Golden Perch

[GaryD]

Hi,

I recently purchased 50 Lake Eyre strain golden perch fingerlings from Ausyfish.

Contrary to what we'd heard from other sources, they have (so far) proven to be easy to manage. They are eating and growing.

I've eaten wild caught golden perch so I know that I'll like eating this lot when they get to plate size.

In my home state of South Australia, they are called callop, while here in Queensland, their colloquial name is yellowbelly.

Anyone else had experience of this species?

Gary

[Phil BP]

yep I bought 50 from Ausyfish as well, Im very new to aquaponics so I guess I lacked the experience to manage these fish. One by one they all died ! I just couldnt seem to get them to take the artificial feed. Perhaps with a bit more knowledge and experience I could be successfull but I think I will leave this species alone for a few years at least.

[GaryD]

Hi Phil,

I'm sorry to hear about your fish. I've heard a few people say that they are difficult to get onto feed. I've even heard one commentator suggest that, not only are they not good fish for aquaponics, but that they are not even suited to aquaculture.

Mine seem to be going OK at the moment......knock on wood.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

My golden perch are powering along......slowly.

Last night, we moved them out of my Queenslander system and put them back into a small mega bin system.

Hopefully, now that we can see them (they usually hid in the centre drain pipe in the Queenslander for most of the time), I'm hoping that we can tame them a bit......and get them to feed a bit harder.

Interestingly, this little system is the same thing that I started out with. Whenever we need a system at short notice, I just round up a mega bin and my trickling bio-filters and put it together.

While it lacks the refinements of my latest system designs, these little mega bin systems are arguably the quickest way to get backyard aquaculture going.......particularly for fingerlings.

It costs about $500.....and you can buy everything off-the-shelf. You can start your fingerlings off in something like this and add to it as you have the time and resources.

While I like some of the things that people have done with IBC's, I prefer mega bins to work with.

Gary

[Shane]

Just the two trickle filters for the GP Gary?
No swirl filter?

I ask as I'm about to begin a small Megabin RAS for Trout in the shed (shhhhh....dont tell the wife).

I'm thinking a swirl filter/ into a further fines filter/ into a trickle filter/ back to FT.
Enclosed in the shed, so no lighting or GB's at the moment (may hook something up if I have left over room at a later date).

Cheers,
Shane.

[GaryD]

Hi Shane,

At the moment, I'm just using the two trickle filters......and a wad of filter foam.....in each of the water distributors.

The golden perch are still very small and most of the solids lie around on the tank bottom. I syphon them out each day at the same time that I rinse the filter foam out. It's labour-intensive, but also temporary, so it's not too big an issue.

Because it's a simple RAS, I'm also doing periodic water changes to keep the nitrates under control.

I'll probably end up converting this system to a little CHOP unit in the coming weeks.....and that will reduce the cleaning tasks dramatically.

I ask as I'm about to begin a small Megabin RAS for Trout in the shed (shhhhh....dont tell the wife).

If your wife is anything like mine, she'll know what you're thinking.....even before you do.

I'm thinking a swirl filter/ into a further fines filter/ into a trickle filter/ back to FT.
Enclosed in the shed, so no lighting or GB's at the moment (may hook something up if I have left over room at a later date).

These little RAS' are so easy and convenient to put together. Operated in conjunction with a soil-based garden (or wicking beds), they are a dream to operate and can be used to grow out very useful quantities of fish with the minimum of fuss.....at a fraction of the cost and effort of a basic flood and drain system.

Gary

[Shane]

Hi Shane,

If your wife is anything like mine, she'll know what you're thinking.....even before you do.

Gary

Yep.....I've already been caught cleaning up the shed.

[GaryD]

Hi Shane,

Yep.....I've already been caught cleaning up the shed

.
That would be interpreted as a sign that I'd done something bad (or was about to) around here, too.

Gary

[Shane]

Hi Shane,

.
That would be interpreted as a sign that I'd done something bad (or was about to) around here, too.

Gary

Same,

.....& as soon as the Missus heads out shopping.....I can unload the station wagon & smuggle some bits & pieces inside the shed !!

[GaryD]

Hi,

It's about nine months since we obtained our golden perch fingerlings.

While their conditions have been far from ideal, they've grown considerably in that time.

They appear to prefer a sinking pellet feed but the stuff that I've been feeding them is just 2mm - too small given their size. I'm loathe to use feed that costs nearly $60.00 per bag as garden fertiliser so I've continued to give it to the perch long past the time that I should have been using a larger pellet.

That, coupled with inadequate filtration (and the effect on feeding rate).....and winter temperatures......has, I suspect, conspired to limit their growth.

While this lot will take two years to grow out, they may prove to be a 12 month proposition in ideal growing conditions.

I bought some larger pellets about three weeks ago and now, as I approach their tank, they just hover in the water looking at me.....waiting for me to throw some pellets into them.

Gary