Hello from Pinehurst, TX

[lsoverstreet]

I just found this site yesterday while researching Aquaponics, and glad I did.

A big Texas Howdy to all.

Oliver, good job on the Aquaponics 101 series you posted, lots of great information.

[davidstcldfl]

Hi lsoverstreet, sounds like you've been busy reading here....Oliver's posting has 'a lot' of great info.... :)

Welcome to the forum.... :D

[commander]

hello from Lubbock, TX

[lsoverstreet]

Ahhh...Lubbock. Home of my Red Raiders.

Hello back to ya.

[commander]

Ahhh...Lubbock. Home of my Red Raiders.

Hello back to ya.


And the Lady Raiders beat the Tea Sippers this weekend.

[foodchain]

I'm in Ft Worth, and there's at least one or two of us in Dallas as well.

[urbanfarmer]

Greetings Earthling, and welcome to the addiction! :mrgreen:

[lsoverstreet]

LOL...accurate assessment Urban Farmer. I am breaking ground on a 12 X 24 solar greenhouse to house my aquaponic system, as well as my soil grown plants as well (because my wife said so...). In my quest to create a totally self sufficient system, I have arrived at a question...Can talapia survive, and thrive on a diet of duckweed and scuds?

[keith_r]

they'd need more to "thrive"... more importantly, to give your plants all of the nutrients they need (not just the fish), a commercial pellet food is recommended, but it is ok to supplement with duckweed and scuds (i just ordered some scuds to start my culture).. i'd like to grow enough to provide lots of scuds to trout (when i get that far), they will give the flesh a more pink/orange color
i thought i read somewhere that they will also boost omega.... umm.. 3's

[davidstcldfl]

You can raise worms and Black soldier fly grubs too. Just rememeber, larger tilapia need less protien and fat then the younger ones.

We have a memeber here...bsfman...look for his pages, he's shared a lot of good info on the black soldier fly and even a nice design on building a container to raise them... :) I've got to find that design myself, and start building one, so I have it ready for spring... :D

This is a chart of purina's aquamax feed. You can see the differant rates of protien/fat content of the different size feeds.....I normally start them on the 300 (I put it in a food mill for tiny fry) and then I use the 3000 and 4000 for the older ones.
http://www.fishchow.com/aquamaxfishdiets.htm

[foodchain]

Level of protein plays a role in growth. Differently in adults as in fingerlings.
I feed my fingerlings a wide variety of food, and level off on protein for edible size ones....but breeders I heap it back on as I am conditioning them. The more fat and protein they seem to get the better.