Clean Recirculating Aquaculture

[Ahmabeliever]

Aquaculture as it stands is deplorable to many of green persuasion and staunchly defended by it's practitioners.

 

Major problems, as seen by the green side of the fence, are pollution, and the source of protein in feeds - fishing the oceans.

 

I quite agree with these views. Pollution is, well, pollutive... and killing fish who play a role in an oceans eco system, to raise fish in a farm polluting that or another ocean or waterway, it just doesn't make sense to me. But it does make dollars.

 

Those who understand that dollars add up to more than sense by 100 need to approach industry solutions with this in mind.

 

New systems of intensive Aquaculture and food production need to out produce 'dirtier' aquaculture practises, which will bring about change through the forces of supply and demand.

 

So, instead of rallying against it, green industry could learn to compete.

 

It's not as if the consumer demand isn't high enough! ;)

 

An article in NZ Herald yesterday spoke of vegetable prices becoming premium and look set to continue rising as space becomes utilised for higher value crops. This as a global problem, not localised.

 

There is demand for fish, vegetables, fish feed, pollution reduction, there is a premium for doing this organically, and good will with public opinion and possible tax benefits by doing it cleanly.

 

You need human wastes :eek: flies :) and germs :D

 

To be continued...

[freeztar]

Check out this article on a company in Hawaii that is doing open-sea pens to farm fish.

The wonder fish - Apr. 21, 2008

 

Here's the companies website:

Kona Blue

[Ahmabeliever]

Kona Blue is a good step in the right direction, a company willing to learn. Nice to see those farms in use I read about that or a similar design years ago.

 

On the pollution thing, it's not pollution if the biology in the water utilise it for growing plants and plankton molluscs etc, it's part of the food chain. At what depth the farm is in and the tidal flow distributing it...

 

Could possibly grow harvestable 'wild' kelp and mollusc beds too. This could even be used to encourage local species once the numbers were understood. An organic addition to encourage speciation instead of deplete it.

 

Shoreline aquaculture operations over-fertilise their environment thus it becomes pollutive rather than a valuable input. It's numbers. The practise is not really fixable from what I know of intensive culture in such farms. Trying to grow other crops off the excess nutrients would certainly help.

[Ahmabeliever]

Feeding fish using human wastes is as easy as luring flies to ****. :)

 

Or vege scraps, if you prefer... :D

 

The Black Soldier Fly.

 

Not all flies are created equal. So before you shun this humble fly, read the following...

 

even though this creature may have lived alongside humans for thousands of years, it is not associated in any way with the transmission of disease

 

Here's a link.

 

Bioconversion of Food Waste: Black Soldier Fly

 

In the link we find that 100 kg's of waste - that people will pay you to take away - will produce 8.8 kilos of 42% dry protein prepupae matter.

 

The Black Soldier Fly has many unique characteristics making it a prime candidate for domestication.

 

A Black Soldier Fly...

 

• when in fly form, has no mouth
  
• is not a pest to humans
  
• leaves worms and regular composting for dead
  
• reduces wastes not deemed suited to vermiculture
  
• produces high protein feed
  
• produces viable soil ameliorant
  
• is self cleaning
  
• is self harvesting
  
• can be maintained year round in many climates
  

 

And the list could go on. There are a few resources and resourceful companies out there working with Black Soldier Fly now. The potential has not begun to be scratched.

 

I do want to see the figures of gases produced which are not included in bioconversion chart in the link. I think in reducing waste within 24 hours the soldier fly reduce a lot of potential composting gases but how much gases do the larvae produce. Also what content of nutrient is in the water that comes out.

[Ahmabeliever]

To recap a little.

 

Catching fish to feed fish is counter productive. A protein source is needed.

 

Black Soldier Fly provide very high quality protein. They clean and harvest themselves. A smart business could get paid to take away 'waste' and convert it to BSF protein.

 

Continuing...

 

The protein content and nutritional breakdown of BSF larvae will compete with any leading brand of feed in the market.

 

42% protein is high. High protein (in suitable feed) produces high fish yields. High yield equals high profit...

 

Further to this, which we'll get into details later, the higher protein fish wastes are a more potent fertiliser than lower protein wastes.

 

When spring arrives I'll be setting up a small BSF composting operation so you can follow the journey, hoping to take some wastes off a couple of stores only hundreds of metres away. Perhaps I'll blog it.

 

BSF could easily be a stand alone business. Get paid to remove wastes and sell small amounts at high prices to fishing and aquarium stores, local e-trade, and when you have bulk find a local fish farmer to buy the excess. Use the 5% friable waste that is left over for vermiculture and worm castings can be another product to sell.

