How I Started Raising Tilapia and Catfish - Small Scale Aquaculture

[@fawk501]

"If you're never going to make mistake, you'll never get started". Best life tip ever. Great vid, thank you

[@txhomestead]

I bought 30 baby tilapia and raised them for 4 years in a 6x8 greenhouse with two 100 gallon Rubbermaid troughs. Just put the pump in bottom of tanks ran the water through a 5 gallon bucket swirl filter then through a 10 gallon tray with lava rock where I grew tomatoes and veggies. Had as many as 25 in each tank. They did great through all seasons and got huge. Planned to eat them but the little kids loved to come feed them and thought they were pets so we released them In bigger pond. They’re basically backyard water chickens.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Lol backyard water chickens 🤣 Love it!

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

Eventually you'll have thousands and you wont know which ones are the originals xD

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

Than it'll be eatin time!

[@bucket0rocks]

Hahaha

[@embroiderygirl3926]

can you do catfish in smaller tanks like this?

[@DadePomsouvan]

If you're going to raise that many fish, I'd suggest you get another 150 gallon rubber maid stock tank and using it just for filtration; have it out in the sun so you can add aquatic plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce to help with filtration. Fill the bottom with rocks, start out with a larger ones on the bottom and smaller ones on top; pump the water in through the bottom, so it will filter through the rocks and then the floating aquatic plants will do the rest and drain it from the top back to the main pond.

[@artofposhahiamadi1242]

Hi. You seem to know your stuff. I am interested in catfish and tilapia farm , small scale, to make extra income. Can you explain the importance of the filtration system and if you can do with out it. Thank you.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Well I am still learning but I am happy to share what I do know. There are some who do not have filter systems setup. I can't speak too much as to how to do that but I will be experimenting with it in the future. Essentially with the filter system we are doing three things. 1) removing fish waste. 2) aiding in the nitrification process, and 3) aerating the water. Anything we add in terms of feed into the system will turn into waste that needs to be removed. So the filter system helps us remove it. If you intend to do this then you absolutely must research and fully understand the nitrification process. In a natural pond these processes are completed by natural water changes by streams bringing in freshwater and removing waste water. Plants, bacteria, and other organisms also consume the waste. Freshwater clams can also aid in cleaning the water. In pumpless systems these processes still must be completed and sometimes it is done with lots of plants and perhaps some crustaceans, sometimes it's done with, very frequent and high volume, water changes. This guide at lakewaytilapia.com is a great resource to help get you a boost of knowledge to get you started: lakewaytilapia.com/How_To_Raise_Tilapia.php Finally, if you do decide to do this, then I suggest learn as much as you can and then jump in. Don't allow paralysis of analysis and don't be afraid to make some mistakes. Good luck. I am happy to try to help if you have other questions

[@shadytreez]

I live in an area that gets cold at night and I just go through heaters. Sadly I'm giving up...

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Is there not a type of fish that is hardy enough for your temperature conditions? What region do you live in and how cold at night does it get?

[@shadytreez]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 north middle CA. Cold water tellapia is illegal. We got the warm ones just before they changed the code. Lost 20 mid to adult size during the winter. Less than 20 left...4th generation and don't seem to be spawning in the 350 gallon Rubbermaid. Upkeep is getting tiring...

[@michaelstlouis2472]

we had a fish pond awhile back, about the size of your pool. what we found that worked the best for filtering was pillows, yes pillows. believe it or not.we bought the cheapest we could find and used them. they worked really well, now we didn't have 100 fishes we had about 30. but it worked and we saved alot because all those cloths and things cost alot more than pillows. we used lava rocks, shade cloth for gardens and pillows. now what you could do is try about 3 or 4 pillows along with everything else. now if you buy the right kind of pillows you can clean them and use again

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thats an interesting idea. I guess you could get pillows with the same pollyfill I am currently using. Hmmm... I will have to give that some thought. Thanks for the tip

[@michaelstlouis2472]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 give it a try. we had good luck with them

[@williamhad]

So relieving to get a video that is straight forward and natural. Thanks man

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

You're welcome and thanks for the comment!

[@sumguyman8656]

I've been searching for this video for years now lol. I finally found a "backyard engineer" that explains things so that I can understand 🤣

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Glad you found it helpful! Stay tuned there will be more coming soon

[@maomaojoe2711]

thank you for your video. Your advice, " Go make some mistakes, and learn what you need to learn cause you don't know what you don't know until you get started".

