New to Aquaponic gardening

[Deborah Susan Berry]

We are almost finished building the greenhouse. It's only 6'x7' we are starting out small. I'm chomping at the bit to get started. I have a 20 gal. aquarium and a 55 gal rain barrel for fish. I live in Virginia 

beach, virginia. And I was told at the fish store that Tilipa are not allowed in Virginia so I need some advice what fish should I use if I want to grow fish for food. Any suggestions???  

[Pices]

Deborah,

   Suggest you check another source for info on fish allowed in VA.  For instance, a company that bills itself as the largest sustainable indoor aquaculture operation raises tilapia in Martinsville, VA. (http://www.blueridgeaquaculture.com/tilapia.cfm)

[Glenn]

According top this site http://tilapiafarmingathome.com/legal.aspx , There are two permits and a fee required for tilapia in VA. and a simple inspection to help prevent escapees and you can be off and running.  This site lists the legal issues for most states so It may not be complete or up to date. If you determine it is or is not accurate, please let me know. PS, the states aren't listed alphabetically so Just scroll down to find your state.

[Deborah Susan Berry]

thank you for the suggestions.

[Jonathan Hall]

You could try for channel catfish. Native species almost everywhere and great eating as long as they are grown in aquaponics. In nature they can sometimes taste a bit "muddy". However, in our closed environments it could be one of my favorite!

Plus they can take the cold much better than Tilapia.

[Deborah Susan Berry]

where can I get the Cat Fish??? Any suggestions??? Or Can I use the fish here in our lakes?

Jonathan Hall said:

You could try for channel catfish. Native species almost everywhere and great eating as long as they are grown in aquaponics. In nature they can sometimes taste a bit "muddy". However, in our closed environments it could be one of my favorite!

Plus they can take the cold much better than Tilapia.

[Meg Stout]

Hi -

I suggest you submit your permit for game fish [http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/forms/PERM/PERM-016.pdf]. It will take a few weeks, if I recall properly. You could do tilapia, but tilapia need to be raised inside in Virginia, plus there's an additional permit needed.

You can check with the Southern States store in Chesapeake about whether the Fish Wagon stops by there. You can buy blue gill and catfish from the fish wagon - usually they don't sell less than 25 fish at a go, but the prices tend to be down below $1.00 each for the little guys. One problem is your tank is tiny. For right now you might want to start with 2-3 goldfish (usually available for ~$0.25 apiece at local pet stores, and no need for permit).

In my system I've still got my original $0.50 goldfish (3) swimming around in my sump (100 gallon stock tank). Then I have ~50 hybrid blue gill living in my 150 gallon stock tank.

Good luck!

Meg Stout

365aquaponics.blogspot.com

Deborah Susan Berry said:

where can I get the Cat Fish??? Any suggestions??? Or Can I use the fish here in our lakes?

Jonathan Hall said:

You could try for channel catfish. Native species almost everywhere and great eating as long as they are grown in aquaponics. In nature they can sometimes taste a bit "muddy". However, in our closed environments it could be one of my favorite!

Plus they can take the cold much better than Tilapia.

[Deborah Susan Berry]

Sounds good, and I have s few Gold fish, They were $.25 each, and they call them Feeder Fish, but they are not guaranteed not to get sick. And everything I have read says that Gold fish can have Diseases and I would wind up having to get more fish and Clean out my systems later. I don't want to go through all that. Thats why I was looking for C at Fish. But thank you for your Suggestions you have been very helpful.

Debbie

PS where are you located?

Meg Stout said:

Hi -

I suggest you submit your permit for game fish [http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/forms/PERM/PERM-016.pdf]. It will take a few weeks, if I recall properly. You could do tilapia, but tilapia need to be raised inside in Virginia, plus there's an additional permit needed.

You can check with the Southern States store in Chesapeake about whether the Fish Wagon stops by there. You can buy blue gill and catfish from the fish wagon - usually they don't sell less than 25 fish at a go, but the prices tend to be down below $1.00 each for the little guys. One problem is your tank is tiny. For right now you might want to start with 2-3 goldfish (usually available for ~$0.25 apiece at local pet stores, and no need for permit).

