Comment

Comment by TCLynx on November 19, 2010 at 6:09pm

I suppose it all depends on the size and numbers of fish you are talking about and what your goals are. If you are growing out fish only up to say a pound MAX, maybe a 100 gallon stock thank would be big enough to grow out 15-20 fish at a time (depending on good aeration and circulation especially as the fish are getting big.)

However, if you are trying to grow out BIG Koi, then a 100 gallon stock thank isn't going to support many and I think a bigger tank would be more effective.

As to tilapia, it will depend on the stock you get, how big you try to grow them and if they go and start breeding on you. I think a 100 gallon stock tank might be a great place for a breeding group of about 6 tilapia (1 male 5 females) but you would have to work out how to keep the babies from washing out into the sump tank and being sucked up by the pump. A 100 gallon stock tank is probably also great for tilapia fingerlings or other small fingerlings until it's time to stock them into a bigger system or tank. However, I don't expect a 100 gallon tank to offer large numbers of edible fish.

I personally like having a clean water sump (my particular pump basket would slime up with fish poo too much when I wasn't running a clean water sump) but I've not actually tried the CHOP 2 system and I trust if Murray has been running it for over a year, It is a viable design option.

What will work will also depend on your space you have to work with. If you don't have space for a 300 gallon stock tank, then you might look into an IBC for a fish tank and if you are more interested in smaller fish, the 100 gallon tanks could work too.

Comment by Tony Tarantino on November 19, 2010 at 5:41pm

How do you feel about using say 3 100 gal tanks for say tilapia or goldfish/koi instead of one 300 gal tank and having the tanks go into a sump tank like the chop 2 system. Would it be more flexible with raising the fish and harvesting them at different times? I have not seen any mention of this on any of the discussions

Comment by TCLynx on November 19, 2010 at 3:47pm

Your local tractor supply is probably the best place to get rubbermade stock thanks. The 100 and 300 gallon ones are probably the best gallon per dollar value.

I have used the 100 gallon ones as a fingerling tank before but they are definitely not big enough for growing out big catfish the way I like to. Might be OK for growing out smaller fish like tilapia maybe as a very small system.
The tanks are only about 2 feet deep and I would like if they were deeper. I am using a 300 gallon stock tank for my backyard 300 gallon system and the catfish seem to be doing ok so far in it.

Comment by Tony Tarantino on November 19, 2010 at 3:38pm

are theses good tanks for fish saw ones like this at tractor supply store online