Dark Rivers Hatchery

[stingrayJK]

Hello everyone I have started my own company,
Here is my companies mission statement

The primary purpose of the entity will be the importation of exotic aquatic creatures with the emphasis being on freshwater stingrays from South America and Asia. These stingray's will be used for the purpose of live biological studies designed to enhance natural procreation of the species in a captive state. Successful pups will then be sold to aquatic retail stores, public aquariums, zoos, and individual enthusiasts. Proceeds will be used to further biological studies and conservation of the species in its natural environments.


We are currently starting to work with the USDA National Fisheries Dept. Which is only about 6 miles from my location that is being built. We are going to follow my companies mission statement and also check into vet care and dna mapping as well. If we are successful it will benefit us all in understanding how to better care and conserve these fish in captive state.
We are currently working on having a full vet and lab on site as well as several other types of services to care for our rays and other fish on site.
Hello everyone I have started my own company,
Here is my companies mission statement



Here are some pictures of my progress of build out of my companies building as well as some of the tanks I am getting to house the Rays.

[Fish Room Plus]

Sounds interesting

[cjfrontlovr]

good to hear..good luck!:popcorn:
introduce yourself and tell us of your experience!!

[fugupuff]

what are those fish in the tubs, rainbows? what types of rays are you going to breed, and where are you going to obtain them from?

[Zoodiver]

The primary purpose of the entity will be the importation of exotic aquatic creatures with the emphasis being on freshwater stingrays from South America and Asia. These stingray's will be used for the purpose of live biological studies designed to enhance natural procreation of the species in a captive state.


What will you be doing to ensure species lines are being kept pure if you will be using Asian suppliers? "Enhance" is a scarey word to use when talking about keeping it "natural." Zoos/Aquariums will more than likely not aquire animals from a place that even offers hybrids due to everything tighening down on ray keeping with the onset of the new AZA ray studbook set up.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Sounds cool.

[JOEG.]

good luck with this.

[ronin_man]

sounds cool, goodluck

[stingrayJK]

What will you be doing to ensure species lines are being kept pure if you will be using Asian suppliers? "Enhance" is a scarey word to use when talking about keeping it "natural." Zoos/Aquariums will more than likely not aquire animals from a place that even offers hybrids due to everything tighening down on ray keeping with the onset of the new AZA ray studbook set up.

Zoo diver I think you read into my mission statement to deep :). There will be no artifical enhancements .What we mean by that term is We are going to study the natural means of what stimulates there Husbandry ie food intake water studies temp and what not. As far as ASIAN I mean like the study of the huge fw rays found in malaysia. And import wild rays from SA. Also for the record I do not want and will not breed hybrids. In fact I will be working to get my company AZA cert soon for research.. As far keeping lines pure thats what my Research will be about DNA mapping.

I thank you for your valid concerns.

[Davey_8313]

Looking good and sounds good so far man, keep us updated...

[Nic]

good luck

[Big Daves Rays]

JK, What species are you going to breed?

[mshuangchao]

Best of luck! Lookin' good!

[Zoodiver]

Zoo diver I think you read into my mission statement to deep :). There will be no artifical enhancements .What we mean by that term is We are going to study the natural means of what stimulates there Husbandry ie food intake water studies temp and what not. As far as ASIAN I mean like the study of the huge fw rays found in malaysia. And import wild rays from SA. Also for the record I do not want and will not breed hybrids. In fact I will be working to get my company AZA cert soon for research.. As far keeping lines pure thats what my Research will be about DNA mapping.

I thank you for your valid concerns.


Awesome! :headbang2

[stingrayJK]

Ok folks I know it been a while here is a building update for plus some other very cool news.

