HCC Greenhouse

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Well, ive been telling people for a few weeks now that I would get some pictures of our greenhouse (Hillsborough Community College Aquacultre Program) we have on the UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab site....this week I got lucky and wasnt drafted to help out on the actual "farm" they have there. There are 4 greenhouses on this property, but we occupy one. Unfortunetly I am unable to get pictures of the rest of the facility (especially inside the hatchery). For those who are interested, here is the UF TAL website: http://tal.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm

At the greenhouse, we are currently breeding a few species of Malawi cichlids. Dont ask what they all are because I dont remember all of them, lol (if it aint a discus, I dont know). The one syste, with the netting over top of the vats is our brood stock system, the opposite side is our growout system. The vats are actually concrete burial vaults that hold roughly 180 gallons each. We harvest eggs from the brooders every Thursday. The eggs then go into a McDonald hatching jar until they go freeswimming. **I must give thanks to Aquatic Eco Systems for donating 10 McDonald jars for us last month**. The other various systems you see are either works in progress, or are being torn down and moved within the greenhouse itself for better space usage. Please excuse the mess as these pictures were taken during weekly maintenance/harvesting.

Feel free to ask questions.

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Here are a few more pictures showing the rest of the greenhouse. I have plans for the one blue system.... :)

[brewmaster15]

NIce...I wish I had that in my back yard!:)

question...Ryan, The Africans being bred are for what? research or educational projects by students?

That Blue rack looks like something from Aquatic Ecosys cataloque. how many gallons does each tank hold?...

thanks for the pics!
-al

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

NIce...I wish I had that in my back yard!:)

question...Ryan, The Africans being bred are for what? research or educational projects by students?

That Blue rack looks like something from Aquatic Ecosys cataloque. how many gallons does each tank hold?...

thanks for the pics!
-al

The fish we breed there are for "educational purposes". Gives students hands on experience mostly. The fry we raise we sell to wholesalers when they're of size. The money we receive from sales go right back into the program. Students do all the work. The professor only overlooks things and makes sure things go smoothly.

You are correct Al, that rack system is from Aquatic Eco Systems. I believe each tank holds around 50 gallons. My plan is to remove all those tanks and replace them with 20 or 29 gallon tanks and do some simple replumbing so we can start breeding other types of fish (anything other than africans).

-Ryan

[DiscusDude85]

Looks really cool, I have dreams of one day owning somthing like that green house. I'd like to breed discus and on top of their tanks hang orchids, You can water your orchids with all your waste water this way you have two solid sources of income. I bet its a big learning experience being in a high tech green house like that.



Joe

[Tropical Haven]

Very cool looking setup, I agree with Al I wish I had that in my backyard.

[1Chuck9669]

Maybe they will breed DISCUS next :D Great Job here!!!

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Maybe they will breed DISCUS next :D Great Job here!!!

Well hopefully by spring time we'll have a pair or two there to play around with some nutritional studies on fry.

-Ryan

[Darren's Discus]

Ryan,
thank's for sharing,I too would love that in my backyard.


cheers

[Ed13]

Is it possible to get more detailed pics of the equipment and/or the fish?
This is too cool not to ask!

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Is it possible to get more detailed pics of the equipment and/or the fish?
This is too cool not to ask!

What are looking for in particular??? Im going back down tomorrow possibly and i'll see if I can get some better pics of what you want.

-Ryan

[Ed13]

What are looking for in particular??? Im going back down tomorrow possibly and i'll see if I can get some better pics of what you want.

-Ryan
I'll settle for anything you can provide me!:)

But, pics of the fish, vats, filters, water chage equipment, even the tubes. Whatever you think is cool, Surprise me, lol:D

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Time for an update here... Since posting this thread originally I have become the greenhouse manager and we have been doing LOTS of changes (I have a 6 page "to do" list). We are phasing out the african cichlids and going for discus and a few angels. The discus fry produced will be used as part of a nutritional study and will be sold to local wholesalers (and to anyone else). We are currently in the middle of redesigning a system, building several more, and using the 2 larger systems for a nutritional study for Tropicana ;) . I will have pics up for you soon, I promise. Hopefully tomorrow sometime.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Time for an update here... Since posting this thread originally I have become the greenhouse manager and we have been doing LOTS of changes (I have a 6 page "to do" list). We are phasing out the african cichlids and going for discus and a few angels. The discus fry produced will be used as part of a nutritional study and will be sold to local wholesalers (and to anyone else). We are currently in the middle of redesigning a system, building several more, and using the 2 larger systems for a nutritional study for Tropicana ;) . I will have pics up for you soon, I promise. Hopefully tomorrow sometime.

