Tilapia food

[Chris Smith]

In an attempt to become more sustainable, on my farm, I have started researching how to make my own fish food. I live in Hawaii and we are totally dependent on imported food for both humans and animals. I am looking for alternatives to Aquamax and the other available fish feeds. I grow mainly tilapia for my systems. I am interested in any recipes for fish food that anybody has. Does anybody make their own food?
I have many potential sources of  ingredients(for fish food) that are by-products of current aquaculture operations in my area. I would like to use their waste to make fish food for Hawaii. Any input will be help full.
Aloha
Chris
Coastview Aquaponics

[Ryan Chatterson]

I havent personally done it but the concept is the same a greenwater tilapia grow out system. Low stocking density, the fish create waste/nutrients, algae consumes waste, fish eat algae. The algae acts like an aquaponic vegetable consuming the nutrients and cleaning the water.

In an AP situation, you wouldnt want the algae in the culture b/c it would rob plants of nutrients and can clog up the root structures of the plants which will block nutrient uptake. Thats why you would culture it in a seperate tank :)

[caseyhalone]

will fish eat any of the byproducts from beer making? I know there are breweries in every state, and microbrews are quite popular.

[caseyhalone]

http://reefbuilders.com/2009/02/11/new-belgium-brewer-make-fine-fis...

[Michelle Silva]

There was someone on here mentioneed, in another thread about natural feed..  that they will. I was going to contact the local brewery but never did. I can't remember exactly, but I vaguely remember there being a question about safety or something(?) Thanks for bringing this up.

caseyhalone said:

will fish eat any of the byproducts from beer making? I know there are breweries in every state, and microbrews are quite popular.

[TCLynx]

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[Michelle Silva]

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[Michelle Silva]

i.e bacteria, yeast,mold?

Michelle Silva said:

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[TCLynx]

I expect all those probably are present in spent brewing mash.  I would probably use it to feed worm bins and bsf bins since those things are actually what the worms eat.  Then feed worms and BSF larva to the fish.  Otherwise you might need to take steps to make sure that whatever might be growing in the mash isn't something harmful.

 

I don't actually know what the dangers of using mash straight might be or how dangerous it would be.

Michelle Silva said:

i.e bacteria, yeast,mold?

Michelle Silva said:

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[Kate Mink]

I have had good results with spent brewing grain in my worm bin, but I'd be hesitant to put it into my fish tank. One thing, if it sinks and your fish eat floating food, like tilapia (or vice versa) it won't help. Two, any residual alcohol won't be good for fish or bacteria, and the stuff I've gotten has smelled strongly of alcohol. Three, I'd be concerned about yeast possibly upsetting the microbial ecosystem.

 

Michelle Silva said:

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[Douglas Becker]

Alteration of brewed corn mash can be viable for fish food.  The book “Alcohol Can Be A Gas” by David Blume has a couple of examples for home fish food.  I’ve loaned the book out so my examples are only what I can recall.

 

Wet Distillers Grain (WDG) or even Dried Distiller Grain (DDG) will be missing some of the nutrition thats needed for tilapia.  David suggests the substrate from growing mushrooms (oyster or shiitake) is an excellent addition to blend with WDG.

 

David would say “waste nothing.”  When fermenting and distilling corn for alcohol, your waste will be - CO2 - Hot Water - WDG.  Pasteurize corn stalks or straw with the hot water from distilling (distillers water is loaded with nutrition).  Place pasteurized straw in mushroom growing bags while inoculating with mushrooms.  Take the mushroom substrate left over after fruiting and blend with DDG or WDG.  Don’t remember proportion. Other examples, distillers water for making single cell organism also can be blended for fish food (book has studies foot marked) CO2 can also be used in a tank holding spirulina, another use for WDG would be vermiculture.

 

David’s book is loaded with info some might want to experiment with.  Oh yes, it’s an expensive book but worth it.

          

Doug

[Michelle Silva]

I read the same about feeding it to worms and bsf first.

TCLynx said:

I expect all those probably are present in spent brewing mash.  I would probably use it to feed worm bins and bsf bins since those things are actually what the worms eat.  Then feed worms and BSF larva to the fish.  Otherwise you might need to take steps to make sure that whatever might be growing in the mash isn't something harmful.

 

I don't actually know what the dangers of using mash straight might be or how dangerous it would be.

Michelle Silva said:

i.e bacteria, yeast,mold?

Michelle Silva said:

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.

[Michelle Silva]

Growing Power also uses chicken manure too in the AP system, but there were concerns raised here (understandbly so) abuot mixing cold and warm blooded animal manure due to possible e.coli contamination. Although, I thought I read somewhere that exposure to sun kills e.coli bacteria, not sure since I am selling to the public that I wanted to experiment with it.

TCLynx said:

I expect all those probably are present in spent brewing mash.  I would probably use it to feed worm bins and bsf bins since those things are actually what the worms eat.  Then feed worms and BSF larva to the fish.  Otherwise you might need to take steps to make sure that whatever might be growing in the mash isn't something harmful.

 

I don't actually know what the dangers of using mash straight might be or how dangerous it would be.

Michelle Silva said:

i.e bacteria, yeast,mold?

Michelle Silva said:

Do you know anything about quantities usually used and if there is anything one needs to look out for?

TCLynx said:

the left over mash from brewing has long been used as animal feed ingredients and bulk.  I know growing power uses lots of it as worm feed and compost ingredient.