Can Carp b used in an Aquaponic System.

[Murray]

I have an email from Raamis who is a member. Raamis would like help with the following question. He has asked me to start a thread for him.

Can carp be grown in the aquaponic system. If so, what is its economics as
compared to Tilapia? Are there any extra steps that should be taken
for this fish?

[njh]

I imagine carp would be a good choice except that a) they are a regulated species and b) nobody likes to eat them.

[GaryD]

Hi,

Where does Raamis come from?

If he's from Australia, my advice would be to ignore both species. The Departments of Primary Industry in most states would probably insist that he ignore them, too.

If he's from overseas, it might be a different matter.

Gary

[Murray]

I think he is from India. It would be most helpful if every member went to their UserCP and added their location.

[Cecil]

Considering here in the U.S. they are for the most part considered a pest species (most don't like to eat them here either) I wouldn't know for sure. However based on their environmental needs it seems they are quite hardy and able to tolerate lower water quality then many other species. That would make them lower risk than other species in an aquaponics system. As far as economics they are supposed to grow and put on weight rapidly, so they are a go there. However, as far as their market potential that would depend on your location and their acceptance.

The book Small Scale Aquaculture mentions them as a candidate species in an RAS so they should be able to handle an Aquaponics system?

The book in English is available here:

http://rodaleinstitute.org/bookstore/products/farm_books/3.html

I have no vested interest in plugging this book. Just think it is relavent to your query and is a very good book for the cost. It also has a chapter on aquaponics I believe.

[Murray]

Hi Cecil, Carp are a pest here in Aussie as well. Dreadful fish. There is a business here that catches them and grinds/boils them down and makes a fertaliser known as "Charlie Carp" Good use for them. They are destroying our rivers and native species.
Welcome to our forum.

[GaryD]

Hi,

As much as they are a pest fish in Australian river systems, it seems that they are serving as a feedstock for Murray Cod. It's an ill wind that blows no one any good.....so they say.

Gary

[Jonathan Dyer]

Regardless if people think carp are a pest the colourful type ‘koi’ are the same fish in a round about way. The reason everyone in Australia hates them is due to the fact that they mimic the taste of the water where they live which in general is muddy. As they are generally bottom feeders stirring up the sediment on the floor in search for food. They store this muddy taste in their fat and people usually catch them and eat them as they are and taste quite muddy. Yet, if they are caught and stored in a tank of clean running water ‘Purged’ for a week they actually taste quite good given the chance and are very suited in recirculation tank production as they are already swimming in there purging tank.

They are well worth a try although they may be slow growing depending on water temp.

[Martin A1]

I know the German's lovem'..... with lots of horse radish admittedly.

I've been in a shop over there as a young lad and seen them sold live... well only until they get a solid whack or two over the head with a heavy wooden batton :eek:. Funny how some things stick in your mind.

All 'backyard' fish, no matter what country you live in, MUST NEVER be released into the local environment! Put them through your compost bin if your not going to eat them! Your garden will thank you for it later.

[Murray]

Are they (carp) boney ? Do they fillet well ? Is the flesh tasty or bland ?
Are they easily bred in captivity ?
I have such a bad image of them as an environment wrecker, that I have not given them much thought as a possible Aquaponics system fish.
It would appear that in Asia they are eaten, and now Martin you are saying they are consumed in Europe as well.
Some people will eat anything, the frogs eat snails....... Once in a Singapore Restauraunt I allowed my Aisian mate to order, and after a very tasty dinner I discovered that the dozen or so very small chicken legs I had eaten were frogs legs...........:eek:

Perhaps Carp may have some potential in Aquaponics systems.
I imagine it would be illegal to keep them in Australia due to their very bad environmental record. (although, if a bad environmental record makes something illegal, then we humans ought to be illegal):rolleyes:

[echidna]

Not in QLD!

Read http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/2347.html

especially

"Carp are declared noxious in Queensland. It is unlawful to possess them alive or dead or use them as bait. It is illegal to place or release carp in to Queensland waterways. Penalties of up to $150 000 apply."

[Cucuteni]

Hi there,

Glad to have run into this post. I've had carp a couple of times in Poland and it was delicious. The bones are big and they have special forks to pull the meat away from them. It is a traditional Xmas (non red meat) meat in Poland. Sounds like in Germany, too.

It was floured and fried. I liked it. They do buy them in advance of the holidays and take them home for a week or two of purging in fresh water. I was thinking of them to start out with. Read somethere that the big non-breeding koi should be edible as well.

Anyway, there is a big Russian community here in Bellingham I was thinking I could sell to. And if the fish turned out well, I'd learn to like them somehow.

[Cucuteni]

Carp cuisine...

Here's an article on carp production and cooking I ran across. Their acceptability as food seems to be due more to cultural habits and lack of familiarity with them than anything else. They have a bad rap here, as well, among folks of western european origins.

Anyone know of info, articles, books, websites concerning carp and aquaponics? I'll look around and see what I can find and post it.

Cheers,

Gary K

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/dining/05fish.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

[GaryD]

Hi,



They have a bad rap here, as well, among folks of western european origins.


A lot of this is driven by the government agencies responsible for keeping invasive species of anything out of the country. Carp did enormous damage to Australia's river systems and one of the strategies for getting the public onside with the control program was to vilify the fish in every possible way.

We get a similar thing around Tilapia.....which have also made their way into Australia's northern river systems.

While I agree that every effort should be made to prevent/control invasive species, I'm inclined to smile when I hear locals reflect on what terrible fish carp are, while Australians of Eastern European and Asian descent think it's Christmas when they come across them.

Gary

[madtom1999]

Re Carp taste - remember that in the UK in Victorian times servants used to complain about being given salmon! In the UK here at the moment we have a lot of fishing lakes being emptied of their carp for food. Seems to be back in fashion at the moment! Its probably more due to the fact they are incredibly easy to grow and therefore cheap and not too much profit for the moguls.

Carp were a major part of the diet - fish on Friday was almost always carp from ponds. Carp are an aquaponic fish through and through. In the UK a 1 acre pond will produce approximately 1 ton of fish in a year. Ingredients: cow manure and carp - but watch the manure as it can contain long lasting herbicides which screws up the algal growth and the rest of the food chain.
The fry eat the algae, when they get bigger they eat other things that eat the algae. It couldn't be simpler. In fact its so simple the US introduced carp as a farmed food source and it was already oversupplied with fish.

If its not a pest locally don't bother though, the best farming is working with nature - don't introduce alien species - it always goes wrong.
As for carp in Australian waters - catch them and eat them - if you don't like the taste catch them and sell them to the Chinese fast food market - they'll sell them back to you like they've been doing for years and you loved it!

[DaveOponic]

I have Malaysian Koi in one of my three tanks. There are also a few Barra and some Tilapia swimming with them. The Koi are a shy fish and hide in the caves of the cement tank. I only see them when I sneak a look through the window at night and they are swimming around.

I lost a few Koi in the beginning and thought they must be a sensitive fish but lately they are looking good and growing well.

The main drawback is their cost ($ 10 for three fish) but they are a nice decorative fish. I would never eat them although many Chinese people here do keep them to eat.

I am currently expanding my Barramundi collection. They are 30c each here as fry (3 inches) I ate my first Barra last week from my tank. It was about 500g and absolutely delicious with very few small bones.

The Tilapia are a great AP fish and make lots of poop. They breed like flies so you never have to buy more of them but I find the Barra is a much tastier eating fish.


Dave