A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners
Bluegill or Bream Growers
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The often overlooked fish option that can handle the high temperatures like tilapia but also the cool temperatures like catfish but still be small enough for a 100 gallon tank and acceptable to eat for people who refuse fish who lack scales.
Members: 167
Latest Activity: May 14, 2018
There are various suppliers, and it depends on which store is near you. Carolina Fish Hatchery has a published schedule (south Virginia, No....
I called my local Southern States. Here's the link to their storefinder. The Southern States pond page says:
"Where can I obtain fish to stock in my pond?
"Southern States dealers sponsor a Fish Days promotion where pond owners can order different species of fish to stock their ponds. Check with your local Southern States dealer for the Fish Days promotion in your area."
Discussion Forum
New to group
Started by Yaacov Levi. Last reply by Yaacov Levi Jun 26, 2017. 9 Replies 0 Likes
HiyaI am new to the group, and looking forward to hearing what others are doing. I am putting together 2 small systems, an in-house one, with large aquarium, reservoir and grow beds. Plan to grow out…Continue
just added 60 BG to my system
Started by MikeH. Last reply by Leo White Bear May 31, 2015. 5 Replies 0 Likes
I recently added 60 (2-3") BG to my 700 Gal system (250 G FT) and will be adding 50 more very soon. I had Tilapia before but switched when temps dropped and all 128 tilapia died. My question is, I…Continue
Aggressive Bluegill
Started by Nathan. Last reply by Cindi Conway Nov 12, 2014. 9 Replies 0 Likes
I caught a bluegill while fishing several months ago and put it in my 250 gallon tank. It does well with the other fish (catfish, crawdads, minnows, goldfish, bullfrog tadpoles, etc). Recently I…Continue
Bluegill Breeding
Started by George. Last reply by Phillip R. 'Cloudpiler' Landis May 12, 2014. 11 Replies 0 Likes
Anyone doing it in tanks or planning to do it? How? Any strategy for culturing phytoplankton/zoo plankton in the tank prior to breeding? Thoughts on selective breeding?Continue
Comment Wall
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Comment by TCLynx on June 28, 2012 at 7:05am
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Hum, I was wondering if catfish or bluegill would be safe to can. Last time I checked into it on The National Center for Home Food Preservation site they didn't list any fresh water fish. Not that it means they are not safe but that no one has done testing on it so they won't list it as safe.
Important when using a pressure canner for longer canning times like 90 minutes. You have to make sure there is enough water in it to keep from boiling dry since that can destroy the canner. I've found with pressure canning in pint jars, that this can mean almost to the lids of the pint jars. If canning in smaller jars, ya might want to add an extra rack or something to allow enough water for the long cooking time to avoid boiling dry. You do not cover the jars with water in a pressure canner the way you do in boiling water bath canning. Boiling water bath canning is only safe for high acid things like piclkes and fruit and not appropriate for cannig any meats or most veggitables.
Anyway thanks for posting that link Keith. I would be willing to replace canned tuna fish from the store with my own grown canned fish. I expect doing a light smoking of the fish before canning them would also be great.
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Comment by George on June 28, 2012 at 6:57am
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Jim, I'd like to see a nitrate. Usually I have trace color and that's about it. Most of my plants grow well so I guess they use them up.
Keith, did you can the bluegill? Caught or homegrown?
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canned bluegill is awesome!
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Rain water certainly helps.
And as far as Nitrate levels, most fish can actually handle rather high nitrates. I know of some one who had nitrates over 1000 ppm in a tilapia system for a while.
That said, I prefer to keep the nitrates down in the orange range on the API test kit just so I can read them without needing to do extra dilution tests and math.
In my higher pH systems I did have more trouble keeping the nitrate levels low most of the year I think because it was harder for the plants to take up what they needed and they didn't grow as well as they could have and didn't use up as much nitrate and I would have liked.
Now my new systems are mostly topping up with rain water and I will hopefully have far more control over pH, calcium, and potassium levels.It seems odd that my bluegill are not eating very well though while the scardy cats recovered from their move and took to the feed pretty quickly.
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Comment by Jim Logios on June 28, 2012 at 6:28am
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Another interesting fact that the Ohio State study showed, is that bluegills can tolerate nitrate levels up to 400ppm. That's one pretty tough fish! Good to know since my nitrate levels tend to stay high most of the time.
By the way, my setup in year 2 is working much better, now that I have mostly converted to using rainwater instead of well water. Those high ph levels were a bear to control!
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Most people are not going to be filleting the smaller BG, you simply clean them, remove head and guts and scales and then you will usually cut in half along the spine and cook them then remove bones while eating.
for eating without having to pick out the bones, you would want to grow fish bigger but at that point, catfish grow big enough fillet much faster.
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Comment by Glenn Dennis on June 27, 2012 at 7:41am
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I believe this will answer many questions probably all. Google G9473, Bluegill Sunfish Production in Missouri
University of Missoure Extension
Bluegill Sunfish Production in Missouri
Charles E. Hicks Aquaculture Specialist Lincoln University
A 7" BG will yield a fillet of less than 2oz.
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Oh I'm not certain Sylvia, I'm gonna guess perhaps 7 inches or so, aprox the size of my hand. Hum I wonder if I posted any photos of them when we harvested the first time back in March.
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Pat, I think you can count on it staying hot for quite a while yet. The OSU link - much good bluegill breeding info. Selective breeding is the way to go and, for aquaponics, select males only, if available.
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Comment by Pat Chesney on June 26, 2012 at 9:59am
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If it gets any hotter here in Texas, we will be having Boiled Blue Gill for supper tonight.
I have almost given serious consideration to taking my fish down to my 1 acre pond in my woods to rescue them from being boiled alive. IT IS HOT! Yesterday was the record high for that day in June. Today is supposed to be hotter still. Our electric grid is threatening to start rolling blackouts this summer. Yee-hah! Ain't it great to be in Texas!
I have a bunch of them growing in the pond anyway, so I guess I could seine them out to start over if they croak.
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