No I am from the Vrystaat Reitz were I had a big fish farm 5.2 million liters . I am use to breed extensive now I need to breed intensive and it brings a lot of problems . I was breeding before with angels but only started December 2015, so no I lost about 15000 babies to a bacterial bloom . My breeding stock where imported December ,I know a few breeders but not a lot of angel breeders most are imported .I will help were I can to get good genes , as I can get good fish from abroad . You are welcome to come ,my Moscow black are stunning 95% black , sending you pic of my guppy breeding nets.
Sorry, still slightly lost and can't work out what you are suggesting ? Where do your fish go primarily, was the question and by down south I mean the Western Cape ? Here the minority of Lps import there own, the bulk get from the two well known big importers that supply down here, be it also via from Jhb for the most part. So out of interest do you supply these big depots as well, as hopefully they also support local breeders ? Sadly the quality and variety of fish that reach the Cape is not great and has not really improved since way back. Local breeders like yourself need to be commended and supported.
Will definitely drop by to see how you do things and check out your fish. Do you do this full time for an income? Can imagine if something goes wrong on a system this big that it's not a good day.
That's true, the importer I buying my fish gets about 10 - 20% of his fish locally the rest is imported , the importers do support us . I wouldn't know if they sell our fish local or send them down South , I am breeding fish for 35 years and I agree .The colors did improve but not the specie , I do breed GMO fish and they breed true to their color . They are beautiful but the fish I would say is not the same standard , you breed fish ??
At this moment I am still working and are planning to retire in 2 years time and breed fish full time , I currently have 2 heated rooms (one be angels and two for danios) . The third one is coming up month end for tiger barbs plus the hothouse , you want to cry if something goes wrong . We need to talk about diseases at some stage I would like to get some advice on Guppy diseases , still don't win after all these years (Saddle back).
Any one know were I can get white worms , I have tried all over no joy till now . I have never used this but what I understand from Internet its a good live food with high protein values . Would appreciate it if someone can help ,this will help with my blood worm costs.
Do not know but can ask around. I mainly use microworms for fry and then a fine food from Prof Dirk but I don't feed close to the volumes you do.
The white worms is for my breeders (not guppies ) the angels ,tiger barbs , kribensis and danios . I do cultivate a lot of life food myself for my danio fry as a first stage , then I feed newly hatched brine shrimp , the tigers and angel babies get BBS from start .Micro worms I have a lot , but need larger life food to cultivate easy and on large scale .I would like to feed 200-300 grams per day , to my breeders and blood worms are expensive although I get it at cost price . Some breeders don't give a lot of life food but I be-eave it to be beneficial , as from my experience the they come in peak breeding condition faster . My angels need to lay a batch of eggs at least every 11 days .I currently feed blood worms every other day I use 2 trays (slabs) at a time , I don't know of anything else that can com-peat with BBS as I get the best results with it, expensive as it is still the best. Any new ideas welcome I would love to try
Yes just small scale as a hobby primarily, supplying the local trade with veil ancistrus/bristleenose for several years, but have moved onto other critters . Once I started setting up 1000l flow bins and needed an almost full time fish room assistant, I had to ask myself what the hell am I doing this for, as the only person making anything out of my efforts was the shops with a 120% mark up in some cases..
Very interesting.. so you based in Moz, or in SA? The fish rooms? Breeding fish for local market is a mission, as the shops take most of the cuts.. but they surely can generate movement. The electricity bill must be high with so many pumps.. really impressive.. do post more.. I do more plants than fish, but always found it very interesting.
I currently breed with 15 pairs of ancistrus , albino and normal my plan with in next 3 months is to have 100 pairs as they breed reasonably easy and with no fuss . I get R 7 a pair of guppies but if you do your calculations right its still worth while , except for mortality as this can make or brake you and the more the fish the faster it spreads . You don't know of any calico ancistrus in SA ,I would like to have some of them . That will be great you are welcome , it will be nice to meet some of you and exchange ideas( No one knows everything and I like to learn) .I breed some very exciting colors of danios GMO's , electric green , dark green , orange and pink I am awaiting blue and purple .I breed with 200 fish of a color mutation , in a heated room like my angels only smaller it takes 12000 liter of water as my angels takes 18000 liters . Believe me this ain't enough , I also grow angels and tigers out in outside ponds and flow bins (green house)taking 25000 liters of water . I breed 2 color variations of apple snails , brown and yellow soon will have marble of this I have quite a lot . I need giant vallisneria plants if any one can help, I do have some common plants just to help with water condition .
I am working in Moz for the last 2.5 years but my fish are in Pretoria North , I mostly use side channel air blowers to generate air for my filters. I have a very simple homemade filter system and sponge filters.I use the heat generated by the blower to heat my one room combined with a 1.5 kw fan heater , the rooms are insulated with 50 mm thick high density ISO Board to keep the temp up . Only problem is the water changes I do is between 3000 and 5000 a day per room in 24 hr and this is bringing the room temp down . I have 7500 liter of water that I mature and air-rate outside ,in a 24 hr cycle to do water changes this is for the 2 rooms only .Third one on its way . Greenhouses I pump straight from the borehole .
Sounds very exciting.. Apple snails, always see them in the shop, but never thought about people actually breeding them.. Soldier flies.. very easy to reproduce, and they self harvest. http://www.blacksoldierflyfarming.com/
I sell between 1000-2500 a month ,they breed easy, the importers are no longer allowed to import them . Making it viable for me to breed , will definitely look in to the flies thanks a lot .