Just starting out

[Gordon Keith Denman]

Hi Everyone

Wanted to say hi and let everyone know I am new here. I am just starting out and am really enjoying myself. Learning a lot and hopefully will see the fruits of my labor before to long. Hope everyone success in their endeavors.

[Jeff S]

Tell us a little bit about your system and how far along you are with it.

[Gordon Keith Denman]

I have got it full of water and was starting my cycling fishless process when my new pump spouted a leak and I had to send it back. So my water is now down to 50 degrees and I am working on getting the stuff to make a heater for it and waiting for my new pump to come in. Hopefully pump will be here tonite ( so says ups) not here yet. So by the end of the week I should be working on my cycling and heating it up to temp so I can get good bacteria growth. I am looking at marbled crayfish or shrimp to put in the bottom but I have not been able to find out if the crayfish will eat the fish poop and further process it like the shrimp will. I am looking at Mozenbique tapiala or coppernosed blue gill. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Jeff S]

What size is your tank? Don't know anything about shrimp or crayfish. I am using Tilapia.They are a very hardy fish and tolerate a lot. Large pH swings, ammonia spikes, and temperature swings don't seem to affect them. Only negative is they need water 65 degrees or higher. Do you have an API kit yet?

[George]

Tilapia, if you don't mind heating water.  They're tough, other than needing warm water.  They'll stop feeding at 65F or so but can tolerate lower temperatures, probably down to 50F for blues but I don't know about Moze.  I killed my coppernose a couple of times with low O2 but the tilapia all survived.  Try to insulate your tank somehow - mine is in the ground.

Gordon Keith Denman said:

I am looking at Mozenbique tapiala or coppernosed blue gill. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Gordon Keith Denman]

Hi Jeff

I am running 240 gallons of water in my fish tank. It is an IBC 275 gal tank. With temps dropping in the mid 20s now my fish tank even with the insulation is below 50 now. I have supplies ordered to make me a heater for my tank but it will be at least a couple weeks now to get it in and get the temp back up. 

Jeff S said:

What size is your tank? Don't know anything about shrimp or crayfish. I am using Tilapia.They are a very hardy fish and tolerate a lot. Large pH swings, ammonia spikes, and temperature swings don't seem to affect them. Only negative is they need water 65 degrees or higher. Do you have an API kit yet?

[Gordon Keith Denman]

Hi George

I have insulation around my tank and have been insulating my shed but I guess winter has finally arrived. We are in the mid 20s this morning and now the water is below 50. I have ordered supplies to build me a heater but have to wait for them to get delivered. Do you have both the tilapia and the bluegill in the same tank?

George said:

Tilapia, if you don't mind heating water.  They're tough, other than needing warm water.  They'll stop feeding at 65F or so but can tolerate lower temperatures, probably down to 50F for blues but I don't know about Moze.  I killed my coppernose a couple of times with low O2 but the tilapia all survived.  Try to insulate your tank somehow - mine is in the ground.

Gordon Keith Denman said:

I am looking at Mozenbique tapiala or coppernosed blue gill. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Jeff S]

I have a 330 gallon tank with 1" styrofoam surrounding it but it still doesn't retain heat as well as I'd like. I built a heater like you see on YouTube but it kept failing so I bought a 1000 watt bucket heater and it works fine. It is expensive to heat with electric so I'm adapting my wood stove to do most of the heating. This is what you'll need : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMLCGF8?psc=1&redirect=true...     Not sure if this will support 1000 watts or not but is economical.    http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000B...      Just drop it in.

Gordon Keith Denman said:

Hi Jeff

I am running 240 gallons of water in my fish tank. It is an IBC 275 gal tank. With temps dropping in the mid 20s now my fish tank even with the insulation is below 50 now. I have supplies ordered to make me a heater for my tank but it will be at least a couple weeks now to get it in and get the temp back up. 

Jeff S said:

What size is your tank? Don't know anything about shrimp or crayfish. I am using Tilapia.They are a very hardy fish and tolerate a lot. Large pH swings, ammonia spikes, and temperature swings don't seem to affect them. Only negative is they need water 65 degrees or higher. Do you have an API kit yet?

[Gordon Keith Denman]

Hi Jeff

I am using a hot water heater that is like 2300 watts, I have purchased the inkbird temp controller, I had looked at the 1000 but after reading everything I figured the inkbird would be better for me. Hopefully I am right about that. If not I will find out before to long. Thank you for helping and giving me your suggestions and advice I really appreciate it.

Jeff S said:

I have a 330 gallon tank with 1" styrofoam surrounding it but it still doesn't retain heat as well as I'd like. I built a heater like you see on YouTube but it kept failing so I bought a 1000 watt bucket heater and it works fine. It is expensive to heat with electric so I'm adapting my wood stove to do most of the heating. This is what you'll need : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMLCGF8?psc=1&redirect=true...     Not sure if this will support 1000 watts or not but is economical.    http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Precision-Premier-742G-Bucket/dp/B000B...      Just drop it in.

Gordon Keith Denman said:

Hi Jeff

I am running 240 gallons of water in my fish tank. It is an IBC 275 gal tank. With temps dropping in the mid 20s now my fish tank even with the insulation is below 50 now. I have supplies ordered to make me a heater for my tank but it will be at least a couple weeks now to get it in and get the temp back up. 

Jeff S said:

What size is your tank? Don't know anything about shrimp or crayfish. I am using Tilapia.They are a very hardy fish and tolerate a lot. Large pH swings, ammonia spikes, and temperature swings don't seem to affect them. Only negative is they need water 65 degrees or higher. Do you have an API kit yet?

[George]

I had them in the same tank for six months or so.  Recently, I stopped circulating water at night to preserve some of the heat in the fish tank.  The O2 dropped too low and killed all the coppernose, along with my one largemouth.  Now, I run an airlift to one bed only at night and pump to all six growbeds during the day.  I probably won't stock with coppernose again, depending on how well the tilapia make it through the winter.  In North Florida, El Nino is working in our favor.  It has been mostly warm here.  I don't plan to heat water but that could change.  I know of other tilapia systems in this area making it through the winter without heating.  

Gordon Keith Denman said:

Hi George

 Do you have both the tilapia and the bluegill in the same tank?

[George]

I've tried three brands of submersible over the past 5 years with Rio being the winner in durability.  If you have only one growbed, you might want to consider an airlift.  It can be used with both siphon and timed flood and drain.  There are videos on youtube on how to build various types of airlifts.  

Gordon Keith Denman said:

I have got it full of water and was starting my cycling fishless process when my new pump spouted a leak 

[Gordon Keith Denman]

Thanks George I will check out the airlift. I have read a little on it but not much. I appreciate the information.

[Gordon Keith Denman]

I was thinking the blue gill because I need no permits of any kind. I think I will go with the tilapia though.

George said:

I had them in the same tank for six months or so.  Recently, I stopped circulating water at night to preserve some of the heat in the fish tank.  The O2 dropped too low and killed all the coppernose, along with my one largemouth.  Now, I run an airlift to one bed only at night and pump to all six growbeds during the day.  I probably won't stock with coppernose again, depending on how well the tilapia make it through the winter.  In North Florida, El Nino is working in our favor.  It has been mostly warm here.  I don't plan to heat water but that could change.  I know of other tilapia systems in this area making it through the winter without heating.  

Gordon Keith Denman said:

Hi George

 Do you have both the tilapia and the bluegill in the same tank?