Hey guys, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for meeting with me
and all your assistance for planning and participating in Congresswoman
Capito's "Keep WV Working" tour for the campaign on November 3rd. As
Melinda and I discussed today the best time to start the event would be at
2pm and the ceremony could begin at 2:15-2:30. I anticipate Congresswoman
Capito's arrival if all goes as scheduled at 2:00-2:15pm and start the
ceremony at 2:15-2:30. We are starting everything earlier that morning, so
we can have plenty of time for the afternoon. The hour will allow us to be
flexible and should allow Shelley to mingle with the crowd, make remarks at
the ceremony, tour the new facility, and meet the owner of Black River.



I will also be having the Gov of WV there as well and holding a joint press conference about Dark Rivers Hatchery. You are all in invited to attend of you like.
e mail me for the info darkrivershatchery@yahoo.com


Jason

[moto110]

Awesome! can't wait to see the hatchery complete.

[Miguel]

yes, keep us posted on all developments, please!

[stingrayJK]

Awesome! can't wait to see the hatchery complete.

thank you for you support but its going to take a while to get everything done right tanks will not be installed until mid march I am having them custom built they will be (L) 6 ft X (W) 6 ft X (H) 3 1/2 ft = 942.48 GALLONS there will be 16 of these tanks plus 18 75 gallon tanks on a rack system for a total system of 16429 gallons just for the stingrays and there pups.

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Best of luck, awesome project!

[stingrayJK]

I bought a used rack system that walmart was trying to get rid of in town.I bought it for only $200.00 .....:headbang2

I am thinking about placing it in my Vet/Lab area to hold new fish coming in to the hatchery no ray will be placed in it. I my upgrade the system with new pump and a better bio filter system and new UV. its got 18 tanks total.

if any one could come up with any other uses let me know.

Jason

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Q tank is def. a must, seems like a good idea to me!

[Kevaldo]

great pick-up

best of luck with your new business.

[loconorc]

I assume you'll eventually be doing motoros somewhere along the line? I'd certainly be interested in a couple pups :) I'm in Burke, VA near DC, maybe I could stop by one day and check it out! Come to think of it, I've never seen any FW rays in person outside of zoos... When do you think you'll start to offer rays to individual keepers? Put me on the list!

[stingrayJK]

I assume you'll eventually be doing motoros somewhere along the line? I'd certainly be interested in a couple pups :) I'm in Burke, VA near DC, maybe I could stop by one day and check it out! Come to think of it, I've never seen any FW rays in person outside of zoos... When do you think you'll start to offer rays to individual keepers? Put me on the list!
yup all kinds of stingrays wont be starting until march time frame
got to wait for equipment and yes you can stop by any time you like.


Jason

[nickdog98]

Looks like a huge building! Do you already have any rays in stock or planning to purchase them all after March? Did you already say what species you are going to breed besides motoro? That looks like a hefty investment...best of luck and keep us updated!

[ajb1971]

all the best to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moto110]

It may help your business to to breed another fish that gets along with rays. That may be what you could use those wal-mart racks for.

[Onion01]

this is unbelievably awesome!!!

[stingrayJK]

Ok Folks,
I know this is not the best pic but its what I can do with my programs.

[nehelwig]

Hi Jason,

I was here and checked it out.

Neil

[hbluehunter]

That looks like one killer setup, i can't wait until march to see the finished product.

[stingrayJK]

Hi everyone,

Here is the same type of drum filter I will be using. I t will be hooked up to my female/ pup rearing system and a there will be a second system for the males that will have the same set up but for a smaller system. This how they work . We will be using an RAS system at the hatchery.