-Ryan

Amazing Ryan! Thats totally awesome. Keep us updated with the project! I would love to follow the progress. I know you'll be busy.

Congrats on the manager position and I am sure the project will be very educational.

Take care Ryan and best of luck with everything,

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Amazing Ryan! Thats totally awesome. Keep us updated with the project! I would love to follow the progress. I know you'll be busy.

Congrats on the manager position and I am sure the project will be very educational.

Take care Ryan and best of luck with everything,

Eddie

Thanks Eddie, We have been busy with this series of projects since the start of the semester more or less. Only now are we at a point where we can start the big hookups (pump, UV, etc) and get closer to start up.

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

Very cool Ryan. So now you're the manager and your shifting to discus and angels. Sounds like your influence on the project is being felt.:D Can't wait to see what you guys are going to do with it.

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Very cool Ryan. So now you're the manager and your shifting to discus and angels. Sounds like your influence on the project is being felt.Can't wait to see what you guys are going to do with it.

Kacey

Noooo.....I had nothing to do with their decision to breed discus :D

We had about 10 people show up today to work on the systems. The new blower is installed, the big blue deck system is finished, and the air and drain lines are finished on the new growout system. Unfortunetly, because we were so busy I had no time to take any additional pictures. I have a few of the growout system from a few days ago, but i'll post those up when I get more pictures to show a timeline sort of progression. I wish we had pics of when we cleared that area out (before/after shots). Tomorrow will be more work on the growout system and start of the breeding system (hopefully). Pics will be up soon, I promise!!!

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

Are you planning on breeding any particular strain(s) of discus? Wilds? Domestics?

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Domestics. Not 100% sure yet on source. Since we are "limited" on our options for broodstock housing (other than breeding tanks and 1-2 rest tanks), it will be easier if we buy confirmed male/female pairs and go from there. I think we will initially start with 4 discus pairs and expand from there if necessary. So basically, we are still shopping for fish :D Anyone have a few high quality pairs they'd like to sell? LOL

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ok, here are some pics of our new system being built (finally). The first set are the day when we started building....just the physical stand/tanks sort of in place. The second set coming will be of the blower line hookup and a shot looking down the drain pipe. More pics will be coming over the next few weeks as work progresses.

-Ryan

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04172.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04182.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04192.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04222.jpg

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Pics of the blower line hookup and a shot down the drain piping.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04282.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04292.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04302.jpg

Also, please excuse the mess you see...we had to tear the whole greenhouse apart to get to where we are now (moving and reorganizing equipment to make room). Once everything is done, it will be well organized again.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Ryan! It's like a dream come true! That is such a killer set-up! I could sleep in there! :) Let me know how much monthly rent would be for a little corner in the room. LOL

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

For you.....you can work it off at the farm. I can drain one of the main vats and it would make nice accomodations for your stay (they are concrete burial vaults). LOL

-Ryan

[thebigone]

That looks like sooo much fun!! You are so lucky to get to work on things like that. Good luck with the breeding of discus and others. Keep us updated for sure!!

[kaceyo]

That's awsome Ryan. I just look at the pics and I can hear the water splashing. And I'll take an area kitty-corner to Eddies, the sound of water splashing puts me to sleep so living there would be no problem.
Can't wait to see those tanks full of discus and other fishes.

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

That looks like sooo much fun!! You are so lucky to get to work on things like that. Good luck with the breeding of discus and others. Keep us updated for sure!!

I am very fortunate to be able to work down there. I just wish I could show you the rest of the farm/fish and everything else they're working with. Our greenhouse is only 1 of many :)

-Ryan

[Eddie]

For you.....you can work it off at the farm. I can drain one of the main vats and it would make nice accomodations for your stay (they are concrete burial vaults). LOL

-Ryan

Sounds excellent, I'm telling my wife I am moving out to go and live with the fishes! LOL

Eddie

[ApacheDan]

Ryan, I onced work with cement blocks...make for very sturdy, ease to make racks...