[@donny0742]

One of the better videos explaining and showing how you made the system work. Thank you so much. I wanted to build a pond for my turtles and fish. This helps.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment I am glad you found the video valuable

[@leeslinkard6920]

Hey! Thank you for this short and informative walk-through. Been debating trying a small-scale fish production system for food and seeing all the "Find at the local dollar tree" filtration materials really got me thinking the major cost really will just be the holding tank. Thank you for getting the DIY juices flowing to get this started.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks for the comment. Your right. The biggest single cost on startup was the initial tank at about $130 + tax. My fish were a very close second for about $125. That was for 50 tilapia fingerlings plush shipping and tax. Then the pump at about $75. Don't be fooled. Raising fish is pricey. If I stopped now, the fillets from these fish will be about as expensive as wagyu beef. Of course I don't intend to stop now. As the video shows I have used the dollar store scrubbies. But thats pretty much it from the dollar store. And I can't even find those at the dollar store anymore. Had to buy the last ones on Amazon. That said, I can't think of anything when it comes to growing your own food that is cost competitive compared to buying at the grocery store. Nonetheless, watching fish do fish stuff is quite relaxing and fun. Believe it or not some people even do it as a hobby 😁

[@MichaelKeith]

Agree, thank you for the video. I have a small condo in Palm Harbor, FL. I’m close to retiring, I’m up in Philadelphia working now, and love raising tropical fish at the moment. Looks interesting.

[@noahriding5780]

There's got to be a way of harnessing using throwaway food or something to help curb the costs...

[@skcyclist]

Nice presentation. A newbie offers great insight for a beginner. Here's what I did wrong and how you can make it better.

[@bengee1040]

You should plumb a couple of those resin or plastic rectangular planters and grow tomatoes with that water. It'll help with the filtration considerably and you get tomatoes or whatever veg you'd prefer.

[@infernusifrit9348]

Hi, nice job. What might help you with the filtration is a diy separator prior to your biological filter. You can use any cylindrical basin barrel you want to. Immediately upon leaving your fish tanks. Direct and swirl the water and effluent from your fish tanks into the barrel by directing it to do so thru angling the intake flow. Construct it so the water swirls around the basin and that flow spirals down to an opening in a large stand pipe centered in the barrel. The water enters several inches from the bottom of this large stand pipe. ( you need several inches at the bottom to act as a settling area, having slower moving water there. Above that the water swirls. A swirl increases velocity in the water and helps to drop the suspende solids. But, too much velocity can also keep those solids in suspension. So some sort of baffle can be lowered to the bottom to promote turbulence and slow the flow helping to drop even more soilds out of the flow). The large dia pipe needs to be capped on top. Centered in that stand pipe you will need another smaller dia stand pipe which is open at the top and flows out thru the bottom of the basin then into your biological filter. What happens here is the heavier sediment falls out of the flow as it winds around the basin dropping to the bottom. Now low effluent water travels up the large dia pipe and around the smaller one until it reaches the opening of the smaller stand pipe and it falls down this tube on its way to thru plumbing to the bio filter. This reduces suspended solids in the water and lessens the load on the bio filter. Technically you would need to do a couple more things to improve water quality when increasing your stocking densities. Hope this helps. You can also lift your water using a 1400 - 1700 lpm air bubbler in comb with diy airlift pump. This would reduce operating cost, aspirate the water, and move your water. Finally, one often overlooked necessity in bio-filters is the application of air. Feeding air into the filter helps contribute to the healthy growth of aerobic bacteria. Good luck.

[@jeronimomod156]

Have you thought about trying to add a little bit of sand and a dozen freshwater clams.? From what I understand they do a good job filtering water

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I have thought about it yes. Then I forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder. I need to do more research into that.

[@guybartlett9587]

Great idea

[@FallofftheMap]

Super helpful for those of us just starting out with tilapia and aquaculture. I put about 70 tilapia in my pond and very quickly ended up with half that. I’m fighting low oxygen and temperature in my outdoor pond in the Andes mountains. Your videos are super helpful even though the solutions and problems are a bit different here. Thank you.

[@FiringSquad81]

Buy a water heater or build one. I'm sure utube has a diy on that too. Buy or build a solar air pump. Look for that diy too.

[@Anna-tc6rz]

You should look into aquaponics! You get veggies and don't need to do water changes. Also, you can use net cages for the fish to make them easier to catch. Look up cage culture.

[@tracydr01]

It’s quite easy to add a drain system on the bottom that comes out into the bottom of a large barrel and gets pumped through layers of gravel and sand,returning by a waterfall into the pond. I did this for a very large koi pond and the only thing I ended up adding was a small UV filter during summer to cut the algae down and make the water crystal clear. Also,loose bags of barley straw really help a lot with floating algae, as do bits of copper added to the filter.

