First of all, I do raise fish part-time for a living but haven't hatched trout eggs at my facility yet. Will do so in October though! Did some trout hatching way back in college where we had our own trout hatchery, but that was a long time ago. (Before many of you were probably born!).
Anyway, I grow out brook and brown trout to trophy size along with bluegill, yellow perch, and hopefully for the first time this year Black Crappie. (I got a hatch in the pond but no guarantees they will feed train when brought inside to a tank). Other than trout, breeding consists of placing the brood fish in ponds and letting them do their thing . Then seining out the offspring that are brought inside in recirculating tanks for the winter, to feed train and add a few inches to of which growth would be nil outside in the winter. I sell most the fish when they reach a minimum trophy size in the outdoor ponds to fellow fish taxidermists and replica makers all over the U.S.
Back to the trout hatching: Previously I've been purchasing 6 to 8 inch brooks and browns from a supplier in Michigan and growing them out in a well water supplies flow through earthen pond for a couple more years. Growth is extremely rapid with 4 to 6 pound brook trout at 3 years of age, and browns in the 5 to 7 pound range at the same age. However I loath hauling fish, although I have the equipment to do so, and haven't been able to get the supplier to produce tiger trout (brook X brown trout) which some of my customers have been requesting for years. Found a source in that will Fed Ex me Brook, Brown, Tiger, and Rainbow trout eggs and here I am. (It's been approved by my DNR). Should get them in October. I won't be producing rainbows though as they are too easy to come by for my taxidermy customers.
Building a tank soon with some food grade 1/2 inch plastic left over from a previous project. Need to invest in an iron filter for the basement but have needed one for some time. It will be a lot easier than my DIY iron filter that is effective but not suited for flow through. Will be using both the filtered well water at a low flow rate to keep temps down along with a Fluvial 305 for the small tank. Eggs will be suspended in the tank via a basket. and already in the eyed stage. I will be only hatching a few hundred and selling the rest (Minimum order is 1000 each species.)
If anyone is interested I can document my progress.
Anyway, I grow out brook and brown trout to trophy size along with bluegill, yellow perch, and hopefully for the first time this year Black Crappie. (I got a hatch in the pond but no guarantees they will feed train when brought inside to a tank). Other than trout, breeding consists of placing the brood fish in ponds and letting them do their thing . Then seining out the offspring that are brought inside in recirculating tanks for the winter, to feed train and add a few inches to of which growth would be nil outside in the winter. I sell most the fish when they reach a minimum trophy size in the outdoor ponds to fellow fish taxidermists and replica makers all over the U.S.
Back to the trout hatching: Previously I've been purchasing 6 to 8 inch brooks and browns from a supplier in Michigan and growing them out in a well water supplies flow through earthen pond for a couple more years. Growth is extremely rapid with 4 to 6 pound brook trout at 3 years of age, and browns in the 5 to 7 pound range at the same age. However I loath hauling fish, although I have the equipment to do so, and haven't been able to get the supplier to produce tiger trout (brook X brown trout) which some of my customers have been requesting for years. Found a source in that will Fed Ex me Brook, Brown, Tiger, and Rainbow trout eggs and here I am. (It's been approved by my DNR). Should get them in October. I won't be producing rainbows though as they are too easy to come by for my taxidermy customers.
Building a tank soon with some food grade 1/2 inch plastic left over from a previous project. Need to invest in an iron filter for the basement but have needed one for some time. It will be a lot easier than my DIY iron filter that is effective but not suited for flow through. Will be using both the filtered well water at a low flow rate to keep temps down along with a Fluvial 305 for the small tank. Eggs will be suspended in the tank via a basket. and already in the eyed stage. I will be only hatching a few hundred and selling the rest (Minimum order is 1000 each species.)
If anyone is interested I can document my progress.
