Salmon in Aquaponics?

[Sylvia Bernstein]

Portable Farms just announced a "Salmon Aquaponics System" - (portablefarm dot com slash farm2011 slash salmon-aquaponics).  I'm pretty surprised by this as I thought salmon were salt-water fish.  The entire web page just talks about dealing with temperature differentials.  Anyone have any idea what is going on here?  Why wouldn't you just call that a Trout System?

[Sylvia Bernstein]

LMAO!  That was one of the funniest things that I've read in weeks!   You, your tongue, and your cheek, truly have a gift. 

Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本 said:

Wow.. I am doing this in my micro aquaponics system now...

I put stones in the bottom of the tank to replicate a stream and I use a swim-gym style jet (sold separately) to exercise the little fry.  I keep the air conditioning on so that the plants still get heat.  Then when the fry get to a half decent size I turn the jet off and add salt to my system so they think they are in the sea (will this hurt the plants at all?).  

• I sometimes play whale music to help them acclimatise (CD is available to buy.. but sold separately)
• I also add my patented "portable mini fishing boat system" (made from zinc) to mimic sea fishermen. (sold separately)

Once they have grown a little more, I completely dump the water and add fresh water again - bring the jet back in and this really successfully allows them to feel like they are swimming back up to their spawning site.  I also sell tank-side fishing rights (this is really the greatest money-making part of the system) to people who want the authentic feel of salmon fishing in the Scottish Highlands (add some cheap whiskey and it is like you are really there!).

If you are interested in visting this amazing set-up, then please do hurry to reserve your place for an introductory fee of just $199, plus for a limited time we will throw in a pooper-scooper.  Please visit one of my extensive network of affiliated sites today.

Thank you... I will now take my tongue back out of my cheek.

[Eric Warwick]

Well, there's always that...

RupertofOZ said:

And extremely costly, probably unworkable,and  porbably unprofitable...

[Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本]

Thanks Sylvia,

It is because I am English... my first cry as a baby even had a sarcastic note to it!

Sylvia Bernstein said:

LMAO!  That was one of the funniest things that I've read in weeks!   You, your tongue, and your cheek, truly have a gift. 

Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本 said:

Wow.. I am doing this in my micro aquaponics system now...

I put stones in the bottom of the tank to replicate a stream and I use a swim-gym style jet (sold separately) to exercise the little fry.  I keep the air conditioning on so that the plants still get heat.  Then when the fry get to a half decent size I turn the jet off and add salt to my system so they think they are in the sea (will this hurt the plants at all?).  

• I sometimes play whale music to help them acclimatise (CD is available to buy.. but sold separately)
• I also add my patented "portable mini fishing boat system" (made from zinc) to mimic sea fishermen. (sold separately)

Once they have grown a little more, I completely dump the water and add fresh water again - bring the jet back in and this really successfully allows them to feel like they are swimming back up to their spawning site.  I also sell tank-side fishing rights (this is really the greatest money-making part of the system) to people who want the authentic feel of salmon fishing in the Scottish Highlands (add some cheap whiskey and it is like you are really there!).

If you are interested in visting this amazing set-up, then please do hurry to reserve your place for an introductory fee of just $199, plus for a limited time we will throw in a pooper-scooper.  Please visit one of my extensive network of affiliated sites today.

Thank you... I will now take my tongue back out of my cheek.

[Sylvia Bernstein]

Ahhhh....THAT explains a lot!

Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本 said:

Thanks Sylvia,

It is because I am English... my first cry as a baby even had a sarcastic note to it!

Sylvia Bernstein said:

LMAO!  That was one of the funniest things that I've read in weeks!   You, your tongue, and your cheek, truly have a gift. 

[Jesse Hull]

Hilarious... 

Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本 said:

Wow.. I am doing this in my micro aquaponics system now...

I put stones in the bottom of the tank to replicate a stream and I use a swim-gym style jet (sold separately) to exercise the little fry.  I keep the air conditioning on so that the plants still get heat.  Then when the fry get to a half decent size I turn the jet off and add salt to my system so they think they are in the sea (will this hurt the plants at all?).  

