Mercury Free?

[Chademeyer]

I live in Minnesota, USA and we Love to fish our lakes and rivers. A big problem is the level of mercury and lead in fish these days, and was wondering if fish grown in a aquponics system would be considered mercury and lead free. If so I would not worry about how much fish my children eat.

[Murray]

One of the very attractive aspects of Aquaponics is that fish raised from fingerlings are about as disease and chemical free as you can get.
If you are rising freshwater species such as Talapia then you can control their environment from egg to table, depending on what you feed them and the water quality you maintain.
It is relatively easy to produce very high quality table fish in a home system.
Talapia are not permitted here in Qld, but in the USA they are a favored fish for home grown systems.
Evidently they are easily obtainable and they are easily bred, and I am told are nice to eat.
Some others may be able to give you some more specific information on Talapia.

[GaryD]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone has done any research on the lead and mercury content of fish food.....given that some fish rations may contain as much as 70% fish meal.

It might be time to ask my fish food supplier for a chemical analysis of their product.

Gary

[Deorge]

if you grow Tilapia, you don't have to worry about feeding them Mercury as they are vegetarians

[Jackalope]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone has done any research on the lead and mercury content of fish food.....given that some fish rations may contain as much as 70% fish meal.

It might be time to ask my fish food supplier for a chemical analysis of their product.

Gary

I think this is a very good question, glad someone thought of it .... I just looked at my big can of fish food, and it doesn't have any space for mercury content, etc. I suppose you would also have to have the water at the manufacturer's location tested as well, because the aquifer might be contaminated from leaking gasoline tanks, etc. I think I'm going to give HBH Pet Products a call tomorrow and see what they say, since it has fish meal, shrimp meal, krill meal, squid meal and spirulina algae in it as well as dozens of things I can't even pronounce.