cj's 165 gallon system 2011

cjinVT

Same general layout as last year, but the FT amount has tripled!

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Here's GB 1 as of Memorial Day (with store bought cukes :oops:

)

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3 weeks later:

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Good growth (I think) and the basil is up and parsley is just coming up.

I've planted about 4 of the middle beds & I'm flooding them once or twice a day.

Nitrates have dropped from 160 to 80.
Tilapia are on order!

faye

Looks very productive CJ! :thumbleft:

cjinVT

Er, not really, mainly last years returning strawberries & leaks. Oh, and this years weeds. Here it is cleaned up:

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But Faye, while I have your ear, so to speak, check out this bug I stumbled across today:

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Any idea what it is?

cjinVT

The above bug is apparently the Eastern Eyed Click Beetle.

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CHARACTERISTICS: This species of click beetle has two large black 'eyespots' on its pronotum. They are surrounded by a thin, white ring. Larvae (wireworms) eat plants and other living things in the soil. Adults do not eat very much and are often found on pruned trees.

Click beetles get their name from the sound they make when they flip themselves upright. The loud click is made when they snap a 'spine' under their thorax. This motion helps turn them right-side-up. ADULT SIZE (Length, not including legs): 25mm to 51mm (0.98in to 2.01in) (Compare Size)

IDENTIFYING COLORS: black; white; gray NORTH AMERICAN REACH: Colorado;Montana; North Dakota; South Dakota; Nebraska; Kansas; Iowa; Illinois; Minnesota; Michigan; Wisconsin; Indiana; Ohio; Pennsylvania; New York; New Hampshire; Vermont; Maine; Rhode Island; Connecticut; Massachusetts; Delaware; Maryland; West Virginia; Virginia; North Carolina; Florida; Tennesee; Kentucky; Texas; Oklahoma; Arkansas; Wyoming

cjinVT

Hmm. I see my pics have vanished. Anyway to relink them or do I have to make new posts?

Stedanko

I'm guessing that since we only have a short period to edit our posts you'll either have to be a mod or just repost. I believe that there were about a weeks worth of pics lost due to the switch over to a new hosting provider.

cjinVT

I have to repost anyway so here's GB 1 at 2 week intervals:

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And we have lift off!

Stedanko

Nice growth

I just got back from vacation and am itching to get back to work setting my system up.

Sted

cjinVT

6 weeks after transplant comes the 1st harvest, right on time:

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cjinVT

Question for the board:
I ordered 30 small Tilapia fingerlings about 6 weeks ago and they are just ready to ship now. I'm wondering if it's worth it at this point. Clearly I won't be able to harvest anything this season. The question is can I overwinter them safely. Can I keep 30 fingerlings in 2 20 gallon tanks? There should be enough gravel for filtration.

They will be in the house but still the water temp could be 65 (unless I move the tanks upstairs). How quickly will they grow? Can I limit the food to slow the growth down?

Dave Donley

Do it. Once you have tilapia you will never have to order more. I kept some small ones indoors in a 30 gallon tank, sometimes I wish I had kept them but gave up on heating the water in future systems.

cjinVT

Dave Donley wrote:

Do it. Once you have tilapia you will never have to order more. I kept some small ones indoors in a 30 gallon tank, sometimes I wish I had kept them but gave up on heating the water in future systems.

Were you heating indoors or out? The water gets quite warm in the FT in the hoop house but I'm a bit worried about overwintering indoors. The water temp doesn't drop below 60 for sure but it doesn't usually get above 65 either.

I may set up a very small system on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the house because the water temp would probably be closer to 70.

Dave Donley

You mean you will not put a heater in the aquarium? They will be OK at 70 but they like it in the 80s. As long as it doesn't get below 60 I think they'd be alright but probably not eating and growing much at that temp.

I was growing 60 tilapia in the basement back in 2008 but I had well over 1000 watts of heaters for that (unheated but not too cold basement, and insulated tank).

cjinVT

No heater as I'm off grid. Not eating & growing would be fine. I'd sort of like them to hibernate till spring so they don't out grow the FT.

How many gallons/grow bed space for 60 tilapia & how big were they?

cjinVT

The tilapia wont grow too fast at 65 but Sarah at White Brook Tilapia Farm seems to think 15 per 20 gal tank would be OK until mid December. I can't let the indoor system get too big so the compromise is to wait 4-6 weeks till they ship.

In the spring I can expect to stock 6" fish which could be 2+ by the fall.

I'll just have to hold my breath & hope there are no disasters!

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