Let’s catch a few fish and have a look at the aquaponics fish growth!
A good catch!
As I put the net into the water, I see the shadows nervously swimming away. I push the net to the end of the tank and lift it to the surface. I can hear the water splashes, the vibration in my hands. As I pull the net towards me and finally see the fish, it is full of silverperch. The largest of them is over 300 g and 35 cm. It’s a very nice fish. On top of admiring the beautiful shape and colors of the fish, we can see the beautiful fins. After working for years in aquaculture I am used to see fish with damaged fins, and broken rays. Here the fish are showing intact fins. This is the result of a nice growth in good conditions and low density.
Slow grower aquaponics fish growth
This fish is almost 4 years old. Silverperch are slow growers and they don’t grow in cold water. As soon as the temperature falls below 15 C, they significantly decrease their feed intake. Indeed, they wait for the warmest months. In Melbourne (Australia) the temperatures are relatively cold in winter. That is the reason why this fish took 4 years to reach this size. In warmer conditions it would probably already be over 600 g.
Fast grower aquaponics fish growth
If you are in a “cold country” you will probably have a strong interest to grow other species. Trouts can reach plate size in a single year.
I release the silverperch in the fish tank and plunge the net for a second catch. Again I can feel the fish moving in the net. This time I got few silverperch plus an Australian native catfish. Australian catfish “Tandanus tandanus” are also known as eel tail catfish. This little fellow is very interesting in aquaponics. It’s a bottom feeder and thanks to his mustaches he can detect any food sitting in the bottom of the tank. It’s also a very social fish that can live with other species as long as those ones are friendly as well. Furthermore, it’s a good eating fish that offers a tender and soft flesh. It can grow up to 2 kg and more if you give it the time. If you handle this type of fish, be careful as it has some spines into the fins and can easily go through your skin. If you want more information about this fish, see the video “Bottom cleaner fish”.
Welcome here! If you are new, you will probably be interested to discover Jonathan’s six steps to build and manage an Aquaponics system. Click here to access for free! Thanks and good reading 🙂
