What fish will do well in this tank?

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

In my quest for good tank to fit my space requirements I found

this 150 gallon tank... Tilapia, Bluegill or Trout gonna like it?

[Fishy McFisherson]

oh man is that begging to be a giant swirl filter....

As far as actually answering your question, I'd say something which can tolerate confined spaces/high stocking densities. Of the three you mentioned, I'd say tilapia.

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

For the filter I'm going with a 45 degree cone bottom clarifier tank (UVI style). For the fish I guess I'll have to try and modify if it doesn't work.

[Keith Rowan]

base your fish choice on your environment...

do you plan on chilling the water, or do you have a spring to keep the water in the 50's?

or can you keep it in the mid 80's for tilapia?

bluegill are more tolerant, can survive frozen ponds in the winter and water into the 80's without trouble

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

I don't want to use all the energy it will take to keep tilapia happy in the winter. The mean temp in the summer at the hottest is 75 which I will try to keep the water around 70 by using some passive ground cooling and insulation. More of what I am worried about is the fish's ability to cope with a 36x36 tank. Tilapia can, i have seen it but I have no knowledge of trout or blugill in tanks that size.

[George]

Based upon my short experience with bluegill, I see no reason it wouldn't be suitable.  My round tank usually has about 3/12 feet of water in it and they roam from top to bottom.  In the counter-clockwise current, they seem to have places of individual preference, all facing into the current.

[TCLynx]

For a tank of only 150 gallons, you will have to put some effort to keeping temperatures stable if that is all the fish tank water you will be working with.  In flood and drain aquaponics in my location outdoors, I recommend at least 300 gallons of fish tank in a system to maintain temperature stability (that is stability in the temperature fluctuation between day and night,) if you want to keep tilapia you will probably need some means of heating just to keep them alive in all but tropical locations and if you expect to keep them growing well through winter they need even more heating.

I've not grown out bluegill in a tank that small though.  My bluegill seem to be doing well enough in the 300 gallon stock tank but they didn't do well for too long in my 100 gallon stock tank.

So I guess my recommendation is to perhaps use that as a fingerling tank or for some other purpose.