Anyone keeping Fish for food?

[NorthernRaider]

Anyone breeding carp or catfish or tilapia or what ever as a food prep in a garden pond , if so what species, how big is your pond, what filters do you use, does it need heating?, is it an above ground pond or buried pond?

[MaryN]

We have a nice big pond, NR. It started out as a sort of pleasure thing, but I've started viewing it with new eyes. I reckon we have at least 100+ fish in it, some of them a decent size. A few of those on toast wouldn't go amiss. And of course there's the prospect of having a water storage facility, even if it did need filtering.

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No, we don't heat it or filter it - the greenery keeps the level of algae down to a manageable level.

[NorthernRaider]

I once had a good article on old monastery stew ponds looked after by the clerics and they managed to get quite large healthy carp to over 20 pounds in weight, trouble is I cannot find it now.

[MaryN]

NR I think most of the old estates had their own fish farms. It was easy picking and in times of hardship at least it was something to eat.

[Skean Dhude]

I have plans for one but not got one yet.

[NorthernRaider]

What I remember ( I think) was they fed the carp on corn, wheat , maze etc and waste from the dining table, archive researchers suggested large reed beds provided filtration and aerobic bacteria, and places for fry to hide.

[BeardyMan]

When I finally move have plans for aquaponic set up, but with crayfish instead of fish. Prefer crayfish, and the wife won't eat fish unless it's in finger form or has a picture of the dude with the marvellous white beard on it. Downside is, if I remember correctly, that they may need additional food. If you live near a water source, do try to ensure that none of the little blighters escape one night...

Of course, could always have a twin tank set up, grow some little fishes to feed Claws. Win win, unless you're a fish I suppose.

[MaryN]

You can feed the big carp on just about anything - they're really greedy. Not sure about waste from the dining table though.

[Tartar Horde]

(16 November 2015, 21:30)NorthernRaider Wrote: I once had a good article on old monastery stew ponds looked after by the clerics and they managed to get quite large healthy carp to over 20 pounds in weight, trouble is I cannot find it now.

I remember reading about the monastic "stew pond" system at University during a semester covering "monasticism" (well it would be wouldn't it. I covered the basics in an earlier post probably a year or so back now. I could give you the basic outline of their system if you wish.

[NorthernRaider]

Yes please.