Rumpig Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Gidday, I have a TAFE assignment which involves me designing a breeding facility for fish. Just wondering what the minimum sized tank for breeding tropheus would be? This is a purely commercial set up. So the tanks don't need to be pretty but they do need to be functional (can't be 8 feet long because I'd never catch the fish). Thanks Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeW Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 IMHO: 4x18 minimum 200 litres is enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpig Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 Thanks Dave. I'm thinking that low density stocking in smaller tanks will make the fish reproduce more (lower stress) and be easier to catch (increased fry production since the fish will be stripped). Have a small hatchery where stripped wrigglers can be monitered carefully and grown until they're big enough to put in the grow out ponds. Then have the fry in large (1500-2000L grow out ponds) to increase their growth rate. Does this sound fair? Species I'd be breeding: E.yellow Tropheus spp. (neo)lamprologus spp. Aulonocara spp. Anything else that would be feasable?? Just remember that this is a hypothetical situation and the main objective is to make money. (hence my interest in tropheus) Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Profit from Tropheus B/N catties are the best profit makers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I dont think tropheus would be a good idea.I'm thinking that low density stocking in smaller tanks will make the fish reproduce more (lower stress) and be easier to catch (increased fry production since the fish will be stripped). I with mazimbwe on the tropheus thing. I dont know where you got idea that they make good money. IMHO get anynew psuedo's into the country breed them for 12 months and then get out of them when the makrket is flooded. Tropheus do better in low stress environments like you want, but you wont get that in small tanks, and in low densities. You need good size colonies to disperse agression. I dont see why you would want to have the parents in small tanks and the fry in large ponds. 3-4cm fish in 2000 Liters of water would be dam hard to catch. I would stick to yellow, bristlenose, blues, etc. they sell well and breed quite easliy. Also it's import to have quality. All the planning in the world is useless with out Quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cichlid_KB Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Just out of interest, wat course are u doing at Tafe? Business? KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpig Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 Maz, BN catfish are by far one of the most profitable fish for a hobbiest to breed (I am not being patronising here) however what I am talking about is a large scale commercial set-up with hopefully high returns. I had forgoten about pseudos. Ta little_swimmer I'll stick them on my list as they have many of the qualities I am looking for. (They most probably would be more suitable than tropheus in this situation). I thought tropheus as there are many new and very good looking species coming into the country at the moment and they all seem to fetch pretty good prices (I know it'd be a big out lay to start with by this is a hypothetical business). The tropheus market also doesn't flood like the pseudotropheus market does. My plan would be to hit the market before it is flooded as prices will be far better (note P. accei and daktari). In regards to quality I would either use an importer or have quarantine facilities once my set up is established so I could import high quality fish which are new to the country (different locations to those already available). The idea behind the fry being put into large tanks is that small fish in large ponds grow a lot faster (I have experimented with this in the past and I'm sure most other people will attest to this) . The adults are not need to grow so it is not as important for them to have large tanks. When I say low density I mean the colony size will be appropriate to the tank size. And I prefere ponds to tanks as they are far cheaper and it is much easier to filter a circular container than a rectangular or square one. KB, I am doing Aquaculture cert II. And please remember this is purely hypothetical, unfortunately I am a broke student at the moment so I have no chance of any of this at the moment, it is purely an assignment which I am doing a bit of research for. Thanks Mick (And sorry about the spelling, it's 3:30am and I can't sleep) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I dont know I tend to disagree. When I used to breed Tropheus I did very well out of it. I think Jim does allright. They also do very well in Asia breeding Tropheus. Just my 2c worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpig Posted November 18, 2004 Author Share Posted November 18, 2004 Thanks Nigel. I think I might have some bread and butter cichlids in my set up aswell just to keep the money coming in. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cichlid_KB Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Seen as it is a purely hypothetical situation and money isnt an issue, why not have a colony of everything? KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungsta Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 that would be hypothetically unrealistic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpig Posted November 18, 2004 Author Share Posted November 18, 2004 Thanks hung KB I am doing a floorplan of a practical, working fish farm for this assignment... What was your post about anyway? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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