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A photo of oneof my heaters hanging outside a 1,200 tank awaiting the winter.

 

I am working to bring fry of pure strain T. Hornorum improved body male (nicknamed Wami) Tilapia and pure strain African O. Mossambicus females to breeding colony size.  A breeding colony consists of 5 pure strain African O. Mossambicus females and one (1) pure strain T. Hornorum improved body male.    Offspring Fry grow to market size with proper feeding, aeration, water temperature and water quality in 5-months.   A photo of 1 of these big boy Wami Tilapia is attached.  They are beautiful fish and great breeders.

 

Also attached is my registration to breed, raise and sell and transport Tilapia.

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Tell me more about your heater.

My heaters are similar to the ones on youtube.  Tank Heater - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ8vUUpwYgU   Except they are Bob Taylor's design - thanks again buddy.  They are 1000 watt stainless steel water heater elements in PVC pipe with circulation and a temp controller.  The controller cost is excessive. 

 

I have 12-IBCs in banks of 6 - all wrapped with 2" Styrofoam board.  The heaters are in the  sumps for each bank of IBCs' filter system.  The filter system is identical to the one that Mineral Springs Tilapia has on its website - thanks again Greg.  Greg uses bucket heater – about $50.00 – in his sump

 

Mineral Springs Tilapia - http://www.mineralspringstilapia.com/home.html

 

If you are using a sump, a Bucket Heater can be used - http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40%7CR40&_sacat=0&_nk...

 

I use the same heater set up for my 6-1200 gallon grow out tanks, except I use 2-of them in each tank.  My electrical cost is under control because in addition to being a Washington registered /licensed aqua farmer, the electric company gives me a HUGE electrical rate discount because of being a licensed/registered Aqua Farm.

 

As for Tilapia eating heaters, I have not seen that yet, but my big male T. Hornorums will devour about anything that falls in the tanks.  They love their grasshopper and red worm treats.

I gather from what you are saying that the stainless bucket heaters are OK for AP if they are in the sump tank. Is that correct. I live in the Florida Keys so when it gets "cold" down here it is in the mid-50s. We've seen high 40s but not often. So I imagine a bucket heater would warm my system up pretty rapidly. I have been toying with a black hose on black metal material to warm the sump but I'm not sure I'd get enough sun in January when the sun is very low to make enough of a difference.

The 1000 watts for the bucket heater is a lot but then I have been using two 400W aquarium heaters which are pretty inefficient. Is the bucket heater in a sump tank more efficient than that? Thanks.

Stainless steel, such as bucket heaters are fine in a sump.

Or you can build the PVC encased heater element with a controller that is found on YouTube that can go directly in a tank and not harm your fish.  As a matter of fact the fish snuggle up to it.  See photo attached.

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Just to add to this discussion I've had a bucket heater in my IBC with over 1000 Tilapia for 2 winters now and haven't had any problems other than paying an outrageous light bill. 

And the electric bill is the problem, isn't it? (and the associated GHG)  I live in a warm climate but we do get cool weather. I'm building a "solar" heating device that I found instructions for on a prepper site. I'll send pictures when I have it completed and report on how it's doing. 

Hopefully you have more sun than we do in the winter. My best sustainable option would be wind. I'm reworking my wood heater right now to help with water heating. Yes keep me posted.

Michael Welber said:

And the electric bill is the problem, isn't it? (and the associated GHG)  I live in a warm climate but we do get cool weather. I'm building a "solar" heating device that I found instructions for on a prepper site. I'll send pictures when I have it completed and report on how it's doing. 

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