• I sometimes play whale music to help them acclimatise (CD is available to buy.. but sold separately)
• I also add my patented "portable mini fishing boat system" (made from zinc) to mimic sea fishermen. (sold separately)

Once they have grown a little more, I completely dump the water and add fresh water again - bring the jet back in and this really successfully allows them to feel like they are swimming back up to their spawning site.  I also sell tank-side fishing rights (this is really the greatest money-making part of the system) to people who want the authentic feel of salmon fishing in the Scottish Highlands (add some cheap whiskey and it is like you are really there!).

If you are interested in visting this amazing set-up, then please do hurry to reserve your place for an introductory fee of just $199, plus for a limited time we will throw in a pooper-scooper.  Please visit one of my extensive network of affiliated sites today.

Thank you... I will now take my tongue back out of my cheek.

[Molly Stanek]

I was wondering about this too, Sylvia.  The stock photos that they are using to advertise it are pretty misleading.

[Averan]

Ok, so we all know that Portable Farms is not exactly the most trustworthy aquaponics outfit, but can we get back to discussing the possibility of raising one of the most sought-after, tasty, and high-priced fish in the world?  I'm really surprised by everyone's responses and apparent complete lack of interest in raising salmon aquaponically!  Since when did everyone get so normal?  I thought AP-farmers were daring rebel innovators that were willing to experiment and explore new solutions?  The person crazy enough to find a way to raise salmon profitably in aquaponics will be the next hero we all worship and follow!

Its not like a heat-exchanger is a crazy or new idea.  Personally, I don't think Colle's design would work as he intends, but it doesn't mean his idea is stupid.  Let's stop bashing other people and get back to inspiring each other with interesting ideas to create even better solutions to our problems!

[Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本]

Daring rebel innovators is one thing, but if you know anything about the salmon fishing industry then it becomes clear how complex the raising of this fish really is, and which makes this design by Portable Farms all the more ridiculous.  In an oversimplification, there are a couple of distinct phases in raising salmon commercially, and both are very expensive - and one requires freshwater, and the other requires salt water.

There is no reason that aquaponics could not be added into both cycles - not much study has been done on the use of seawater to farm kelp, algae (use for bio-diesel) and seaweed, but definitely a possibility.

Salmon fishing is an extremely serious business, with serious financial backing and significant research.  It deserves to be treated seriously, and this is where this system that we are "bashing" falls so far short of what is required.  If people were genuinely to believe that they would be raising salmon in a system like this, and were being told that this is possible - then the designer of that system deserves contempt for promoting such a ludicrous claim.

I wholeheartedly support serious discussion, and serious research on extending all the capabilities of aquaponics, but claims like this one - and for products like this, discredit all of us.  If my response was 'tongue-in-cheek' then it is not because of the subject matter, it is simply because of the system and methods of promotion and false claims that are being promulgated by this gentleman.

I would be very happy to have a more serious discussion on salmon farming in aquaponics because it would be interesting, and you would end up with a system looking absolutely nothing like anything in existence now.  Would it be profitable though?  Highly debatable, and therein lies the dilemma.

[Averan]

now we're talking!  ;)  thanks for the useful input.

one idea I've had for raising steelhead trout or salmon, is as a supplement to native habitat and watershed restoration work.  I wonder if salmon could be grown in a freshwater AP system for a year or so, then released into local streams and rivers, leaving them enough time to memorize the location so that they can return to spawn when they're full grown?  Of course this approach does not harvest the fish for consumption.

It seems possible to me that salmon, like trout, could survive in freshwater without ever getting a taste for the salty ocean.  I'll have to do some more research to find out if this is possible.

[RupertofOZ]

Please do NOT go releasing any fish stocks into native waterways... unless you have all the necessary pre-approved permits and authorisations... relevant to your state...

[Averan]

Yes, of course.  I know many of the folks at our local Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (SPAWN) group which manages such things and have thought about working with them to bolster dwindling populations.  I wasn't even hinting at doing this on my own!

[Carey Ma]

I have no experience with Portable Farm and to me it does seem like a scam all the way around, however....

@ Mr Hull

I know you joke but the joke maybe on you. What say you if I told you I have used similar designs. You little person you!

@ Averan

Bravo man! I didn't join this session because it turned into a bash. Thanks for bringing us back on track. What you talk about is already being done by the Dep. of Fish and Games, just not using AP in conjunction. At this time, I don't think it is piratical to add AP.

Both Trout and Steelhead need extremely clean water so not quite suitable for AP in general especially in Salmon farming.

Sorry I am in a rush to head out but will continue this discussion when i return.

Cheers