In my system I've still got my original $0.50 goldfish (3) swimming around in my sump (100 gallon stock tank). Then I have ~50 hybrid blue gill living in my 150 gallon stock tank.

Good luck!

Meg Stout

365aquaponics.blogspot.com

Deborah Susan Berry said:

where can I get the Cat Fish??? Any suggestions??? Or Can I use the fish here in our lakes?

Jonathan Hall said:

You could try for channel catfish. Native species almost everywhere and great eating as long as they are grown in aquaponics. In nature they can sometimes taste a bit "muddy". However, in our closed environments it could be one of my favorite!

Plus they can take the cold much better than Tilapia.

[Charlotte Seibert]

I live in texas, but the local feed store have a truck that comes by now and then with catfish, perch, bass and crappie for stocking ponds. The cats came in 4-6 inch or 6-8 inch. they advertise them for sale in bags of 50 but will sell less.

[Deborah Susan Berry]

That nice but I live in Virginia... lol

Charlotte Seibert said:

I live in texas, but the local feed store have a truck that comes by now and then with catfish, perch, bass and crappie for stocking ponds. The cats came in 4-6 inch or 6-8 inch. they advertise them for sale in bags of 50 but will sell less.

[Meg Stout]

It's true goldfish can have disease, but that's kind of true of any fish. My goldfish had lived for several months in my 5-gallon aquaponic windowfarms, so I knew they were healthy.

 

I live up in Northern Virginia, but I'm familiar with Virginia Beach and Chesapeake - as for places a "fish wagon" type of business might visit, I think any good ag store might work for tanks and fish, but since I got my own fish from the fish wagon visiting my local Southern States, I figured your local Southern States might be a good place to start asking.

 

Best of luck!

 

Meg

Deborah Susan Berry said:

Sounds good, and I have s few Gold fish, They were $.25 each, and they call them Feeder Fish, but they are not guaranteed not to get sick. And everything I have read says that Gold fish can have Diseases and I would wind up having to get more fish and Clean out my systems later. I don't want to go through all that. Thats why I was looking for C at Fish. But thank you for your Suggestions you have been very helpful.

Debbie

PS where are you located?

Meg Stout said:

Hi -

I suggest you submit your permit for game fish [http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/forms/PERM/PERM-016.pdf]. It will take a few weeks, if I recall properly. You could do tilapia, but tilapia need to be raised inside in Virginia, plus there's an additional permit needed.

You can check with the Southern States store in Chesapeake about whether the Fish Wagon stops by there. You can buy blue gill and catfish from the fish wagon - usually they don't sell less than 25 fish at a go, but the prices tend to be down below $1.00 each for the little guys. One problem is your tank is tiny. For right now you might want to start with 2-3 goldfish (usually available for ~$0.25 apiece at local pet stores, and no need for permit).

In my system I've still got my original $0.50 goldfish (3) swimming around in my sump (100 gallon stock tank). Then I have ~50 hybrid blue gill living in my 150 gallon stock tank.

Good luck!

Meg Stout

365aquaponics.blogspot.com

Deborah Susan Berry said:

where can I get the Cat Fish??? Any suggestions??? Or Can I use the fish here in our lakes?

Jonathan Hall said:

You could try for channel catfish. Native species almost everywhere and great eating as long as they are grown in aquaponics. In nature they can sometimes taste a bit "muddy". However, in our closed environments it could be one of my favorite!

Plus they can take the cold much better than Tilapia.

[Deborah Susan Berry]

OK Thanks I Appreciate the help. 

Deborah Susan Berry said:

That nice but I live in Virginia... lol

Charlotte Seibert said:

I live in texas, but the local feed store have a truck that comes by now and then with catfish, perch, bass and crappie for stocking ponds. The cats came in 4-6 inch or 6-8 inch. they advertise them for sale in bags of 50 but will sell less.

[Daniel Budfuloski]

Is your system up and running yet?

Deborah Susan Berry said:

OK Thanks I Appreciate the help. 

Deborah Susan Berry said:

That nice but I live in Virginia... lol

Charlotte Seibert said:

I live in texas, but the local feed store have a truck that comes by now and then with catfish, perch, bass and crappie for stocking ponds. The cats came in 4-6 inch or 6-8 inch. they advertise them for sale in bags of 50 but will sell less.