I'm assuming you will be using a central filtration system?...I don't see any of the tanks drilled?

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ryan, I onced work with cement blocks...make for very sturdy, ease to make racks...

I'm assuming you will be using a central filtration system?...I don't see any of the tanks drilled?

Yes, it will be a recirculating system. The tanks are drilled, but on the bottom and the wrong size that we want to use. This week sometime we will be patching the existing holes with a thin piece of plexi/acrylic with silicone and then redrilling a new hole on the back about half way down. We will also be starting the breeding system tomorrow and working more with what we have (waiting on the main equipment to come in).

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ok, time for another small update. Yesterday we drilled all the tanks and worked a little more on basic plumbing. We also started construction on the breeding system and that should be structurally finished by next week (no pics of that yet). Cant do much more big work because we are waiting on equipment from Aquatic Eco Systems and additional tanks from another supplier. Should be here sometime next week. Also threw in a pic of our last batches of Malawi fry that we have.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04411.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04451.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_04441.jpg

-Ryan

[ApacheDan]

Eddie;

Looking pretty good! Questions, what size tanks are the ones in the 3- level racks? Will you have the tanks on the top levels drain into the lower levels or each tank drain individually into a drainpipe? Are you using well water?

If you are thinking about discus, better use some cover....those guys are jumpers :o just found some plastic eggcrate screens that can be cut to size at Home Depot...

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

The large 3 tier system uses custom 30 gal wide tanks (36"x18"X10") which is perfect for fry up to several inches in size. Each tier drains to its own 2" drain that runs along the length of the system which then flows downward to the sump (all 3 tier drains run into one larger common drain into the sump). In the next week or two when we get the rest of our equipment the actual system function will be better understood by all.

Yes, we are on well water which is pretreated by degassing only for hydrogen sulfide. We also have access to a virtually unlimited supply of RO water (and of course treated well water).

Yes, we have already planned to have covers on the tanks to prevent any jumpers.

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Keep an eye on this thread over the coming few days....we finally got our shipment in (backorder items and paperwork hurdles) and we will be making rapid progress in finishing up our systems.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Keep an eye on this thread over the coming few days....we finally got our shipment in (backorder items and paperwork hurdles) and we will be making rapid progress in finishing up our systems.

-Ryan

Yes Ryan, can't wait!

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ok, today was the day we finally got our stuff down to the greenhouse. Unfortunetly we had severe storms all day long, so it was a wet/windy day. Because of that we were limited on how much work we could do. Tomorrow will be a better day as we will have more people there and we will have majority of our PVC necessary to complete this system.



It arrives!!!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0475.jpg

Doing a test fit....
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0483.jpg

Yep, it fits.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0482.jpg

Cutting and modifying the air line to allow proper piping clearance.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0487.jpg

Bio-Reactor in place and ready to be installed.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0484.jpg

More will come tomorrow.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Man Ryan, any way you need a summer hire? I'll be there to work for free for an entire month! LOL


Looks like its coming together. Better luck with the weather tomorrow.

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

You are more than welcome to come work down on the farm...we can most certainly work you, lol. I hope the weather is better tomorrow too. Fortunetly we will be getting most if not all of our PVC list in tomorrow and will be able to start the long, stressful process of getting all the pieces to fit together. Still working out little kinks in the design (nothing that cant be fixed easily enough) but it is coming together very well. When it is finished we will be able to house as many fish as we can fit into it, LOL (oxygen being our limiting factor).

-Ryan

[Eddie]

You are more than welcome to come work down on the farm...we can most certainly work you, lol. I hope the weather is better tomorrow too. Fortunetly we will be getting most if not all of our PVC list in tomorrow and will be able to start the long, stressful process of getting all the pieces to fit together. Still working out little kinks in the design (nothing that cant be fixed easily enough) but it is coming together very well. When it is finished we will be able to house as many fish as we can fit into it, LOL (oxygen being our limiting factor).

-Ryan

Excellent Ryan, already told the wife...she said it's cool. :D

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

More progress, more pics. Today was an awesome day. Had a lot of people there and we were able to get a decent amount of work done.