 

In getting out and talking to people about a supply of larvae, worms and casts, the response is positive from both private and business. I barely have to leave my block. This is in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

I will be selling some of my BSF larvae, but a lot of them will be fed to eels.

 

Due to highly restrictive laws here regarding species eels are my option. However, when raised and flushed correctly, they're really good.

 

Cultured eels contain very high amounts of oils. Without the presense of fishmeal I can avoid mercury contamination of a high omega oils product. Market will be immense. But I'm just in the canoe here, tis my wee flagship.

 

Problem! A supply of young eels is not a given. As wild stocks are depleted less young return to our country each year. The adult swims to Tonga, and breeds in the trench there, then dies. The spawn make their way back.

 

Solution. A local biologist successfully bred eels in captivity and has taught others around the world how he did this. Still problems with getting them through their infancy but progress continues.

 

Aquaculture solution. A govt body controls reserve waterways and land (already established in many places, reserves) and they release cultured broodstock. Culture operations keep back a percentage of adult stock for this purpose. This should help avoid inbreeding.

 

There are many fish that can be cultured. If I was in the States I'd be looking at Tilapia. A rapidly growing omnivorous table fish, high in oils, breed easily, eat almost anything.

 

We'll look at what I do with fish poo next. Or fertiliser, as I see it.

 

We've already created several income streams.

 

Cash for removing 'rubbish'

Larvae

Worm Castings

Fish.

[Moontanman]

To recap a little.

 

Catching fish to feed fish is counter productive. A protein source is needed.

 

Black Soldier Fly provide very high quality protein. They clean and harvest themselves. A smart business could get paid to take away 'waste' and convert it to BSF protein.

 

Continuing...

 

The protein content and nutritional breakdown of BSF larvae will compete with any leading brand of feed in the market.

 

42% protein is high. High protein (in suitable feed) produces high fish yields. High yield equals high profit...

 

Further to this, which we'll get into details later, the higher protein fish wastes are a more potent fertiliser than lower protein wastes.

 

When spring arrives I'll be setting up a small BSF composting operation so you can follow the journey, hoping to take some wastes off a couple of stores only hundreds of metres away. Perhaps I'll blog it.

 

BSF could easily be a stand alone business. Get paid to remove wastes and sell small amounts at high prices to fishing and aquarium stores, local e-trade, and when you have bulk find a local fish farmer to buy the excess. Use the 5% friable waste that is left over for vermiculture and worm castings can be another product to sell.

 

In getting out and talking to people about a supply of larvae, worms and casts, the response is positive from both private and business. I barely have to leave my block. This is in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

I will be selling some of my BSF larvae, but a lot of them will be fed to eels.

 

Due to highly restrictive laws here regarding species eels are my option. However, when raised and flushed correctly, they're really good.

 

Cultured eels contain very high amounts of oils. Without the presense of fishmeal I can avoid mercury contamination of a high omega oils product. Market will be immense. But I'm just in the canoe here, tis my wee flagship.

 

Problem! A supply of young eels is not a given. As wild stocks are depleted less young return to our country each year. The adult swims to Tonga, and breeds in the trench there, then dies. The spawn make their way back.

 

Solution. A local biologist successfully bred eels in captivity and has taught others around the world how he did this. Still problems with getting them through their infancy but progress continues.

 

Aquaculture solution. A govt body controls reserve waterways and land (already established in many places, reserves) and they release cultured broodstock. Culture operations keep back a percentage of adult stock for this purpose. This should help avoid inbreeding.

 

There are many fish that can be cultured. If I was in the States I'd be looking at Tilapia. A rapidly growing omnivorous table fish, high in oils, breed easily, eat almost anything.

 

We'll look at what I do with fish poo next. Or fertiliser, as I see it.

 

We've already created several income streams.

 

Cash for removing 'rubbish'

Larvae

Worm Castings

Fish.

 

Tilapia I don't know about where you live but tilapia are exotics, when intensely aquacultered exotics will alwasy find their way into the local waters. Aquarium keepers catch hell all the time for exotic releases but the real problem fish are almost all accedentally released exotics. For my money, catfish are much better. channel cats are easy to raise and very good to eat, as are black and brown bullheads.If you want a really big fish that's very easy to keep alive then white bullheads are a good idea. Catfish are delicious when farm raised and they are native! tilapia are bland and tasteless and exotic, no contest from my stand point.

 

When I raise fish I grow my own fish food as daphnia and earth worms. fish waste is consumed by earth worms and they give you protien and earth worm casteings. Waste water is used on a garden, even the state boys approve!