[@ckle2685]

Can you share a great resource for the details of your suggestion? Am considering starting a small operation focused on adding a great protein source to our home diet! Thanks - CZ

[@mannurse7421]

Calculate the volume of the container when empty. Drain some water off. Measure the volume of water that comes off. Measure the decrease in water level with the fish in it. Compare that to a decrease in water level if the tank was empty. A little bit of algebra you should be able to calculate the volume of that take that isn’t water (ie fish). Then you will at least now what percentage of your tank is fish and what percentage is water. If your fish are relatively the same size, Then use an average fish to measure the volume displacement of one average fish. And you are one long division problem away from knowing how many fish you have.

[@raziphaz2219]

there has to be far more error in this than its worth. A few error inches of water height could be the difference of gallons, and that's affecting the final fish report by dozens.

[@ZAR3RX]

Good video, you show the goods, get to the point, and have practical solutions that any guy can understand and relate to.

[@calvinreid8208]

Great job. Very nice ingenuity. Not sure where you are in your journey, but I think your current trash can filter IS large enough. Being able to switch over to more natural filter options and less man made media, your system will perform significantly better. I think it’s perfect, just perfect your media and find a good long term tank option. Thumbs up.

[@SusieOchoa100]

I really like your resourcefulness, I think I could figure it out after seeing your set up.

[@allthingsconsidered3211]

Glad u took the plunge and started. Nice vid too, simple and informative

[@matthewhawkins1472]

I had a similar setup in my garage for a few years….. I would get a couple of the large food grade barrels and make one big filter and have all your tanks connected that way….. then all your water is more stable and easier to do maintenance as you grow.😎 I got up to a couple thousand gallons of fish at one point. I used a sump pump and gravity feed for everything except for the sump which was in the 55 gallon barrels… one full of mesh bags full of several filter materials like you are doing and then the other barrel was basically just for the sump and I had massive air bubbling going on above the sumps level so my water stayed really healthy without too much work…. I had tilapia, local caught small channel cats, bass, bluegill and sunfish…. Oh and the fish that I started with were cichlids of all different varieties. Once people find out you are into aquatic stuff, everyone and their neighbor has fish tanks to give you😂

[@higashi_kato111]

That’s kinda a good idea but I’d advise against having multiple tanks on the same filtration system as if there is a water quality issue, or a sickness in your fish, then then entire system is affected. Ofc this also makes treating whatever it is easier depending on whether or not you have to break down your filters to do so.

[@Deb1650]

Thank you so much for the video!!! Instead of tilapia, can you raise rainbow trout? Also, I saw a series of tanks once where they were all linked by pvc pike and water flowed around through all of them. Water circulation.

[@mybestlifeoutdoors7077]

Suggestion for your filter systems, try using the green Scott's scrubber pads and sand/fine gravel, also a layer of crushed up charcoal between the layers of sand and gravel I have found really improves water clarity

[@jdo3533]

To protect your pump from accidentally draining your pond, you should add a sump pump switch to turn off the pump at a designated water height.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

It's funny you mention that. I will actually be uploading a video today showing the addition of a float valve which autofills when the water level drops and shuts off at a designated height

[@benramintashomestead]

Thank you sir for sharing your your ideas, also starting my own backyard concrete pond.

[@vincentngesa7925]

This is beautiful. I would really love to start biofloc fish farming. I guess I will keep it locked here

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks. I'm not sure this is biofloc. It might be. But I believe this would actually be RAS or recirculating aquaculture system

[@Arwar555]

One suggestion. Put some hyacinth plants on your large container. They grow and use up all the fish waste. As the plants get bigger just throw some out and let new ones grow which in turn will use up more fish waste

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks for the suggestion! I did order some and put in the pond about 2 weeks ago due to your comment. Can't wait to see them reproduce!