Microscreen Rotofilter /Drum Filter




Solids removal is a critical treatment component of influent (http://www.praqua.com/influentcontrol.cfm), effluent (http://www.praqua.com/effluentmanagement.cfm), and recirculation (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm) treatment systems for aquaculture. In influent systems (http://www.praqua.com/influentcontrol.cfm), solids removal is important to ensure water is of suitable quality for fish or for pre-filtration upstream of disinfection (http://www.praqua.com/disinfection.cfm) processes to optimize pathogen control. In effluent systems (http://www.praqua.com/effluentmanagement.cfm), solids removal processes are used to mitigate the impact of the aquaculture facility on the environment. In Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm) (RAS), removal of solid wastes on a continuous basis is necessary to prevent the accumulation in the system which will degrade water quality and reduce the efficiency of biofiltration (http://www.praqua.com/Biofiltration.cfm) and disinfection (http://www.praqua.com/disinfection.cfm) processes.
The main methods of solids removal include gravitational settling, flotation and filtration. Filtration can also be separated into broad categories which include media filtration and screening. Selection of solids removal technology will depend on the type, density, and size of the particles being removed, the flow rate being treated, and the specific application of the equipment. Both low head and pressurized technologies are available, the selection of which will significantly impact energy use and operating cost. Backwash method and volume may also be an important consideration in applications that require continuous flow or where water volume is limited.
Gravitational settling may be used for removal of all particles which have a density greater than water. The greater the density of the particle, the more quickly the particle will settle and the less susceptible the particle will be to re-suspension due to turbulence. Many of the particles in aquaculture waste, composed mostly of waste feed and feces, are only slightly greater in density than water and require longer settling times than are possible within most aquaculture facilities. Large settling basins are sometimes employed where space is available and freezing is not a concern, but can result in degraded water quality if the solids are retained long enough that decomposition becomes a problem. Swirl separators (http://www.praqua.com/products/swirlseparators.cfm) and radial flow settlers (http://www.praqua.com/products/radialflowsettlers.cfm) are smaller, more efficient vessels are specifically designed to minimize turbulence and maximize capture of aquaculture waste particles. These technologies are commonly used for aquaculture effluent treatment (http://www.praqua.com/effluentmanagement.cfm) or as part of a recirculating aquaculture system (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm) and are suitable for use where operators can purge the accumulated solids routinely before decomposition can become a problem.
Flotation takes advantage of the surface tension and charges at the air/water interface. Flotation systems use fine bubbles to attach and lift fine particles to the water surface where they form a foam layer which may be skimmed off. Small organic particles (proteins) often have a positive and a negative charged end which makes attachment to the water surface most effective. This removal mechanism is particularly effective in salt water applications as formation of fine bubbles is much easier than in fresh water applications. Foam Fractionators (http://www.praqua.com/products/foamfractionators.cfm) (also known as Protein Skimmers) use this technology and are often incorporated into Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm) (RAS) for removal of particles that are not settleable or filterable.
Filtration systems employ barriers which intercept particles while allowing the flow to pass. Two types of measurement are used in gauging filter effectiveness: absolute and nominal. Where precise hole sizes are used, as in screening systems, the filter will retain all particles larger than the hole size which is referred to as the “absolute” filter size. In practice, as particles accumulate on the screen surface, a significant percentage of particles smaller than the absolute hole size will also accumulate on the screen. This is usually measured in terms of percent captured and is called the “nominal” filter size. Because hole sizes cannot be controlled in media filters due to uncertainty in packing arrangements, media filtration system sizes are all considered to be nominal.
Media filtration systems rely primarily on the interception of particles larger than the interstitial spaces between the grains of the media. However, passage of water through the media must follow a convoluted path which improves the capture efficiency. Media with special properties can also be used which will help capture fine or dissolved materials. Deep media beds and/or fine grain media will improve particle capture, but also require increased operating pressure. In aquaculture, pressurized media filters (http://www.praqua.com/products/pressurizedmediafilter.cfm) are primarily used for influent treatment (http://www.praqua.com/influentcontrol.cfm), where removal of inorganic particles is the main goal, or for effluents from low intensity culture systems (http://www.praqua.com/culturesystems.cfm) such as aquariums or laboratories. Effluents with heavy organic loads, which are common in commercial and public finfish culture systems (http://www.praqua.com/culturesystems.cfm), are unsuitable for media filtration as they will cause the filters to foul rapidly.
In screen filtration systems, opening sizes can vary from several millimeters when coarse wire screens are used to less than 0.001 micron in the membranes used in reverse osmosis and nano-filtration systems. Fine filtration systems typically require much larger filter screens and/or higher pressures than coarse filters. In aquaculture systems, microscreen drum filters (http://www.praqua.com/products/microscreendrumfilters.cfm), with screen openings ranging from 9 to 250 micron, are the most commonly used screen filtration system. Drum filters (http://www.praqua.com/products/microscreendrumfilters.cfm) are integral components in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm), because they provide fully-automatic, uninterrupted filtration with low operating head and backwash water requirements. They are also commonly used in both influent (http://www.praqua.com/influentcontrol.cfm) and effluent (http://www.praqua.com/effluentmanagement.cfm) treatment systems for aquaculture facilities.


