300 gallon system

[TCLynx]

Ok I did a pretty good job of showing this system in one of my blog posts.  It is still a rather new system and perhaps it will be changing here in the future.

Anyway, here is the link to the Blog post that introduced this system.
http://aquaponicscommunity.com/profiles/blogs/tclynx-300-gallon

So here is the discussion place to ask questions about this system and for me to report ongoing news about it.

[TCLynx]

This system has been a constant minor frustration for me lately. Probably because it has been over stocked with fish almost from the beginning. Granted the fish are still really small so it isn't like the total fish weight is beyond what the system should theoretically handle, but, as I well know, a bio-filter generally needs to grow with the fish load through the first fish season. So I've been battling low nitrite readings that I would prefer to have gone completely. Time to reduce number in this system down to the proper design recommendations. Then once we have the workshop and add three more grow beds, those fish left in there will have a system with the capacity to grow them out even bigger.

[Daniel E Murphy]

I could use some more of those little guys :D I have a friendly environment for them now after that last catfish diner ;)

TCLynx said:

This system has been a constant minor frustration for me lately. Probably because it has been over stocked with fish almost from the beginning. Granted the fish are still really small so it isn't like the total fish weight is beyond what the system should theoretically handle, but, as I well know, a bio-filter generally needs to grow with the fish load through the first fish season. So I've been battling low nitrite readings that I would prefer to have gone completely. Time to reduce number in this system down to the proper design recommendations. Then once we have the workshop and add three more grow beds, those fish left in there will have a system with the capacity to grow them out even bigger.

[Daniel E Murphy]

I am definitely interested in being at that workshop. I need to grow beyond my small pump\flexible tubing system. Based on where I have been and where you are i think the best route for me is those 1-300 gallon rubbermaid tanks like you have with the indexing valve and proper pump to back it up. I think I need to save some cash ;) Maybe by the time the workshop rolls around i will have some and can go out and buy what i need after i know what I am doing :)

TCLynx said:

This system has been a constant minor frustration for me lately. Probably because it has been over stocked with fish almost from the beginning. Granted the fish are still really small so it isn't like the total fish weight is beyond what the system should theoretically handle, but, as I well know, a bio-filter generally needs to grow with the fish load through the first fish season. So I've been battling low nitrite readings that I would prefer to have gone completely. Time to reduce number in this system down to the proper design recommendations. Then once we have the workshop and add three more grow beds, those fish left in there will have a system with the capacity to grow them out even bigger.

[TCLynx]

This comment is along the lines of "I should know better."
Am I not one of the ones who keeps telling people to only stock reasonably?!?

Anyway, I've moved more advanced fingerlings out of the 300 gallon tank so I'm down to 30 fish in that system which is an appropriate amount of fish for grow out in the current set up if I were only growing them to 1 lb. We shale see if my water quality tests settle into a more comfortable level.

Once we expand the system with more grow beds the existing fish should be able to grow out to more respectable sizes for catfish.

Next spring some time I expect I'll move big fish out of that system and see if there might be a group of Florida APers that might like to go in on catfish. That system will be able to handle a fairly large number of small fingerlings and I can keep them quarantined there for a period of time and then we will be able to sell small quantities to other APers around Florida. I know most backyard systems are not really equipped to handle the normal minimum orders from the fish farms and it is sometimes difficult to catch them when they have any on hand to sell for the small minimum orders. They won't go into the pond for much less than a truck load it seems. I'll look into what's involved in bagging with oxygen or if breather bags are appropriate for catfish at all. I will still advise transporting the bags in plastic totes or coolers since I know the fish farm has occasionally had problems with catfish barbs puncturing the bags.

So if people might be interested in getting smaller numbers of pre-quarantined channel catfish through me next spring, let me know.

I've experienced challenges with almost every "quarantine or fingerling" set up I've attempted because they were all generally too small with not enough filtration to handle the number of fish. Remember smaller fish often do better with higher protein feed but that also puts more of a burden on the bio-filter. Just because it is a short term system doesn't mean it doesn't need plenty of filtration. With the 300 gallon system (especially once it has 600 gallons of filtration) is a full fledged system that will be perfectly able to support a full bio load of edible fish. Putting larger numbers of small fish in it short term will be reasonable (where my previous quarantine set ups were never quite up to the challenge though they taught me much about pushing the envelope.)