[@Arwar555]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 I have a pond slightly larger and a botanist friend suggested this. Depending on your climate it grows fast. Just throw the extra growth out and use as a fertilizer. I feed my poultry with their leaves....Good luck

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Do you have tilapia in your pond? I have read that tilapia will eat the roots of the plants and kill them. So I have mine protected, they are floating in "rafts" of window screen and pool noodle. But I would prefer just to let them float freely

[@Arwar555]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 Yes i keep around 120 Tilapia in my pond only and some small catfish. They do eat tye roots but actually thrive on them . They also have the young fingerlings hide in them as well. Certainly not posionous for them. The pond is 12 ft x 6ft and only 2 ft deep. So theres too many of them there. The largest one is over 1kg. The Hyacinth give beautiful flowers and grow rapidly and deals with the fish waste perfectly. It took me two years to find the right balance....also must mention i have a small waterfall that is connected to the pond so enabling good oxygenation as well

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Ok I was worried that if the fish eat the roots they will kill the plants and then the plants can't reproduce

[@Keep.it.simple.homestead]

So these are some healthy eating fish. Oh my word. I need to try this. Thanks for posting .. 🎉

[@damonthomas5283]

You’re the man. Thank you for this video! Hope everything is going well with your fishies!!

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Your welcome glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tygor3533]

The point of the dish scrubbies and lava rock isn’t so much to filter out debris but to grow beneficial bacteria. Ideally you want the filer floss and above the media (aka pot scrubbers and lava rock) to catch and filter the water before it gets to the biological media.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

So when this video was filmed the water entered at the top but today that has changed and the water enters from the bottom. Would you suggest that I move the filter Floss to the bottom to catch and screen / filter the water before it reaches the scrubbies and Lava rock?

[@gracecamaxtli7090]

Amazing stuff, thank you 😊 I love how clear and simple you make it. I’m wondering, if I got the smaller pool-when would I break even on startup and maintenance costs? How expensive is it per month, if you had to ballpark it? And how many fish can you harvest per month for some good eatin? Lots of questions I know!! 😂

[@johntexan4165]

Before anyone jumps into farming fish, go purchase you a 70 gallon aquarium and throw in some fish. Learn aquariums and you be able to do this no problem. The more water volume, the easier it gets (with the proper setup)

[@Anna-tc6rz]

Larger water volume in relation to the amount of fish you have anyways. If you put 10 fish in 70 gallon or 100 fish in 700 gallon the effect is pretty much the same.

[@johntexan4165]

@@Anna-tc6rz In a perfect world. If it were only that simple, everyone would be able to keep fish.

[@RadRat1138]

​@@johntexan4165 99% of people have zero interest in keeping fish

[@robmccoy5207]

I grew 3 dessert plate-sized goldfish and 2 submarine sandwich-sized pleco in a 60 gallon aquarium. Didn't mean to. The texas snow knocked out the power and killed them before I could harvest them. Definitely cleaner water in the aquarium than in the creek.

[@namurtdiggins4738]

This is great, I want to do this so bad. Glad I found you.

[@jeremiahthelion]

Thanks for putting this together! Great info 👍

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

My pleasure I hope you found it helpful!

[@derrickboatman1560]

Put some raised bed aquaponic gardens on the outside of your porch. If the salad ingredients you grew ate the nutrients, the algae couldn't and your filters can cope with the reduced algae growth better. I like your setup.

[@michaelstlouis2472]

the kind of pillow you want is the cotton or fiber pillows.

[@426superbee4]

Some will use swimming pools. some with concert ponds ect ect making the falling water will make air bubbles give the fish oxygen

[@edwardsdeacon]

🤔 it would probably be better if you replace that laundry basket with a couple 36” mesh laundry bags and fill those laundry bags with the pot s rubbers. Then fill two more laundry bags with the floss. Put in a couple more bags of the lave then this should be enough for 75-80 fish. Maybe get some closed cell foam and put some lettuce 🥬 , Golden Pathos maybe some other leafy green and they will strip the nitrogen from the water column and provide you with a weekly salad or two. Cool system. Good luck with it.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Excellent tips. Thanks!!

[@billdelaney4222]

To get the fish out of your big tank use a barbless hook on a fishing rod

[@puirYorick]

You should always arrange your filtration so that the part which gets dirty soonest is the easiest to hand for changing out or cleaning so your system is better maintained by you. Having the floss buried under other stuff that isn't getting dirty means you may as well not have that floss for all the filtering it's doing after one day.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks for the tip I will rearrange them.

[@nathaliewilson1817]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 How did rearranging the floss and other material for filtration work out for you since it is over 3 weeks [today is 23 Jun 2022] since you responded to the tip?

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

It's hard to say. In the past several weeks I have also had a fair bit of growth in my pond plants and connected a solids lifting overflow to help remove more waste. The water is cleaner that it was but I can't say how much of that is due directly to the position of the floss

[@nathaliewilson1817]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 Understood. What type of pond plants do you use and was it easy to source [purchase] them? Thanks for answering question before and thanks in advance for any future answers to my questions.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I have just recently posted a video all about the plants I use. Currently I have water hyacinth and water Lettuce in the pond. I have also grown duckweed. All are great but the hyacinth and duckweed offer tye most protein. I sourced from ebay and Amazon. Could not find them locally.

