia fry and fingerlings ground up trout chow to different
finenesses.
Hope this helps.
Carla
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775 417-256-5124
Web page http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/
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