[freeztar]

Tilapia I don't know about where you live but tilapia are exotics, when intensely aquacultered exotics will alwasy find their way into the local waters. Aquarium keepers catch hell all the time for exotic releases but the real problem fish are almost all accedentally released exotics. For my money, catfish are much better. channel cats are easy to raise and very good to eat, as are black and brown bullheads.If you want a really big fish that's very easy to keep alive then white bullheads are a good idea. Catfish are delicious when farm raised and they are native! tilapia are bland and tasteless and exotic, no contest from my stand point.

 

When I raise fish I grow my own fish food as daphnia and earth worms. fish waste is consumed by earth worms and they give you protien and earth worm casteings. Waste water is used on a garden, even the state boys approve!

 

Good to hear MTM, catfish is a delicacy around our parts.

[Ahmabeliever]

Good local advice thank you. When selecting fish species go local. I thought Tilapia were locals in US sorry, they're so common in aquaculture there.

 

Cats I would use for polyculture with a surface feeder if I could. But I'm now jumping the gun.

 

We have the brown bullheads here (an introduced pest hehe) I was catching them beside Waihou river in Waitoa village after annual winter floods subsided into a pool. Tons of fish in roughly 1/8 acre. They all died if you didn't fish em except the eels got away to the river at night in the dew. I suspect some of our local species could do this too but no proof except that they can climb and can hide in mud and live without water for 12-14 days. Easy way to catch em in a drought is pick up the rocks in the lowest points of dry stream beds, they're lying there in the damp like sardines waiting for water.

[Moontanman]

Good local advice thank you. When selecting fish species go local. I thought Tilapia were locals in US sorry, they're so common in aquaculture there.

 

Cats I would use for polyculture with a surface feeder if I could. But I'm now jumping the gun.

 

We have the brown bullheads here (an introduced pest hehe) I was catching them beside Waihou river in Waitoa village after annual winter floods subsided into a pool. Tons of fish in roughly 1/8 acre. They all died if you didn't fish em except the eels got away to the river at night in the dew. I suspect some of our local species could do this too but no proof except that they can climb and can hide in mud and live without water for 12-14 days. Easy way to catch em in a drought is pick up the rocks in the lowest points of dry stream beds, they're lying there in the damp like sardines waiting for water.

 

You'd be amazed at how long catfish can live without water buried in mud or even in a damp sack in the shade. it's a common misunderstanding that catfish only feed on the bottom, catfish will feed anywhere the food is, even being caught on artifiicial lures. I have trained a flathead catfish to come when called and eat from my hand at the surface. I used to catch channel cats with cicadas (http://www.cicado.com/cicada-top.JPG) I floated them on the surface and channel cats would come out of the water when they hit them! Sorry to hear Bullheads are a pest where you live, brown bullheads are a valuable sport fish here and are caught routinely at 3 to 5 lbs and sometimes as much as 15 to 20lbs. White bullheads average larger and will live in brackish water. Black and brown bullheads will over populate and result in smaller average fish if no preditors are present to eat them. We even have problems with fish that are native to the Mississippi river basin becoming established here on the east coast, flathead catfish have almost decimated the bullhead population in the rivers here in North Carolina. Now they are letting a Europeon sturgeon called a sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) be sold into the pet trade instead of using a native small sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) . I expect them to start turning up in the mississippi river soon and they will probably beat out the native small sturgeons. Sterlets are the Carp of the sturgeon family:eek_big:

Tilapia will probably become locals soon, the governemnt is pushing them on farmers and soon they will be part of the problem like all the grass carp, black carp, peacock bass, the list goes on and on.

[Ahmabeliever]

You guys need our sterile grass carp. Clean the water then die. Same guy who bred the eels breeds them too.

[Moontanman]

You guys need our sterile grass carp. Clean the water then die. Same guy who bred the eels breeds them too.

 

Yeah, that's what these were at first but as usual there was a tiny percentage that were not sterile and now we have rivers full of the bastards. They eat all the water plants and starve the other fish. Nothing like the plans of the people who know best!

[Ahmabeliever]

As usual there was a tiny percentage that were not sterile...

 

I can ask the guy about that but he's not the same people who used sterile carp in the states.

 

Everywhere has problems with introduced species in many forms. Algaes, plants insects animals fish....

 

I am trying to discuss a recirculating system, that by it's design releases no water, NONE. Zero Waste.

 

Although this system is (partially) about being environmentally friendly, the problems with aquatic environments is for another thread, perhaps riverine ecology. :)

[Moontanman]

I can ask the guy about that but he's not the same people who used sterile carp in the states.

 

Everywhere has problems with introduced species in many forms. Algaes, plants insects animals fish....

 

I am trying to discuss a recirculating system, that by it's design releases no water, NONE. Zero Waste.