[@Nafo-Radio]

Thanks for the video. I'm designing a permaponics system and I think that Tractor supply tank is the missing link. Much appreciated.

[@seedsandarrowsfrontier9224]

very cool set up! keep us posted for updates

[@Nonyabusiness911]

When I had a garden I considered it since it would be free fertilizer. Some water plants would help keep it clean

[@danpozzi3307]

Great information. Super little system

[@blublade56]

Been thinking about a talapia pond , catfish is good as well but they can get 30 to 130 LBS , that is rerally big . It might take a lake for them. I am in the fiippines and talapia is the norm . Running water and filtration is important

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

You would certainly harvest long before they grow that big. You can harvest as soon as they reach a size in which you are happy with the amount of meat you will get

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

👍 love the setup you have with the stock tank & how you have the pool pond what is the stuff on the outside of the pool pond? I didn't catch what it was sorry. I agree & love your last part you said about getting started your so RIGHT, if people want to get into raising fish or something, it's a learn as you go thing by doing research on the subject at hand. like watching videos & going on fish club sites that have good conversation on raising fish or growing a garden. It pays off in the long run if you keep at it, once you learn the good & bad & do's & don't & how to improve it there's no telling where it will lead you in life when you least expect it, keep up the hobby or work & lets see what you do from here.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Hey thanks for your comments. The stuff on the outside of the pool is insulation and reed garden fencing.

[@TonyHoffman-oi4rw]

my first pond was part of an addition of a aquaponics system for my poutdoor garden. Biggest issue i had was my kids trying to catch my fish and racoons being racoons.

[@amandaredeagle9572]

Damn fine job. Thank you for sharing your hard work.

[@jansan9125]

Hats off to you. Thanks for sharing

[@TomDoesUtube]

Had a small sunfish from the pond in a 55 gallon tank.. 2 years later he was a giant dude .. I couldn’t eat him as he was smart and interacted with me .. yesterday sadly brought him back to the pond .. Guess i’ll just stick to Guppies .. lol

[@jamesanjo1742]

Watching from Anjo Trinity Fish Farm Papua New Guinea

[@stevenwylie8985]

for filtration i suggest you grow food.. the soil n roots thrive off the waste they make. check numerous youtube videos for realization.

[@raybon7939]

This video gives apartment poeple hope.

[@annie_scatt]

Nice video I'm planning to start my fish business soon.

[@BigRW]

I feel like the trash can filter would work better if the pipes near the bottom were up higher and the water was introduced to the system at a lower level. Seems like that would give the waste time to settle out before the water is returned to the pond. I imagine the waste water coming in near the bottom through a filter with the return pipes at the top, basically opposite of what you have. I've never raised fish, though, so i could be wrong.

[@MissionaryForMexico]

You need at least three times more filteration media! I would think a 100 gallion container strictly for filteration. I helped a man set up a aguaponics growing tilapia. We used three IBC containers. We copied from the elderly gentleman from Australia.

[@paulskillman7595]

Hay man! Do it with angelfish! Thanks. Tilapias multiply like rabbits anyway!

[@AtTheBarn]

Great job on thee video. Very helpful.

[@davcar872]

Hello, great video. This is just a suggestion, as what you are doing works for you. You should get rid of the floss and replace it with a fine sponge. Using polyfil as your only mechanical media is very ineffective due to it clogging up so soon and then having the unfiltered water bypass straight into your biologicals, now acting as your mechanicals. In short order, your biological media will get clogged preventing the flow of oxygenated water your bio colony needs for survival. Your water entering should first pass through your mechanical media stage consisting, of a course, medium, and fine sponges then your biological stage of pot scrubbers, and finally your lava rock. You want your water free from muck and detritus and as clean as possible before it comes into contact with your biological media. You can still use your floss if you'd like, just use it in place of the fine sponge. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to rinse your sponges each time and they will last a very long time before they start to deteriorate. Good luck in your endeavors.

[@scottcahala7779]

Nice set up.

[@sitemoto8919]

Awesome set up, great job Sir.

[@RamseysDIYKoiPond]

Great video buddy 👍🐟⛩

[@stexrem]

thanks for this great video. It really helped me out.

