Backyard Fish Farming

-Tilapia tastes great and is one of the easiest fish
to raise in a backyard fish farm.

-Using inexpensive and readily available materials
such as an above ground swimming pool you can
get fresh fish from your back yard.

tilapia fish

-“By raising
your own fish, you can achieve a higher level of
self-sufficiency and provide a healthier diet for
your family,” says Steven Van Gorder, author of
Small-Scale Aquaculture . 

-“Backyard fish farming is as
practical as gardening for producing food for the
family.”

-Van Gorders book explains backyard aquaculture
in detail, with plans and step-by-step instructions
that can help you successfully raise fish even if
your only source of water is a garden hose.

Puanani Burgess, executive director of the
Waianae Coast Community Alternative
Development Corp. in Waianae, Hawaii, says the
methods “look so simple that everyone thinks,
‘Hey, I can do it.’” Fourteen years ago, Burgess’
group formed a micro-aquaculture cooperative,
which hundreds of islanders have participated in
over the years.

“It is really ideal for small, rural communities
like ours,” Burgess says.
Historically, aquaculture has something of a bad
reputation because it has been limited to large
commercial facilities that require significant
amounts of water and energy, and thus can be
major sources of pollution. 

In contrast, Van
Gorders systems blend 4,000-year-old cultural
practices with refined modern techniques —
using minimal energy and water — and put you
in control of the purity and healthfulness of this
food source.

There are several similarities between gardening
and fish farming: Both plants and fish need food
and warmth; just as certain plants favor different
seasons, there are cold-hardy fish and heat-
loving fish; and both sorts of “gardens” require
regular maintenance — you can’t just scatter a
handful of seeds or sprinkle a few fingerlings in a
pond, then expect to harvest anything edible in a
few months.

Van Gorder advises beginning fish farmers to
start small — no more than 100 fish the first few
seasons. Once you master a few basics, “you will
be able to raise several species of fish in tanks,
indoors or out, throughout the year,” he says.
In the Waianae cooperative, for example, a few
aboveground tanks can produce more than 300
pounds of golden tilapia every six months.

Types of Aquaculture Systems.

Here are the four aquaculture systems Van
Gorder describes:

Cage Culture - This aquaculture method “provides
the simplest means of growing fish if you have
access to a pond,” Van Gorder says.

He estimates
a cage system could be built for about $100. “The
only cost is for cage materials, fish and feed.”

In this system, a cage or pen made of plastic pipe
and rigid netting is moored in any suitable body
of water — a pond, lake, stream or millrace —
and stocked with fingerlings that are fed until
they reach a harvestable size.

“If you have a farm pond, building a floating cage
will provide enough fish to feed your family year-
round,” Van Gorder says. Channel catfish is the
most common fish grown in cages; tilapia, trout,
salmon and hybrid striped bass are other options.

Flow-through - This method diverts a continuous
source of cold water, such as a stream, spring or
river, into “raceways” that hold fish. Even a
small volume of water can create a more
productive system than a closed setup.

“With just
a few gallons of spring water, you can grow trout
year-round,” Van Gorder says.
Like cage culture, flow-through systems are
simple and relatively inexpensive, unless you
don’t have access to a natural source of flowing
water. It’s also important to note that flow-
through systems are subject to regulations
regarding the diversion and use of natural water
sources.

Be sure to talk with local fish and soil
conservation authorities before making use of
nearby streams.

Greenhouse Aquaponics - Within some form of
greenhouse, this method uses a variety of plants
— instead of filters to improve the water quality
for fish. In addition to tilapia, trout, catfish or
hybrid striped bass, you can grow different
vegetables — including tomatoes, lettuce and
cucumbers — as you would in conventional
hydroponics.

However, because fish are living in
the water, the nutrient sources for greenhouse
aquaponics must be totally organic; no
herbicides, insecticides or fungicides can be used.

Greenhouse aquaponics is the most complicated
aquaculture method, requiring a high level of
management and components such as a water
pump and aerator.

Backyard fish farmers often
combine aquaponics with a home recirculating
setup (discussed later in this article).

Altogether,
such a system could cost up to $1,000, but using
recycled materials can bring that price down
significantly.

Home Recirculating - This is the answer for would-
be fish farmers whose only water source is a
garden hose.

The best way to create this
miniature fish farm is to use an aboveground
vinyl-lined swimming pool in a back yard, garage
or basement.

The cost of such pools varies based
on size, ranging from $300 to more than $2,000.

They are durable, with only the vinyl liner
needing replacement every few years.

For the ideal home recirculating system, Van
Gorder recommends a pool 12 feet in diameter
and 3 feet high. This size will hold about 2,000
gallons of water when filled to within 8 inches of
the top. Unfiltered, that amount of water can
produce only 10 to 15 pounds of fish, even with
added aeration. But by controlling temperature,
removing ammonia and waste, and oxygenating
the water, that same amount of water can
produce more than 100 pounds of fish in one
growing season. Species best-suited to this
system include tilapia, catfish, bass, carp and
trout.

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