Thread: A Visit to Dalton's Fish Farm.

250 grams in 45 days is certainly a very good growth rate. We have raise have raised pla nin and tap tin for 3 months to achieve this similar growth. Either way, desirable fish around here (Issan) seems to be about 500 grams. Good to see people talking about fish farming, it used to be much more common here, or on the other forum. I guess either most people have dropped out of it, or just don't want to share their experiences.

Originally Posted by mellow

250 grams in 45 days is certainly a very good growth rate. We have raise have raised pla nin and tap tin for 3 months to achieve this similar growth. Either way, desirable fish around here (Issan) seems to be about 500 grams. Good to see people talking about fish farming, it used to be much more common here, or on the other forum. I guess either most people have dropped out of it, or just don't want to share their experiences.

catfish are probably the ultimate culture species because of their incredible growth rate and versatality, and thailand seems to be perfect for this type of farming. as the fish grows, the growth-rate (but not the feed conversion rate) seems to slow down, and the size preferred by the thais puts them right in the best part of the curve for harvest.
also, there is so much information available about all aspects of culturing these fish, that it is a real pity most people in thailand (where there does not seem to be an aversion to eating "ugly fish" as there seems to be in some western countries), and where conditions for rearing them are probably amongst the best in the world, that the locals prefer to keep using low tech, inefficient antiquated methods of culture.
the only reason that catfish are available year round in thailand is due to their transportability, and the highly efficient transport system available in thailand.

(there- it burned my arse to do so, but i just gave credit to thais for doing something right!!
perhaps i am not such a racist, after all!!)

Tsicar,

Interesting info, I've got a lined pond with Tilapia and Tubtim, just for personal consumption and aesthetics. So far I haven't been impressed with the growth. Originally I was planning to do some 'aquaponics', but don't really have time as I'm only on the property on the weekends.

One idea I'm planning on is to add fresh water to the pond with an overflow drawing water/crap from the bottom and irrigating trees. Any thoughts on this?

Also, what about using insects for feed? I already have a light with timer over the pond to attract bugs at night. I also have a room set up as a worm farm, in a few months there will be plenty for feed.

I'm not thinking about making money, just incorporating fish for self sufficiency and organic farming. They are a great source of protein with a low demand on resources.

^ Thanks for the info, the Taptim are red tilipia, nice eating fish that look good too. All fish are supposedly male, so no offspring (although I noticed there are some tiny tubtim, not sure what's going on). I like the idea of having a nice looking place that also produces food and gives me something to do.

The idea of the sucking from the bottom was to fertilize plants and clean the water at the same time. Sometimes my water is green, but it usually conincides with pump malfuctions. The fish were tiny fingerlings and after six months they've still got a way to go before eating size.

I think this is a bit slow. There is plenty of floating lettuce type plants, which the fish nibble on, so I don't think the nitrite levels are too high, maybe I just need more aeration?

Have you ever looked into aquaponics? Apparently they can get better plant growth than even hydroponics. Considering the stocking densities you mentioned with catfish, your system may be very suitable for aquaponics (but not necessarily profitable).

Originally Posted by Smithson

^ Thanks for the info, the Taptim are red tilipia, nice eating fish that look good too. All fish are supposedly male, so no offspring (although I noticed there are some tiny tubtim, not sure what's going on). I like the idea of having a nice looking place that also produces food and gives me something to do.

The idea of the sucking from the bottom was to fertilize plants and clean the water at the same time. Sometimes my water is green, but it usually conincides with pump malfuctions. The fish were tiny fingerlings and after six months they've still got a way to go before eating size.

I think this is a bit slow. There is plenty of floating lettuce type plants, which the fish nibble on, so I don't think the nitrite levels are too high, maybe I just need more aeration?

Have you ever looked into aquaponics? Apparently they can get better plant growth than even hydroponics. Considering the stocking densities you mentioned with catfish, your system may be very suitable for aquaponics (but not necessarily profitable).

i have been racking my brains for a few years about this subject.
using plants to filter the water works really well. apart from themselves removing nitrites and nitrates from the water, plants with fibrous root systems provide a large area for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to thrive.
at least half of the biofilter i used was comprised of a "vegetable filter", although i never grew crops, just used those waterweeds with the long fern-like fronds that choke up many ponds in isaan to clean the water, and it worked extremely well.

it must be possible to grow edible crops in an hydroponics-type of system to both filter the water and make use of the free fertilizer that a large system would produce, perhaps in small pots with holes in, filled with stones or riversand to anchor them or in floating polystyrene rafts like they use in some hydroponics systems.
you would have to have knowledge of the plant and it's needs, and grow stuff that can stand in water without rotting.
i know "pak-boong" would work, and probably the lettuces etc, but quite frankly i simply do not have enough knowledge on the subject to make recommendations.
one could use some of the runoff water to irrigate fruit trees, but then you have to have really good quality water to replace it, so i would not advocate a "total loss" system.
why not give it a try and let us know how it goes?

Originally Posted by Smithson

Originally Posted by tsicar

?

Do you have any links to good and simple bio filter designs?

everybody's idea of a good biofilter design differs: everybody who sells one has a better "mouse trap", and needs vary according to what you are farming, how much of, etc.

all you have to remember is that you need as much oxygen as possible, and as large a surface area as possible, coming into contact with as much as possible of the contaminated water for as long as possible.
my personal favourite would be a "rotating biological contactor", since it makes sense to me as being probably the most energy efficient i have seen, but i would use a roadsweeper brush as the rotor instead of the disks, and this will be my next biofilter experiment,but i would DEFINITELY combine it with:
probably one of the most efficient, and cheapest filters available:
exactly what you have suggested: a vegetable filter!!!!
if you can get it right and use an edible crop as the filter, you score all the way.

Check out nam sai fish farm in chachoengsao run by a great scotsman warren what he does not know about fish farming is not worth knowing.Just tap nam sai into your search engine.

Originally Posted by andysmith

what he does not know about fish farming is not worth knowing

just don't plant them too close together and you won't go far wrong

Originally Posted by Looper

Originally Posted by andysmith

what he does not know about fish farming is not worth knowing

just don't plant them too close together and you won't go far wrong

all depends on whether they are comets or koi.
comets can be planted far closer together in rows, than can koi.
you have to remember to water regularly, though in order for them not to dry out, or they will shrivel and start to rot.
hope this advice helps

It's a shame that Dalton's wife didn't keep the fish farm running while he is away.Don't make sense just letting it sit dormant.

Originally Posted by mellow

It's a shame that Dalton's wife didn't keep the fish farm running while he is away.Don't make sense just letting it sit dormant.

there was no way she could have done it. the whole place was unsustainable and had made a loss from day one, hence the need for "investors" who sunk millions into the venture which was doomed from day one.

Originally Posted by tsicar

Originally Posted by mellow

It's a shame that Dalton's wife didn't keep the fish farm running while he is away.Don't make sense just letting it sit dormant.

there was no way she could have done it. the whole place was unsustainable and had made a loss from day one, hence the need for "investors" who sunk millions into the venture which was doomed from day one.

Interested in why you feel as you do. You must have something to back this up. To keep the subject purely on a path of theory, and construction of the farm itself, please explain your point of view.

There has to be some sort of management,or structural flaw. Maybe the filtration system is not up to par? Why was it doomed from the start?

Originally Posted by mellow

There has to be some sort of management,or structural flaw. Maybe the filtration system is not up to par? Why was it doomed from the start?

all of the above reasons and more. see the other thread.