[@ungoyone]

Cool project. I've understood that cats are really bad for recirculating systems, like most aquaponic/culture setups. Reason being is that there's no real failsafe for bad bacteria buildup outside of water changes. But I've never raised catfish so take it with a grain of salt.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I have not heard that regarding catfish but I did raise mine seperate from the tilapia so that if one had disease or parasites then it would not infect the all of my fish. Otherwise I believe in Asia it is very common to raise catfish in RAS systems

[@ungoyone]

I could have outdated info. Or maybe it was referring to other species? But yeah, if there's catfish farms all over Asia then why not, right? I was gonna ask how the pond is going then realized this vid is almost a yr old. I'll be checking out the update vids for sure.

[@geanitsucuneli4791]

Please watch Ferrocement technology in EcoOca.You will be able get something for 30 years.In those tanks you got have ciment ,that will make your water more alkaline .Fish doesn't like high acidy.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks I will check it out

[@axerxes3981]

How many Tilapia do you have total?? How often can you harvest the fish?? Do you sell any of them to restaurants or markets?? Thanks so much for sharing..... Best wishes, Ax

[@wemcal]

Great video and wonderful information

[@drewdrescher1708]

Great info man! Thanks!

[@sureshparathi8105]

Hello thanks for sharing this video. Could you let us know where did you buy Thilaphia fish seed ?

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I think you asking about the fish feed and not fish seed. If that is correct I get mine from Tractor Supply. I use Aquamax 400 and 500. You can also order from Lakeway Tilapia.

[@Juan-getithowyouleave]

Would it be easier in less machines if it was a dug out pond?

[@jamessconiers1968]

You should really buy cotton polyfill, it's the stuff used in pillows and is cheap

[@effervescentrelief]

Need to do aquaponics with that setup.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Maybe someday. Perhaps someday soon. Right now I have way too many other projects going to work on that also.

[@wemustbecomemachines2012]

Bro, if you want to get rid of your nitrates completely, you need to make an artificial "bottom of the lake"...a 55 gal drum with some fiberglass in it, with a TINY pump on a timer that only runs 15 minutes a day. Throw a teaspoonful of sugar in every other day, and you'll have all the anaerobic bac you need to clean out all your nitrates.

[@carloscuriel6308]

I too am in Florida ( Broward County). Looking for a local tilapia supplier to get started. Any tips where to buy? Thanks.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I got mine online from tilapiadepot.com

[@ranjanty]

Do you ever plan to just dig a pond in your yard? If not why? Is it a bad idea? To me it doesn't make sense to buy a pool if it only last 3 years. Doesn't it take about a year and a half to raise to eating size?

[@noahriding5780]

If you put the fish waste in your garden, you make a lot more increases in other ways.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Yes absolutely! Every time I clean my filters I use the waste water in the garden

[@kwametwumasi8543]

What is that you have wrapped around the pool ? Is that insulation ?

[@adedolapoadedayo23]

Hello! thank you so much for the insight. I am very new at this and have very limited to no knowledge about catfish farming, but I am extremely interested in starting my own small-scale farm. is there a stepwise video you made, or a book I can read to educate myself some more so I can start my journey? thank you

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I do not have a step by step at this time. I am however building a blog site currently which you can visit for more information. The content is quite limited currently as I have only just started it. But you can find it at www.thesherwoodhomestead.com

[@frankiekesler2557]

For the bigger tank take all the fish out cinquain at in the very bottom a net that goes around the whole entire thing and then when you're ready to take the fish out all you have to do is lift the whole entire net in the fish come with so you're not chasing fish

[@MysterySoldier86]

Buy K2 and K3. Your water will stay clear. And how come everyone keeps saying you’ll only get a year use when most above ground pools go longer. I’m on year 4 with mine

[@KnuckleDragginDad]

I'm curious if you do anything special with the baby fish so they don't get eaten by bigger fish? Also, what is your end game in raising these fish? Thanks.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

I reckon they're to eat

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I do not do anything special. The original plan was to remove the parent fish while it is in the mouth brooding stage to extract the fry. As it turned out fish don't want tobbe caught in a net and in a big pool there is lots of room to escape. So I gave up that effort and instead provided shelters in the pond for fry to hide out and grow in where bigger fish could not get them. Also, tilapia are not particularly aggressive fish. The end game is to eat them. They are livestock

[@comfortplusheatingair-cond5064]

Great video bud. 😎thanks

[@michaelwould]

I always would run a sump vs putting the pump in the bottom, you never want to have the pump with the fish if ever possible, overflow water goes to the sump, pump in the sump back to your filter, filter to fish tank, worst case scenario the pump breaks down or overflows the sump and water stops flowing eventually and the fish tank levels off no fish die.

