Bluegill

[evan]

Hi,

I'm going to set up an aquaponics system here pretty soon. I would like to keep bluegills in either a 35 or 40 gallon rubbermaid.

I was wondering how many I could keep in either container?

Is there any type of pellet food I can get cheap, links? - or should I feed start raising worms to feed them?

Do I need a heater?

[nwestwood]

In the literature for RAS systems they recommend a maximum of 3 per gallon. I would say no more than 2. This is possible because unlike Tilapia or Trout, they grow slow, and eat correspondingly less per day. Ultimately its the feed input that matters, and your systems ability to break down the output.

With Bluegill, your input will be less and so you can keep more. They are nearly indestructible, will grow in waters 55-80 degrees (12-27C), survive low Dissolved Oxygen and poorer water quality. Sounds like an ideal fish, except it takes 12-24 months to grow a fingerling to 7-8" (considered market size) at around 3/4lb (340g) and you will have every size under the sun. So even when you have market size fish at 3/4lb, only 10-20% of your tank are that big, you net them screen off the biggest for harvest and throw the rest back.

I've been running a 250 (aprox 1000L) system with 100 bluegill, 55 trout, and 65 hybrid striped bass. The bluegill went in 10 months ago, the bass 5 months ago, the trout 2 months ago. The trout were already 4", the others were fingerlings. The trout have doubled in 2 months. The bass are nearly as big, and the bluegill are every size under the sun with the biggest 6" or so.

The advantages are that you can generally get fingerlings or smaller sizes any time of the year, so restocking is not an issue. If you ask for only the bigger ones out of the tank when you get them, you will get a higher percent males, which will grow faster and more uniform.

[Cecil]

In the literature for RAS systems they recommend a maximum of 3 per gallon. I would say no more than 2. This is possible because unlike Tilapia or Trout, they grow slow, and eat correspondingly less per day. Ultimately its the feed input that matters, and your systems ability to break down the output.

With Bluegill, your input will be less and so you can keep more. They are nearly indestructible, will grow in waters 55-80 degrees (12-27C), survive low Dissolved Oxygen and poorer water quality. Sounds like an ideal fish, except it takes 12-24 months to grow a fingerling to 7-8" (considered market size) at around 3/4lb (340g) and you will have every size under the sun. So even when you have market size fish at 3/4lb, only 10-20% of your tank are that big, you net them screen off the biggest for harvest and throw the rest back.

I've been running a 250 (aprox 1000L) system with 100 bluegill, 55 trout, and 65 hybrid striped bass. The bluegill went in 10 months ago, the bass 5 months ago, the trout 2 months ago. The trout were already 4", the others were fingerlings. The trout have doubled in 2 months. The bass are nearly as big, and the bluegill are every size under the sun with the biggest 6" or so.

The advantages are that you can generally get fingerlings or smaller sizes any time of the year, so restocking is not an issue. If you ask for only the bigger ones out of the tank when you get them, you will get a higher percent males, which will grow faster and more uniform.

If you've got trout and bluegills in the same water somebody isn't in their optimum temp range for maximum growth and it sounds like the bluegills, no?

[nwestwood]

It's winter here, and even in the greenhouse it's cool. The trout went in when the temps came down in the fall. They will be grown and eaten when spring comes and the temps climb. Both the Bass and the Bluegill prefer warmer water, But at 65 degress (19C) all three species are eating, although the trout are growing the fastest. Bluegill with grow at any temps between 55-80 (13-27C), HSB will grow between 60-90 (15-32C), but both are optimal between 70-80 (21-27C). On the other hand 65 degrees (19C) is the upper end of what trout like, so It's the best compromise I can come up with for the winter.

[fishfood]

My trout are sitting at 25 atm but with plenty of air