Tilapia love their algae treats

[Chris McMahon]

It's too hot for duckweed here in the desert so I decided to grow some algae in a kids pool. I added water, a little ammonia (a cap full a day), a little sea weed extract (a cap full a week), some aquaponic water from the system. I add a liter a day. and a lot of sun. I went hiking and found some algae in a pond. It took about a week to get going but now it's really cranking out the algae. I put some in a plastic bag and freeze it. Just to make sure I am not adding anything live to the system.

 

The tilapia go crazy for it. Even the little fish seem to get energized to eat it. 

 

[Chris McMahon]

I recently stopped making algae as another strain stated to take over my grow beds. I used up most of the Spirulina and it looked like another strain started. I want to build an enclosed bio-reactor to keep random wind algae out of the system.I need to get a microscope so I can identify the algae strains.

It's also starting to cool off here in the desert so I may switch over to duck weed in a few weeks.

 

[Debra Davenport]

Does it matter what algae you feed your fish? Or, are you just really interested in algae to the point you 'have' to know the strain?

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Debra,

Please refer to the link in my last post. I know that Chris will give an appropriate response. All Algae from good source water is great for feeding Tilapia. The operator can choose to grow specialized algae to deliver increased nutrient for his fish. To grow specialized algae requires specific inputs at certain temps and PH etc. It's possible for the operator to target, localize, and propagate select algae of his choosing by manipulating water parameters.

Debra Davenport said:

Does it matter what algae you feed your fish? Or, are you just really interested in algae to the point you 'have' to know the strain?

[Chris McMahon]

There are thousands of strains of algae out there. By knowing your strains you can identify your requirements for production. You could also identify e-coil if it were on the slide.

I bet most people don't know e-coli is in all genetically modified foods. They use the e-coli bacteria to break apart a seeds cellular structure to introduce their modifications. It's crazy in my opinion.

[Kirsten Udd]

Thank you, this is great! 

[Alan Joshua Greenspan]

But how to set up the system so its a closed loop? Could a coffee filter be used to drain water/pump it out so the algae don't leak too much into the fish tank?

[Paul Smith]

Algae is one of the major problems I have with my system.  I use an in-ground Choi pond that is open to the sun and sunlight.  In the summer I can't see more than a few inches below the surface because of the algae.  Algae coats the roots of my plants and uses all of the fish nutrients and oxygen.
I raise gold fish which are algae eaters.  Needless to say, in the summer, I don't have to feed them.
I am going to install an ultraviolet light just to control the algae this next year.