[@The-Grateful-Hippie]

I'm really curious about this! What do you feed your food fish? I have 2 aquariums at the moment with African cichlids, but any pellets or flakes I have seen say ( not for fish intended for human consumption) on the label..

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I feed a couple different varieties of aquamax fish food as well as plants

[@godsdaughtercindy5174]

I would like to start small (to get a hang of it), with 150 stock tank in my basement. Could you please tell me the pump and filter and water pump systems you used?

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

That's a great strategy and pretty much what I did. I actually have kind of a quick start guide with everything you need to get started that will be released possibly today but more likely tomorrow that will have the info about pumps filters and everything else. It will be available on the blog at thesherwoodhomestead.com

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

The article is now up with the info you are looking for. You can find it at the link below: thesherwoodhomestead.wpcomstaging.com/89-2/

[@godsdaughtercindy5174]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 thank you!!

[@briella6226]

A really great video I liked how you presented the information, but I have a few questions. After buying all of this material are you ever going to release the fish back into the wild? Or are they just there to sit and breed? Also if the fish are going to get bigger what do you suggest doing to prevent some if any pollution from entering the tank? I really enjoyed the video I learned a lot and now i can write my speech on this matter!

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Hi thanks for the comment! These fish are livestock to be eaten and so no they will not be released. I'm not sure what you mean by pollution entering the system. The only inputs are water from my hosebwhich is filtered and feed otherwise it is a closed system. Aside from the occasional leaf that blows in. I'm glad you enjoyed the video happy to answer any other questions you have

[@simonsong1743]

I guess you mean the poo big fish will release. That's indeed a problem; it will accumulate ammonia in the water and poison fishes eventually. I think he should let plants grow on that water or build up green water to absorb fish waste.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Ammonia is solved in the nitrification process by the use of the bio-filter and the waste is removed by cleaning out the filter system and doing periodic water changes. I do also grow plants today as suggested. Thanks for the comments :)

[@jeffalbillar7625]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 bro, you could grow all the veggies to eat with the tilapia with the waste!

[@isaacbridge3623]

I live in a place where the tank would freeze in the winter. How would you deal with that?

[@tracydr01]

I think I might do something like this with an above ground pool next summer using some vegetables and maybe use catfish since I don’t really like tilapia. I’d also like to try freshwater shrimp or crawfish in a separate tank if I’m able to source them near my farm. Are there any good eating freshwater mollusks that can be easily farmed?

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

I don't have any personal experience yet with shellfish but I am aware that many people do raise them in similar systems.

[@JJo-zx5pg]

What kind of pump are you using? We have a swimming pool set up-- much larger pool. I'm trying to work out a filter system but I tend to over complicate everything I do 🙄, usually in a misguided effort to save money.

[@JJo-zx5pg]

Also, we've had a similar pool out in the sun and weather that lasted about 6 years. We are on year 3 with our current pool. I bet yours will last a long time the way you have it set up. Good work!

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks for the info about your pools. That makes me hopeful. In my pool I use a Pond Boss 2,000 GPH pump. I don't have it going at full blast though. I have a valve which regulates it back quite a bit. If your pool has the ability I would definitely encourage you to try to set up a solids lifting overflow. Let the overflow take the dirty water to a solids seperator before going to your filter system, and then into a sump tank where your pump will then return the clean water back to the pond. That setup will be so much better than having your pump in the pool. Having the pump in the pool macerates the waste in fine matter that the filters just can't remove very well.

[@JJo-zx5pg]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 hmm. This is really good to know. I'm sure I could create something that would work. Thanks for replying! I'm checking out your blog too. I've looked into this stuff repeatedly over the years. Something about the way you presented it made everything click and I suddenly feel like I can create a more effective and legitimate system. I dont know if it's you or me! 🤣🤣🤣 maybe I'm just in the right headspace today.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Just remember that no matter how you get started, whatever setup you start with, it is not permanent. You can and almost certainly will end up changing it in some way to improve and adapt to changes later. The important thing is just to get started. An imperfect plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow

[@georgezesner4]

I live in florida also and have a 18ft pool that i use to raise tilapia. I dont use a filter system or pump but i do use natural plants to help clean it, It works awesome. I added 6 big clay flowerpots and some pvc pipe, they breed all on their own with no help from me. I feed them a few handfulls of floating game fish food daily. For about 3 minutes of work a week i have an almost endless supply of fresh fish to eat.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

That's awesome! What's the purpose of the flowerpots and pvc? And how do you keep the water aerated?

