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Comment by Glenn Dennis on December 30, 2013 at 5:28pm

Anthony

Here in Mi my water temp in winter in my green house drops into low mid 40's.  That seems to cold to feed fish since bio filter will not remove ammonia. How do you handle this.  Heating water has been to expensive for me.

Comment by Jim Fisk on December 30, 2013 at 9:08am

Just a few more thoughts based upon experience:

The smaller the fingerlings the more the loses. The bigger they get the tougher they are. I have always purchased the little guys (actually the size of a "finger") and that is when I suffer the loses. So for starting out Jeremiah is probably right on. Some of ours (trout) are a good 16" now. Must eat more fish!!

Now with a stable system (1 1/2 yrs old) and knowing enough to ck PH BEFORE introducing the little guys, always into their own separate tank, the fingerlings do great. As to the Summer we do have a deep cold artesian well so maintaining temps is just a matter of filling the sump occasionally with our 55F well water (no pump needed so no cost to let it run over for awhile. Excess water just disappears down the sides of the sump). So far it has been that simple but remember I have the fish room walled off from the hothouse and that helps a great deal as well. I used metal roof in there with every 3rd panel a gh panel for subdued but occasional sun as the day goes by. Next step in there is to build the real wood walls and insulate them with 2" foam boards. Right now the walls are 2 tarps thick with outside temps near zero F many nights so that will be a big improvement and look so much better.

As to the trip to the hatchery we just bring a 5 or 6 gal pail with a cheap Wally World (Walmart) aquarium air pump and stone plugged into a small 12v-120v inverter. I keep a lid all set to go with the air hose fed thru the lid and bungee the lid on to prevent spills and jumpers. Use a wire tie above and below the lid on the air tube to keep the stone on the bottom. Last time I used one of our 6gal beer making pails for 50 fingerlings.

Another thing I keep meaning to mention to those starting out and designing their system is to strive for as much difference in elevation between the sump and the fish tanks as possible. (assuming you can do a sump system) This gives you 2 big benefits: faster flow thru your pipes (which means far less clogs) and greater choice of growbed height (for easier working height, ours are just above knee height) while still allowing for good flow back to the sump. Below grade sump also allows for burying your pipe return(s) so pipes are never in your way. I have seen so many systems now where you are always climbing over pipes. Plan for a nice neat easy access system with as little pipe in your face as possible. If I ever get this house finished I will get back to my set of plans on our system here. Right now I can't even finish all that I started in the AP GH. Plans are still stalled at 105 pages. Can't write up and show photos and details on what I haven't finished, Soon I hope.

One more thing worth mentioning for those choosing a pump is to remember that "head" is measured from the surface of the water in the sump and NOT from the pump. When I fill the sump to the top there is a very noticeable upswing in flow in the system. This is often overlooked. Don't spend more than you need to on your pump. I use the Little Giant 1200gal pond pump for our 2000+gal system and it is plenty. Also pond rated pumps are designed to handle solids so by putting it in the clear water sump you will enjoy many years of service. I will pick up another around yr 5 I figure for a spare. Nearly 2 yrs now without a hiccup. Remember, no matter which pump you get make sure it is NOT oil filled. I see what appear to be oil filled "sump" pumps in way too many member's pics. Disaster waiting to happen. "Pond" pumps are designed to be safe for aquatics, both plants and critters such as fish. Oil filled WILL leak and wreak havoc eventually.

All for now as I have bell siphon orders to get out so

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 30, 2013 at 8:36am

We have mild temps a few days of temps in the 20's sometimes snow, but mostly rain from middle of Oct to July 4^th, it always rains on the fourth. Our summers well we may hit 100 one or two times a year but I would say 98 is our high. Great trout zone. I plan on just trout and dabble with koknee. I think having my sump dug in and the tanks in the shade they will be OK.  

Comment by Jeremiah Robinson on December 29, 2013 at 7:33pm

Hey Anthony,  

Not sure what summers are like in your neck of the woods, but in Wisconsin it's way too hot in the summer to raise trout without a coldwater spring or a really excellent deep well (which the hatcheries have).  Much easier to get 7-9" fish in early fall and eat them in late spring.  They put on good growth over winter.  They you can choose another fast-growing fish to raise in the summer, like Tilapia.

Comment by Brian Rogers on December 29, 2013 at 3:32pm

I'll second Jim's comments too since I'm doing the same thing.  It's much easier to just call up the hatchery and get the fingerlings.  I have mine together in the system with Koi and between the two, the Koi will breed in almost anything, but the trout are rather picky so I'll leave one of the 2 to others, especially while it's the hatcheries expertise and the price is right.  I stocked the last batch of trout in at the beginning of Sep and they're getting big already!  A clear plastic tarp over the tank helps...errr, is ESSENTIAL to keeping them in and it helps by letting them determine day from night.  I have a half clear, half dark tarp which allows them to hide when wanted and 'sunbathe' when not; seems to help de-stress.  I agree a greenhouse is the better way to go too, we have too much humidity in our garage, just a matter of $$$. 

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 29, 2013 at 1:54pm

Thanks Jim it was just a thought, I know I'm not at that level yet. It was more of is anybody doing this with trout in AP. I went out looking for info and it sounds like a salmon hatchery system. With large amounts of water with milking and mixing. How about selling trout row dose anybody do that, Is there a market for trout row? I'm sure someone dose eat it. Just some goofy thoughts looking for answers to.

Comment by Jim Fisk on December 29, 2013 at 9:00am

Personally I have looked into breeding Trout and come to the conclusion NO WAY. Far better to purchase healthy fingerlings from our local trout farm where they have years of experience raising them in pristine mountain streams. At 40 cents each you can't justify your own breeding program. At your stage of expertise I would fogetaboutit. 5 yrs from now when you are all up to speed and bored: maybe. Just Google it and I am sure you will agree.

Focus on getting your system built. Our trout are doing great and the toughest breed we have tried despite the rumors to the contrary. They have been temperature forgiving (50F - 73F) and seem to be doing better and better in terms of growth as the system reaches stability in year 1 1/2. We don't even consider any other fish anymore for our ambient temps. If you live in trout country as we do you will not be disappointed. That is what I would go by. What fish are native? or you will be spending too much $ trying to maintain temps.

I set up my 5 FT IBCs to be able to flow one into the other like the well known Florida gals did but very quickly decided not to go that route. I built a cascade effect as each FT is 3 1/2" below the one before it. (That cribwork you see in my photos only cost 20.00 when garden ties were on sale for .97 ea.) Each FT is fed from the buried sump BUT exits individually into 1 1/2" common drain line and that allows the grow beds to knock out any pathogens before the water reunites back at the sump. That is all the "bio-security" we seem to need. Also real sunlight will do better at sanitation than any grow lights so your GH is the way to go. Remember though that the N side does not need any glazing, just well insulated walls or share a S wall of your house if you can as the N side of your GH so you can share heating and cooling. I could not. Also your fish room is better off somehow separated from the GB room. I only have a tarp at the moment but even that makes a huge difference as the needs of the fish are very different from the needs of your veggies. All for now.

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 29, 2013 at 6:01am

  

Oops breeding

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 28, 2013 at 9:08pm

Is their people out in the AP world having good success breading trout? What is the method of getting them to make the happy dance to happen.

Comment by Jim Fisk on October 4, 2013 at 9:30am

Latest trout harvest. Still cranking out trout for dinner

Great taste, nice pink flesh. Average 14" and 1.5 lbs.

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