Catfish in Washington State

[Lloyd Booth]

     My name is Lloyd, I live in Kitsap County [across the Puget Sound from Seattle]. I am planning to raise catfish as my fish for the system. I am drawing up plans for a greenhouse and I want to take the whole year in mind when I design, rather than fuss with it later. My concern is that although we live in USDA Zone 8b, we can get below freezing for weeks at a time and many months in the 40's for both high and low [like - 46 high, 40 low]. My concern is to keep the catfish active and eating through those cold months, not necessarily very warm.

     I will be using recycled IBC totes [330 gallon each] for fish tank and sump tank and grow beds made to fit the greenhouse. Tanks were filled with safe product, I have MSDS from the provider, and these have been used locally by other fish raisers in the Puget Sound Metro area. I am planning a CHOP (1) system [fish tank to sump tank, pump to grow beds, bell siphons and gravity to fish tank] system, so the water from the warmed(?) grow beds feeds directly to the fish.

     I was planning on using a rocket mass heater to keep temperatures up in the greenhouse over winter. Will that be enough to keep the temperature in the tanks up as well, or do I need to supplement heat for the tanks? My speculation is that if the temp in the greenhouse is in the 60-70's the grow beds and thus the water should come close to matching that temp. If the warm air does heat the grow beds, would this keep the temperatures up, and thus heat the fish and sump tanks enough to not require separate additional heat to the tanks?

[TCLynx]

If you are managing to keep the air temps in the greenhouse in the 60-70s then I expect your fish tank water will only be a few degrees cooler and this should be very good.  When the water gets below 60 F the fish will slow down but I don't cut off all feeding to my catfish/bluegill till the water gets to 55 F.

[Lloyd Booth]

Thanks, TCLynx, that helps with the planning.

TCLynx said:

If you are managing to keep the air temps in the greenhouse in the 60-70s then I expect your fish tank water will only be a few degrees cooler and this should be very good.  When the water gets below 60 F the fish will slow down but I don't cut off all feeding to my catfish/bluegill till the water gets to 55 F.

[Eric Warwick]

Sorry for the late entry into the discussion, but where did you get your IBC's? I live across the lake.

[Lloyd Booth]

     I found mine on Craigslist. There were two entries that interested me, one was in Gig Harbor and guaranteed food-safe prior ingredients; and the other had 330 gallon ones that had previously held mineral oil and glycerin (used to cut and shape metal). I read the MSDS on the metal cutting, non-toxic; so, I went with the larger ones, as he delivered.

     I used Amway degreaser and dish soap [known for safe and green products] and about 5 gallons of HOT water. Recapped it, and rolled it all over the yard to liberally wash the interior, including the top. Out of it's cage, the IBC is fairly light, maybe 30 pounds, easy to roll around. I gave it about an hour to rest, re-rolled it and then pressure washed it clean. Clean in one pass, no odor, water smelled clean, looked clear, no oil smudge on the surface. Tasted it, it was fine. Allowed it to air dry.

    If there had been any taste or oil remaining, I would have rewashed in vinegar and then dropped a small box of baking soda into a 5 gallon bucket of water and poured that in to give it an acid wash and then a base wash, but I didn't have to do that.

     They are now buried with the tops cut off into the foundation of the greenhouse I am building. They are 3 feet down, sticking up about 18 inches. The growbeds will go over them, allowing plenty of room to provide drainage of the growbeds, and ease of netting for the fish. Picture attached.

Eric Warwick said:

Sorry for the late entry into the discussion, but where did you get your IBC's? I live across the lake.

[TCLynx]

FYI

You can post pictures directly into your discussions using the img button at the top of the post box (it's right next to the link button)

Like this

[Eric Warwick]

Thank you, Lylod! Good luck on your system. I'm trying to start mine this weekend (If I get to it of course).

[Lloyd Booth]

Thanks, I wondered how the loading of images inside the post. You've been a very good help to so many, even in the midst of so many projects on your own plate! Thanks again.

TCLynx said:

FYI

You can post pictures directly into your discussions using the img button at the top of the post box (it's right next to the link button).

[Mark Sylvain]

Lloyd,

Have you begun the system yet?  I meant to attach this to the friend request but I am still working on figuring out the navigation through this forum.  I just setup my first system in NE Florida, but am in Whidbey Island for a little while.  Was hoping to find some systems in the area to look at in my free time for ideas

Mark

[Lloyd Booth]

Good morning,

    You are welcome to visit, but only two walls are up now with the roof beam up, but the rafters are not completed yet. No grow beds yet; there is water in the tanks, but that is more  to keep them from collapsing than starting the bio-filter. I'm expecting to get the roof finished today and the rest of the walls too, probably. The glazing will wait until the paint is dry on the finish coat.

    I have purchased Polygal at 10mm thickness for the glazing. It was price competitive with single layer plastic of the same size [4' x 8'] and the greenhouse is designed around 4 by 8 sheets of plywood and glazing. The additional benefit of Polygal, here in the northwest, is that it is insulative as well. Plus it is light, weight-bearing, and resistant to little boy stones. [Not that there are such in the immediate neighborhood, but you never know.] And it has a 10 year guarantee which leads me to think it will last much longer.

     How long are you going to be in Washington?

Mark Sylvain said:

Lloyd,

Have you begun the system yet?  I meant to attach this to the friend request but I am still working on figuring out the navigation through this forum.  I just setup my first system in NE Florida, but am in Whidbey Island for a little while.  Was hoping to find some systems in the area to look at in my free time for ideas

Mark

[Mark Sylvain]

In the area for several more weeks.