Hey guys and gals - please don't take this the wrong way, I know this is a fish KEEPING site, and not a fish EATING site, but I have a dead serious question to ask, and you people altogether on this site, in aggregate seem to have the most practical real-world experience in this area.
I joined this forum because I believe that that an economic crisis is pending upon America and other countries, and I need to know which species of fish has the highest survivability versus food yield and ease of maintenance/rearing and breeding. We're talking about something that can be raised in anyone's backyard or basement within an enclosure within roughly 500-1000 gallons. I used to work in a pet store and maintained the tanks very well seeing everything from African butterflies whom I would feed crickets to as they glide like primitive airplanes along the surface of the water, to rare orange pike , parrotfish, brackish anglers, jaguar managuense whom I feed crayfish to, beautiful Rhino plecos, albino knifes - so I know the value of fish as pets.
But what I'm asking about concerns a scenario which I hope will never play out, where people are forced to use their animal raising knowledge to raise them as food instead of pets. Regardless we're talking about preventing human starvation during an economic collapse - and I was considering any of the notorious snakehead or Channa species as a possible candidate for an emergency food source, considering that they can breathe atmospheric oxygen thus being able to survive water conditions that would kill most fish. Also this species can be fed almost any type of meat, including rodents and insects. It is also naturally aggressive and hardy, and I am aware that they are already a food item in asia though I have never myself tasted it. Also I heard that one of the 'problems' with Channa is that they breed more rapidly than American fish thus making its invasive nature more ominous - A perfect characteristic for an 'apocalypse' fish. Other candidates on my list for 'apocalypse' domestic farm-able fish were catfish and gar which can also absorb oxygen from the air. Or I could be going about this the wrong way and should be looking at simple cold-water survivable carp and channel cats perhaps?
I've heard that approximately 7 million people starved during the last Great Depression during a time when a much higher percentage of the American population was rural and farm connected. It has been said that people were hunting everyday and out of season, and that there were no squirrels or rabbits or other sources of food during these times. I've seen people rioting in Argentina living on garbage in what used to be a first world country when the bankers collapsed their economy. During hurricane Katrina even the cops were forced to loot convenience stores and thus steal food and break the law in order to survive, when FEMA left the city to die.
Any contribution of your knowledge would be appreciated though I know it may offend you to be asked how to rear pets as food. The information you share could save many people's lives on this site and beyond.
Thanks.
I joined this forum because I believe that that an economic crisis is pending upon America and other countries, and I need to know which species of fish has the highest survivability versus food yield and ease of maintenance/rearing and breeding. We're talking about something that can be raised in anyone's backyard or basement within an enclosure within roughly 500-1000 gallons. I used to work in a pet store and maintained the tanks very well seeing everything from African butterflies whom I would feed crickets to as they glide like primitive airplanes along the surface of the water, to rare orange pike , parrotfish, brackish anglers, jaguar managuense whom I feed crayfish to, beautiful Rhino plecos, albino knifes - so I know the value of fish as pets.
But what I'm asking about concerns a scenario which I hope will never play out, where people are forced to use their animal raising knowledge to raise them as food instead of pets. Regardless we're talking about preventing human starvation during an economic collapse - and I was considering any of the notorious snakehead or Channa species as a possible candidate for an emergency food source, considering that they can breathe atmospheric oxygen thus being able to survive water conditions that would kill most fish. Also this species can be fed almost any type of meat, including rodents and insects. It is also naturally aggressive and hardy, and I am aware that they are already a food item in asia though I have never myself tasted it. Also I heard that one of the 'problems' with Channa is that they breed more rapidly than American fish thus making its invasive nature more ominous - A perfect characteristic for an 'apocalypse' fish. Other candidates on my list for 'apocalypse' domestic farm-able fish were catfish and gar which can also absorb oxygen from the air. Or I could be going about this the wrong way and should be looking at simple cold-water survivable carp and channel cats perhaps?
I've heard that approximately 7 million people starved during the last Great Depression during a time when a much higher percentage of the American population was rural and farm connected. It has been said that people were hunting everyday and out of season, and that there were no squirrels or rabbits or other sources of food during these times. I've seen people rioting in Argentina living on garbage in what used to be a first world country when the bankers collapsed their economy. During hurricane Katrina even the cops were forced to loot convenience stores and thus steal food and break the law in order to survive, when FEMA left the city to die.
Any contribution of your knowledge would be appreciated though I know it may offend you to be asked how to rear pets as food. The information you share could save many people's lives on this site and beyond.
Thanks.
Besides, in this scenario and you have no food, I imagine they would taste pretty damn good!