Fluidized Sand Bed Filter


See pic 3

How It Works

A fluidized sand bed biofilter consists of a tall vessel in which a large quantity of sand is held in suspension by the upward flow of the process water. Nitrifying bacteria form a biofilm on the surface of the sand grains, converting ammonia to nitrate as the water passes through and fluidizes the media bed. The potential treatment capacity of the biofilter depends primarily on the quantity of surface area provided by the sand media (specific surface area), and the total volume of media provided.
To achieve uniform fluidization of the media, the untreated process water is injected through a manifold of U-shaped pipes which distribute water evenly across the bottom of the vessel. The height to which the sand bed is expanded is dependent upon the shape and diameter of the sand and the velocity and the temperature of the water passing through the vessel. Treated water exits the filter by an overflow located at the top of the vessel. It is necessary to control the flow of water through the biofilter vessel to prevent the fine sand from washing out of the vessel while simultaneously prevent the large heavier sand from piling on the bottom of the vessel where anaerobic conditions could develop.
Biofiltration Tech Info

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all organisms, but a significant percentage of nitrogen in feed ends up as waste. Waste nitrogen exists in many forms, the most important of which are Un-ionized Ammonia (NH3), Ammonium (NH4+), Nitrite (NO2-), and Nitrate (NO3-). In aquaculture systems, nitrogenous waste enters the system through direct excretion from the fish and through the mineralization of solids such as waste feeds and feces.
Ammonia (NH3) is the major end product of the metabolism of nitrogen. Lethal dosages depend highly on species and age. The toxic effects of ammonia include gill damage, the reduction of the bloods ability to carry oxygen, damage to the red blood cells, and increased oxygen demand by tissue (Lawson, 1995).
In hatcheries with flow-through (http://www.praqua.com/flowthrough.cfm) or partial reuse (http://www.praqua.com/PartialReUse.cfm) water systems, ammonia is flushed from the system before concentrations build to toxic levels. However, in facilities with recirculation (http://www.praqua.com/Recirculation.cfm) water systems, ammonia must be removed through treatment. Biofiltration uses the metabolic activity of cultured bacteria to convert toxic ammonia-nitrogen to less toxic forms using a process called nitrification. This is a two step process where “Nitrosommonas” bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite, and then “Nitrobacter” bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate. Nitrite (NO2-), the intermediate product between ammonia and nitrate, can cause “Brown Blood Disease” which results in the death of the fish through asphyxiation (Lawson, 1995). Nitrate (NO3-), the end product of the nitrification reaction, is only toxic at vary high concentrations (1000-3000 mg/L).
http://www.praqua.com/images/clip_image002.jpg
Nitrifying bacteria grow very slowly and will flush out of a system unless given a media on which to grow. Many media types exist. Fluidized Sand Bed Biofilters (http://www.praqua.com/products/fluidizedsandbedfilters.cfm) use inexpensive sand as the media and provides much more bacteria growing surface per unit volume than other media types.


CO2 Removal / Aeration

PIC 4

Too much CO2 in your culture water interferes with the fish's ability to take up oxygen, even if oxygen levels in your system are adequate. It will also cause the water to become acidic, especially if alkalinity is limited. Therefore, removal of excess CO2 is absolutely critical - especially in reuse and recirculating aquaculture systems.
You can achieve carbon dioxide removal and aeration of the water at the same time using PR Aqua’s forced-air carbon dioxide stripper.




