33 replies to this topic

[taipan]

Are you able to have a saltwater aquaponics setup? Barra may taste better than way

Having caught barra up in the Kimberly when I was younger I believe it is more the water quality rather than whether it is salt or fresh that has more bearing on the taste.



Ivan

Did you have any trouble getting the barra to eat pellets and approx how long did you grow them out for? I live in Bunbury which is generally a touch cooler than Perth so am wondering if they would be viable or not. If not I guess I would go for trout. I am looking for at least a 2500 litre tank to use in my system but am unsure of what to get so far. Will probably be a water tank.

[Ivan Sng]

Well I believe the barra were already somewhat on pellets when I purchased them, so they took to the pellets about two days later... the coolish temperature in Nov also meant that they were less interested to feed... From 10cm to 30cm in 4 months... Barra do not have a long growing season for backyard setups, so as winter approaches, I will need to harvest them soon.

Trouts will mostly survive temperatures up to about 26degC with lots and lots of aeration... Above that, they would really struggle... so typically trouts are also kept as seasonable fishes. Much like barra and possibly in rotation... barra out, trout in, and trout out, barra in...

If you want something you can keep all year round, you need to look at silver perch, but their growth rate is slower than barra and trouts...

You can look at this for the tanks...
http://www.tankmaste...aquaculture.asp

[taipan]

Thanks for the info and the link Ivan

[Clay]

Nice one, This thread reminds me of Alex....

ha ha, except people had a sad about it.

[mattt]

do you cull all the barra before the cool weather for trout? do you have a fishless period?

[Ivan Sng]

do you cull all the barra before the cool weather for trout? do you have a fishless period?

Well it is my first year going from hot to cool weather so what I am saying is not proven... But from just understanding that barra
can take temperatures slightly below 20degC, it is possible to remove most of the barra but one or two... although they would not be
feeding at the stage... and then harvest them before I get the trout in there...

If it gets too cold for the barra, then maybe I may need to go fishless for some time... but generally there will be residue nitrates to
keep things moving along without fishes for a short period of time...

[Shane_H]

Hi Ivan,

Are you planning on experiementing with leaving a couple Barra outdoors over winter to see how they fair? Possibly with a pool blanket or similar during the cold nights?

I only ask as I'm thinking of trying the same (for pets, not food though), but would rather see how someone else went first. haha. I was thinking of possibly having a 500w heater in the pond at night, swithcing off during the day.

Pond would be approx 1500-2000L.

[Ivan Sng]

Well I will be harvesting all my barra by this weekend... water temperatures are getting too cool for them to continue eating and growing... and I will be putting rainbow trouts into the tank in May...

So you unfortunately you will be the pioneer.

IMO, you will be running the 500W heater 24/7 for a while... and for a 1500L - 2000L outdoor, I think you may need two 500W heater... by all means, try one first... pond needs to be well buried... According to what I know, barra do not do well under 13degC... optimum temperature for growth is about 24degC and above ... at 20degC they start eating a lot less... last year when I kept trouts, the water was consistently under 15degC during day time... Do not forget that in winter the days are shorter and the sun comes in from different direction and IMO do not heat up the area too well... but by all means, do the experiment... I am interested, barra meat taste pretty good... wouldn't mind growing them through winter if possible and cost effective... and you should get one of those digital power meter ($20+) plugged in as well to find out how much heating will cost...

Last week I harvested this monster (in my tank he is)... 720gms...

Attached Files

•  The_Monster_1_reduced.jpg   91.71KB   72 downloads
•  The_Monster_2_reduced.jpg   78.4KB   39 downloads

[werdna]

If only Dhufish could be harvested!!!

Nice looking fish you got there Ivan. I am tempted.

I wonder if you could grow them up in a pond that quick...?

Andrew

[Ivan Sng]

Well I purchased them as 10cm fishes and grew them to >30cm fishes within 4 1/2 mths... with good aquaculture grade food...
I think in a pond with good filtration and frequent water changes, quite possible... except that you cannot have any other fishes besides barra in there... they are fussy eaters... I had trouble changing them to a different size pellet... did not eat well for two days...

[alex101]

when i read this topic i think of a millionare looking at his discus drooling lol

how do you kill them clove oil and freezer or a whack on the head im going to set up a 6 metre long pond with barra and marron and feast lol

[Ivan Sng]

when i read this topic i think of a millionare looking at his discus drooling lol

how do you kill them clove oil and freezer or a whack on the head im going to set up a 6 metre long pond with barra and marron and feast lol

Ike Jime (Brain spike). Said to retain the fish eating quality as it does not put the fish through stress if done correctly.

[mattt]

interesting, never seen that done before, after some youtubing, some also used it up or close to the spine from tail towards head. what does this achieve?

[Ivan Sng]

interesting, never seen that done before, after some youtubing, some also used it up or close to the spine from tail towards head. what does this achieve?

Not sure. I only know about the brain spike one. If done correctly, the fish fins would somewhat flare out and then the whole fish will go limp after the spike is released. Although I have not really used a spike but rather a short paring knife to do the job.