6 replies to this topic

[az9]

Had a heck of a time getting a bloom going in my yellow perch hatchery pond this year. No doubt below normal temps, competition with Chara, some pond weeds, and filamentous algae, had a lot to do with it. Tried treating all of those with herbicides to no avail, and was fertilizing once a week. Was even adding waste water from a tilapia tank. At one point the pond was gin clear like a swimming pool. 

 

I was sure yellow perch production this year was gong to be a bust but was amazed when I set up a light on the pier with a belt feeder providing fry power how many fry I'm seeing. I'm seeing thousands of fry. I was sure what was in the pond was starving to death but the fry look healthy and they are normal size considering the hatch was late this year. 

 

As we all know even in clear water there is photo and zooplankton, but there sure can't be much!

 

Here are some pictures:

 

Just a small number of the thousands under the light. 

 

 

The belt feeder and clamp on light:

 

 

I've since secured it better and water proofed it. 

[CowBoYReX]

That's awesome, what do you do with them?

[centrarchid]

Sometimes zooplankton can clear water on you.  Waterfleas when out of balance with phytoplankton can clear water quickly. I would fertilize with organic as zooplankton will get grazed down more readily when phytoplankton density too lean like with clear water.

[az9]

That's awesome, what do you do with them?

 

 

I sell the excess as fingerlings but produce them primarily for my taxidermy market. I sell them whole frozen to fellow taxidermists as far away as Hawaii when they reach a minimum of 14 inches. They use them for state, national, and world competitions, make casts of them, and for display in their showroom. Some sell the mounts. 

 

[az9]

Sometimes zooplankton can clear water on you.  Waterfleas when out of balance with phytoplankton can clear water quickly. I would fertilize with organic as zooplankton will get grazed down more readily when phytoplankton density too lean like with clear water.

 

Thanks!

 

Do you think I need to be concerned with the photo and zooplankton now when they are feeding on powdered commercial feed under a belt feeder 24/7?  I was thinking it would work to my advantage like feeding artificial feed to fish in a tank where there is no other option of food. 

[CowBoYReX]

 
 
I sell the excess as fingerlings but produce them primarily for my taxidermy market. I sell them whole frozen to fellow taxidermists as far away as Hawaii when they reach a minimum of 14 inches. They use them for state, national, and world competitions, make casts of them, and for display in their showroom. Some sell the mounts. 
 

Wow, very interesting

[az9]

This years crop:

 

A couple hundred yellow perch and the same amount of blue tilapia in a 150 gallon tank while the water level is down for a water change. (It always amazes me on how a photo always makes it seem like less fish).

 

Both species are 2 to 3 inches and coexist and feed on the same feed, which is a commercial starter feed. Most will be distributed out to four high schools for the school year. Hopefully I will get them back alive! I was able to sell $800.00 worth of tilapia from the schools to a pond management company to plants them for algae contra. There was not a spec of filamentous algae or macrophytes in the pond when it was drained! 

 

The thing in the water on the far left is a 1000 watt aquarium heater rod, in the center a membrane diffuser, and on the right a small mag drive pump temporally in the tank to feed the biofilter while the clarifier tank is off line and being drained and cleaned. 

 

The membrane diffuser is attached to a shower drain in the center of the tank via a zip tie. 

 

Both the yellow perch and the tilapia were hatched in the same outdoor pond. This year's crop of YP was smaller probably due to competition with tilapia and a lack of fertility initially.