Gas Balancing Tech Info

The main gases of importance to fish culture are oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Dissolved oxygen levels in hatchery waters, depleted through the respiration of the cultured fish and by the oxidation of organic matter in the water, must be replaced or supplemented to provide adequate oxygen to the fish. The same reactions that deplete oxygen tend to increase carbon dioxide concentrations which may accumulate to toxic levels in intensive culture systems. Nitrogen is primarily of concern in hatchery influent water and must be controlled to avoid the dangerous supersaturation condition. Other toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), may also be present in influent water systems and will require removal.
Gas balancing is gas transfer where the objective is to have the concentrations of all dissolved gases approach a state of equilibrium with the gases in the atmosphere (i.e. dissolved gases approach their individual saturation concentrations). When air is in contact with water, gas transfer will continue until equilibrium is reached and all gases present are at their saturation concentrations. For gases that are supersaturated, some of the gas will transfer out of solution; for gases that are under-saturated, some of the gas will transfer into solution.
This process naturally occurs whenever water comes into contact with atmospheric gases but may be achieved more quickly and efficiently with gas transfer equipment. A common function of most gas transfer equipment is to break a flow of water into droplets or thin films in an ambient or altered atmosphere. This greatly increases the exposed surface area of water and accelerates the transfer of gas molecules into and out of the water. Alternately, small bubbles are passed through the water to provide the gas to liquid interface. Small bubbles have larger surface areas per volume than larger bubbles.
A special case requiring gas balancing occurs when the combined concentration of all gases, expressed as the total gas pressure (TGP), exceeds the saturation level of gases in the water. This condition, known as supersaturation, is unstable and dangerous in fish rearing water as it may cause a condition called Gas Bubble Disease. As water passes over the gills, the dissolved gases from the water are diffused into the blood of the fish. Gas Bubble Disease results when supersaturated gases come out of solution, forming bubbles (emboli) in the blood and tissue of the fish. The bubbles restrict circulation, blocking oxygen supply to the tissues and commonly resulting in death (Colt, 2001).
Supersaturation with nitrogen is the most common cause of Gas Bubble Disease. Nitrogen comes out of solution very easily due to its relatively low solubility in water. Nitrogen supersaturation is a common issue in hatchery influent water which is extracted from depth (such as wells or deep lake intakes). Supersaturation may also occur when cold, nitrogen-saturated water is heated, decreasing the solubility of the gases and forcing the gases out of solution. For this reason, gas balancing should always occur after heating the water.
PR Aqua designs and manufactures products and custom designs solutions to address many gas balancing challenges. The selection of a technology will depend on the specific gas targeted and the application. Aeration columns may be used to increase oxygen levels and/or for degassing of low levels of gases such as nitrogen. Vacuum degassers (http://www.praqua.com/products/vacuumdegassers.cfm) may be used to treat high TGP due to nitrogen supersaturation. Forced-air aeration columns (http://www.praqua.com/products/cO2strippers.cfm) are effective at simultaneously reducing super-saturated gases (such as CO2 and/or H2S) and increasing under-saturated gases (such as O2) to approaching their natural atmospheric balances. A special application of forced-air aeration (http://www.praqua.com/products/cO2strippers.cfm) is for CO2 stripping in intensive Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) where the removal of CO2 and the addition of O2 are required to restore a healthy gas balance.




Once I get the pdf file converted over I will post the full plans for the ray system and the rest of the hatchery systems as well. And yes there will be a heating system and a UV system as well.



Jason

[Kevaldo]

cool filter, i seen somthing simular to this at interzoo in may.

[stingrayJK]

Here is the full hatchery lay out for the tanks.... The freshwater fish system is capable to convert to a saltwater system by tank or bank and is able to run at same time as the freshwater system. The transport cart marries and docks to the ray tanks so we will not have to net the rays for transport from one tank to other or to the lab. The cart will also have filter/heating system if we have to keep the ray out of its system for exams or treatments..

The main hatchery is a total of 2000 sq ft and the lab/office area (not shown) has 1000 sq ft.