 

Although this system is (partially) about being environmentally friendly, the problems with aquatic environments is for another thread, perhaps riverine ecology. :)

 

I really do like your Zero Waste idea. But most really intense and there for profitable fish farms use out door ponds that can be flooded by really big floods. Fish escape, happens all the time, the best place to dig a pond is in low land areas. low areas flood. You would think somebody would make that conection:hihi:

[Ahmabeliever]

With outdoor ponds it is certainly an issue. And set up costs for enclosed systems can be prohibitive. AND, big and... A good storm could knock a 'safe' enclosed system into the nearest river if it wanted to. A tornado could empty a pond and deposit it elsewhere. Birds, catch a spawning fish and give it a squeeze while flying over a local waterway...

 

There's risks a plenty. But if we don't culture fish, we're going to have none. Trying to deal with local species wherever possible is very wise advice indeed.

[maikeru]

Feeding fish using human wastes is as easy as luring flies to ****. :)

 

Or vege scraps, if you prefer... :shrug:

 

The Black Soldier Fly.

 

Not all flies are created equal. So before you shun this humble fly, read the following...

 

Excellent solution. I had an idea of something along these lines except using other insects like mass-produced grasshoppers, locusts, or crickets for fish feed in sustainable aquaculture. (They'd be fed on things like switchgrass, other prairie grasses, or local and sustainably grown and harvested plant species. Preferably housed and contained so they could not get out and become nuisances.) I got the idea a few weeks ago from reading a Discover (or possibly Scientific American) magazine article that suggested using insects to supply protein in food for humans. When I imagined myself eating insects, I felt disgusted...but I wouldn't if insect-loving animals like fish got in on the act and we ate the fish, which is eating the insects in a roundabout fashion. Ban the waste of fish for fish feed and use insects instead, especially insects which clean up our waste! Waste not, want not!

[Ganoderma]

i will take a picture of the farms here. they are very common. they are pits dug and the soil used to build up a surrounding wall. they will flood if there is a very big wet typhoon. but its pretty cool how they do it....waste? drains into the farms next door :eek:

 

they farm eels, fish, shrimp etc like this.

 

edit:

 

i am renting some property for farming at the end ot the year, and am thinking of giving fish a try...selling locally. using a system similar to what you guys are talking about. i will post details as progress continues...but first i have to wait until the contract ends for the person renting it now. i will be using freshwater species so i can also use plant crops.

 

tilapia seems to be pretty common in aquaculture...canada naad taiwan. we eat it a lot here.

 

 

here are some useful links.

 

Taiwan (huge awuaculture indistry here...but huge environmental problems to boot!)

FRI, COA, Taiwan ::> Freshwater Aquaculture Research Center

Eel Farming in Taiwan

http://earthtrends.wri.org/pdf_library/country_profiles/wat_cou_158.pdf

 

 

Canada

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4258?opendocument

Freshwater Introduction Page

Freshwater Non-Salmonid Aquaculture - Fisheries and Aquaculture - Province of British Columbia

 

 

here is a pic of a neighbour of my inlaws. both sides are betel nut...there are also pig, bullfrog, guava, jujube, jasmine, agave and rice farms in this area (1/2 m)

 

[Ahmabeliever]

Glad you like the BSF Maikeru. How amazing are those insects, throwing up their entire digestive tract stomach and mouth, then harvesting themselves while coating themselves in antibacterial. FREAKS!

 

Taiwan is one of the places that could benefit the most from this technology. For starters, and it's a good start... You are already experts at greenhousing and hydroponics. Much of the structure for setting up large scale systems may already be in place. Secondly the population per land available makes intensive food production necessary. Thirdly, the western YUK factor will be a lot less in Taiwan to introduce soldier flies as part of the chain.

 

Do you have BSF in Taiwan? The time could not be riper. If you're willing to do something like this you'll have my full support from here with as much help and prior knowledge as I can give you.

 

Now, we need to get to the fish and plant system, but I am in the midst of a comedy festival and international guests, so have to eke out my time.

 

Could you possibly get figures of how heavily the 'outdoor' ponds are stocked in Taiwan, what species, temperature ranges, any other details, it will make designing a clean version that much easier.

 

I'm nearly due to go get some eels as my mate is emptying his ponds after spawning over the next week or so.

 

The flood that caused a spawn - NICE! I use ebb and flow systems with some species as it promotes spawning. Rising waters in nature denote storms or high tides and are often associated with a spawn. If you can raise the water level while coming into full moon with a storm system close you'll be surprised just how many sucessful spawns you can pull off in captivity. I've spawned a first in captivity, I'll repeat it before I write it up though.