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Fishless cycling is boring

The trout kicked the bucket and now I'm left with an empty tank and two grow beds full of vigorously growing pea plants. I think I'd like to try a hardier fish next time like yellow perch. Unfortunately my local hatchery won't be selling perch until things thaw out around here.

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Comment by Tom OBrien on February 26, 2013 at 9:50pm: Trout are a lot of fun to feed and my first batch were did produce a few keepers. I like them but I haven't had great success and my little basement system may just be too small for them.

Comment by Jim Fisk on February 26, 2013 at 6:35am: For what it's worth our Trout have been by far the hardiest fish so far. Winter water temps have hovered around 52 - 55F and we have lost our Ch. Cats about one or two a week while the Trout have done great and are so much fun to feed as they go nuts. The Blue Gills were a fin fungus disaster and went to our pond. Still have about 50 healthy Trout and are now down to I believe about 4 Cats from 40.

Comment by Tom OBrien on February 25, 2013 at 10:01pm: I thought tilapia might struggle with water temps in the 60 - 70 F range. We like tilapia and it would be fun to grow our own. Carp would be harder for me to accidentally kill off, but my wife doesn't like carp much. I think I'll put perch in the empty tank, but I may try some tilapia in the other one when the goldfish go out to the pond in the spring.

Comment by Verna Gross on February 25, 2013 at 4:34pm: We are planning on using Rocky Mtn White Talapia here in SW Colorado and maintain our water temp around 70

Comment by Citizen Peng on February 25, 2013 at 1:24am: depending on your local climate, if it is hot in the summer, grow trout would be a challenge. You people in the States have a lot more choice than we do. I grow catfish (tandanus tandanus), a local variety. Tell you something may be of interest to you. Big-head carps are hardy fish, and easy to grow, and their heads are considered top delicacy in China. they are very easy to manage too.

Comment by Tom OBrien on February 24, 2013 at 10:31pm: Thanks. I have goldfish in another tank and they are doing quite well. I haven't managed to kill them off despite my lack of fish-growing skills, but I'd also like to grow some fish for the dinner table. The water in the tanks is fairly cool, so I think perch, catfish, or bluegills would be my best options for hardier food fish.

Comment by Citizen Peng on February 23, 2013 at 6:11am: goldfish are quite hardy.