I will also be setting up a web site soon .......

enjoy

Jason

[abortedsoul]

This is an amazing project! Oh, and be sure to post pics when you get your place up and running! Is March still your start date?\

Best of luck!

-Matt & Ashley

[Bogwoodbruce]

Thats gonna be amazing!

[stingrayJK]

This is an amazing project! Oh, and be sure to post pics when you get your place up and running! Is March still your start date?\

Best of luck!

-Matt & Ashley

yes we will be up in march :)....in fact my congresswoman was at the hatchery yesterday to see the project and wants to be there for the big day in late march....


pics soon .....


jason

[Kevaldo]

good to see that your getting support from your congresswoman

[djdlemma]

Loving the updates!! Can't wait to see it all running!!

[AlexG]

Hello,
nice filtration !!!
DrumFilter + Bioload is the best aquarists can go for !!!
I´d do too if it wouldn´t so expensive, over here good drumfilters are 6k€+

[stingrayJK]

Hi everyone,

Here is some pics of myself and congresswoman Capito (R) WV. She came by to speak at my buildings ribbon cutting event earlier this month. There several pictures of the administrative offices and the lab/vet area and hatchery floor .As you can tell alot has been finished inside the building. We are still in the design stages of the main hatchery systems. The whole system will be installed after being built in march or at least that is the main target date:). But as in all things if you want it done right dont rush it and think it through. Once this system is in place it will be one of the largest FW stingray vet/research and breeding centers in the United States. We have hopes for working with the state goverment to help become a educational co/op to our local high schools and colleges to provide a working lab for aquaculture courses.




Jason

[stingrayJK]

here is one more pic of me standing were the stingray pup system will be set up and the floor plans once more ...enjoy .



Jason

[mssassysan2000]

Goodluck and best wishs in the future.:headbang2

[DolphinRyan]

Coming along nicely. Goodluck!

[abortedsoul]

Wow... live that dream! So awesome.

[Kevaldo]

how about an update??
:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:
hows it coming along?

[abortedsoul]

yes we will be up in march :)....in fact my congresswoman was at the hatchery yesterday to see the project and wants to be there for the big day in late march....


pics soon .....


jason

Hey Jason! Seeing as you are in WV, let us know when and where the opening is going to occur and we'll see if we can make it out there! Even if it isn't on that exact day, I think congratulations will be in order.

[gobucks1]

Hows this coming along?


Also, this summer if you're offering any job opportunities for a 16 year old, let me know. I'm in Charles Town.

[DolphinRyan]

Time for an update.

[SovietFireExtinguisher]

Wow very cool. Can't wait for the updates. Good luck.

[nitrofish1]

can i come work for you as the tour guide/guy standing with his jaw on the floor?

awesome project! cant wait to see it done.

[csx4236]

Hey Jason whats new with your project, last time we spoke you were going to use a different facilty much larger any news or photo?

[Bogwoodbruce]

Yes updates please :)

[stingrayJK]

I am sad to say but due costs to set up and run the company over 500 k just for equipment and building costs. Plus with the company being strictly a research lab there just no grants and funds that would allow a following , I also planned on selling a breeding but it would take at least 3 years to get a start on the breeding before I would see any type of profit if any in these tough times here in the United States.

I will keep a developing plan to work out the details and keep the dream alive. I want to thank everyone that supported my dream.

In the mean time I suggest mike at H20. His company is by far the best breeding program I have seen.






Sincerly,

Jason

[cjfrontlovr]

sorry to hear..hopefully the economy turns around and you can begin again..

[fish4sale]

nice shop you got going there good luck

[sebarau]

sorry to hear that jason..wishing you well and i hope you will come back stronger.

[reverse]

nice shop you got going there good luck

You read much..............he closed it

[greatfulxdead]

That's sad. It looked like it was going somewhere... you could just make it a giant pet shop.

[reddragon343]

aye.....pity. You had a real thing going there. Best luck for all future endeavors then.