[@georgezesner4]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 i add the flowerpots for breeding purposes, the tilapia become teritorial over the flowerpots and compete for mates. I have cats eye plants growing in buckets placed around the pool and i have several types of floating plants. The fish grow the plants with their waste and the plants provide oxygen.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

That's interesting I wouldn't think the plants alone could provide enough oxygen. Roughly what percent of the surface area is covered with plants? And do you have any issue with stagnant water causing mosquitoes to grow?

[@georgezesner4]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 about 75% of the water is covered, i leave some area open so i can feed them. I dont have any issue with mosquitoes at all, the baby fingerlings eat all the bugs. I also hung a bug zapper above the pool for extra snacks for the fish. On average i have around 300-500 fish in there at any given time.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

That's super inspiring. Right now I have about 10% plant coverage. Hoping for these plants to grow more quickly but this year it seems everything is growing real slow. They also don't have full sun under my porch

[@RandyZimmerman-pp5wj]

If you would contact a college I bet they could help you out and maybe you could actually sell the waste as fertilizer

[@christylowman5505]

Thank you so much for the video! Seriously considering doing this!

[@freddenker9537]

You buy the containers, you buy the pumps, you buy food, you buy water, you use electricity, you buy the baby fish...does that actually add up?? I also had to put up nets because the herons would steal all the fish in a short time. And ultimately you have 150 fish ready for slaughter... you also need a freezer. so I don't know??

[@jeffreyblock16]

Kinda like chickens my brother was spending $14 a week on corn to get 3 dozen eggs plus all the work so he got rid of them

[@freddenker9537]

@@jeffreyblock16 Exactly...the chicken seller and the food seller made a profit...and you became a loser.You can't even go on vacation for 2 days because you have to provide food and water...and then there are the foxes and the birds of prey. .. no thanks !!!

[@FiringSquad81]

​@@jeffreyblock16There are videos showing how to feed chickens for life with $35

[@FiringSquad81]

​@@jeffreyblock16There are videos showing how to feed chickens for life with $35

[@FiringSquad81]

​@@jeffreyblock16There are videos showing how to feed chickens for life with $35

[@angelicaplummer4691]

I'm really interested to know if there is a less "plastic-y" way of filtration ? something natural. that water gets into the fish after awhile. that's what they are eating and that's what goes into your body. thank you for sharing your experience

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

For "less plastic-y" you could look into sand filters. They will still be cased in plastic, your plumbing is plastic, and the pumps are made from plastic. If you really want to stay away from plastic altogether you can look into a natural in ground pond. You can also research pump-less and filter-less ponds which use plants to filter and oxygenate the water. Also some people build cement ponds rather than using plastic.

[@angelicaplummer4691]

@@idratherbehomesteading2632 awesome. best wishes to you the cat cameo was a treat

[@sarahbryant3351]

Look at floating plants. Duckweed, water lettuce, water cabbage, frogbit etc

[@rogerramirezp.5885]

I caught some baby catfish when it rained hard and it was driving up so I didn't want them to die in the sun

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Are you going to raise them up?

[@TheTc909]

Thank you for sharing.

[@SirenaSpades]

What are you using as a water pump to get water to your trash can/canister filter? I'm always curious about that, and no one addresses it. I have air pumps for aquariums and ponds, and know nothing about water pumps or how to even locate them.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

The pump I have that is in the pond is a 2000 gph submersible waterfall pump by pond boss. The pressure on mine is regulated way back with shutoff valves in my plumbing line. If your looking to do this there are many articles online about sizing your pump. You can purchase these kind of pumps at any aquarium retailer, lowes and home depot sell them, Amazon carries them as well.

[@pyronac1]

my 20 gallon saltwater reef tank has 10 times the water flow then your pool does. you really need to start looking into filter systems and flow rates.

[@noahriding5780]

How fast would their numbers increase on the fish? And can you feed tilapia junk from the yard like lawn clippings or what's left from trash food from washing dishes? And how long do the water pumps last? It seems like everything depends on the water pump... Thank you for the video.

[@idratherbehomesteading2632]

Thanks for the questions. They would probably not eat lawn clippings or food waste. However tilapia are omnivores and they will eat plants. I have a video all about feeding plants to your tilapia. Remember that if you are raising them to eat them then you want them to taste good and be nutritious. As the saying goes, garbage in equals garbage out. So feed good quality clean food for good quality clean fish. Regarding the pumps, we'll mine have been going for a couple years now without issue. How long will they last? I don't know I will tell you after they stop working lol.

[@noahriding5780]

You are doing amazing. I like it. fun too. I think the science of learning to work for yourself and trust yourself to be invigorating. Thank you.