# Where to get Trout fingerlings



## Chiumanfu (Oct 30, 2014)

Anyone know a source for Rainbow Trout fingerlings? I'm looking for a small quantity for my outdoor aquaponics system.

I've tried Miracle Springs but they have a $500 minimum order plus a couple hundred for delivery. I only want like 30 fingerlings.

Also, what is a good fish for our climate that will eat mosquito larvae. I've like something that I can leave in a tank in a greenhouse all winter/summer long. I'm leaning toward mosquito fish but I'm not sure if they will be ok through the winter.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

You wont be able to keep trout alive. It needs cold water and fast water turn over. For backyard aquaponic system, it is best to use talapia.


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## DBM (May 12, 2010)

It's been 20 years since I ran a trout hatchery, but we sold eggs, fry, and fingerlings to most of the other trout farmers her in BC and the Alberta govt. You won't be able to get any unless it's from a certified disease free hatchery as they're the only ones approved to transport live trout. They have to submit for a permit to transfer fish to your place, and your place has to be inspected by a ministry official. To be certified means the hatchery you're getting them from has to submit hundreds, sometimes thousands of fish to be tested - at their expense. - so I doubt they're going to sell you 30 fish. For aquaponics Tilapia are a much better bet anyways.


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## mollyb (May 18, 2010)

plus, trout raised in a closed, recirculation system tend to taste kinda muddy. yuck.


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## Chiumanfu (Oct 30, 2014)

charles said:


> You wont be able to keep trout alive. It needs cold water and fast water turn over. For backyard aquaponic system, it is best to use talapia.


The tank is well insulated and in a small greenhouse with lots of air flow. Most of the system water is in the sump tank which is buried in ground. Rainbow trout do well from 10-24C. I think that is very achievable. Tank water so far this year has not exceeded 18C. My pump is turning over 7500 liters per hour at my 4' head height. The tank is 1000 liters. Typically RAS type aquaculture suggests turning over the tank once per hour so I think I'm covered.

Tilapia are going to be much harder to accommodate over the winter. To warm that much water to 20C all year round is going to cost a fortune. Also, I do not like the taste of tilapia.

I will get the permit as per...
FrontCounter BC â€" Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations â€" Province of British Columbia
Just waiting to find a place that will actually sell me the fish before I apply for the permit.



mollyb said:


> plus, trout raised in a closed, recirculation system tend to taste kinda muddy. yuck.


Any fish raised in dirty water will taste muddy. The benefit of a properly designed aquaponics system is that the filtration is much better than you can achieve in a traditional recirculating aquaculture system.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

as a motorcyclist I have traveled a lot of backroads in the lower mainland.
I'v gone past Trout fishing/farm raised out Abbotsford way.
I've also taken kids to the trout/farm fishing.

Perhaps you could catch some to get started<G>
and/or talk to the owner about buying juviniles.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Try a place like Berry's Bait who has their own trout ponds at their shop. Maybe they can help you out. 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## mollyb (May 18, 2010)

Chiumanfu said:


> Any fish raised in dirty water will taste muddy. The benefit of a properly designed aquaponics system is that the filtration is much better than you can achieve in a traditional recirculating aquaculture system.


This is not quite true. To paraphrase a good friend of mine, heavily involved with the aquaculture industry, the two main chemicals involved in 'off taste' in aquacultured fish are geosmin (earthy) and MIB (methylisoborneal) (musty/bitter). Happens in all fish grown in systems with heterotrophic bacteria/blue-green algae in biological filter media and as films on tank walls/plumbing. Purging (putting the fish in a flo through, non recirc system) is a bit of a debate and depends on the type of fish, with a lot of variation between individuals, and probably temperature. For salmon/trout (which have a high fat content and probably another contributing factor) the time is around 4 days. When Target harvests carviar to be on the safe side they purge the fish for months! Very hard to clean the bacteria/algae out of the system - which requires bleaching and would essentially destroy biological filtration capacity. This is why people operate separate purge systems using flow through water and no biological filter media. Even so, these systems can become colonized by bacteria and need to be periodically bleached.

Just a heads up. You seem to be researching these things and will no doubt come up with your own conclusions. Neither of these chemicals are dangerous, they just produce off flavours. Hope it works for you. Sincerely, Brent


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## Chiumanfu (Oct 30, 2014)

I've read that research as well. I've also read many forum posts from people saying their aquaponics system does not produce muddy tasting fish. From people with side by side AP and RAS systems as well, who purge their aquaculture fish but harvest the aquaponics fish direct. I think it's because the huge Nitrifying bacteria populations in aquaponics systems do a very good job of out competing the cyanobacteria for resources. This is just a guess so don't quote me on that.


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## DBam (Aug 9, 2010)

"It is unlawful to have any live fish in your possession in the wild, or move any live fish or live aquatic invertebrates around the province or transplant them into any waters of B.C. Do not keep angled fish alive in a "livewell" or other device, or on stringers..."

To any that think they can catch trout and transplant them wherever they wish. This is the law and it applies to everyone, not just fishermen.


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