Myself (up top) and Josh installing the UV bulb/quartz sleeve....very carefully.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0488.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0490.jpg

Finishing the 3" drain lines
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0496.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0497.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0498.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0499.jpg

Installing the UV
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0501.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0504.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0506.jpg

Tank overflows
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0515.jpg

Return line plumbing prep
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0516.jpg

Pump installed
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0517.jpg

Thats all for today. Tomorrow we should get a little bit more done, and we will have it totally finished by next week.

-Ryan

[thebigone]

Man you are lucky! I really want a fish room now, after seeing all the fun you are having. Best of luck with the project!! Keep us updated for sure!

[Eddie]

Looking real good Ryan. ;)

Eddie

[hedut]

Looking good, can't wait see the next step. Thanks for sharing.

Hendri

[kaceyo]

Great stuff Ryan. Keep it coming, with as much detail as you have time for.
Thanks,

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Great stuff Ryan. Keep it coming, with as much detail as you have time for.
Thanks,

Kacey

How much more detail do you want?? Let me know and I can explain everything that is in the pics, or get better pics of what's there if you have questions.

-Ryan

[Discus-Hans]

Looking good Ryan, but don't really see the filtration part?? (or is that not shown yet?)

Think it's time to take Joanne down Florida for a few days lol lol

Hans

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Looking good Ryan, but don't really see the filtration part?? (or is that not shown yet?)

Think it's time to take Joanne down Florida for a few days lol lol

Hans

Biological filtration is all in the big blue tank. It is a moving bed bio reactor that can handle an insane amount of ammonia. It is super efficient and is able to handle some 1,500+ pounds of fish....way more than we'll ever have in there. But we got one so big to give us a 2 minute retention time within the reactor itself to ensure a more complete biological process (2 minute contact time vs mere seconds with a wet/dry filter or similar).

Mechanical filtration will be handled by a pair of large sock filters that will be changed out daily.

Hey, you could bring our fish with you on that trip to FL. LOL.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Biological filtration is all in the big blue tank. It is a moving bed bio reactor that can handle an insane amount of ammonia. It is super efficient and is able to handle some 1,500+ pounds of fish....way more than we'll ever have in there. But we got one so big to give us a 2 minute retention time within the reactor itself to ensure a more complete biological process (2 minute contact time vs mere seconds with a wet/dry filter or similar).

Mechanical filtration will be handled by a pair of large sock filters that will be changed out daily.

Hey, you could bring our fish with you on that trip to FL. LOL.

-Ryan


Sounds like a beast Ryan. I don't have a clue as to how it works but I will try to google it. :D

Eddie

[kaceyo]

How much more detail do you want?? Let me know and I can explain everything that is in the pics, or get better pics of what's there if you have questions.

-Ryan

Hi Ryan,
I was just looking for the basic info like you gave in the reply to Hanz. Types of filtration, media, reasons for going with one kind over another, capacity, WC schedule, etc. Just explain as you go. I'm sure people are interested in pretty much every aspect of your project and will come up with specific questions as you go.
Thanks again for keeping us updated,

Kacey

[ApacheDan]

Hey Ryan, I wish I also had a Carte-Blanche with AquaticEco....:D

1/ I'm assuming that you are going to use a blower(s) to supply air; so what is this that oxygen will be the limiting factor?

2/ this is like a greenhouse...correct? It should get pretty cold around winter, maybe in the 50's,....how are you going to heat multi-tanks for discus?

3/ I saw some numbered long fiberglass-looking tanks. I might be interested in a few....what is their gallonage capactity/size? How pricey are they?

4/ do you filter your well water with sand filters/other method?

5/ I read the FIU Aquaculture program. Are you going to grow plants too? what other fish other than discus is in the plan? strictly ornamental aquaculture, not commercial like crayfish?

Thanks, Dan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Hey Ryan, I wish I also had a Carte-Blanche with AquaticEco....:D

1/ I'm assuming that you are going to use a blower(s) to supply air; so what is this that oxygen will be the limiting factor?

2/ this is like a greenhouse...correct? It should get pretty cold around winter, maybe in the 50's,....how are you going to heat multi-tanks for discus?

3/ I saw some numbered long fiberglass-looking tanks. I might be interested in a few....what is their gallonage capactity/size? How pricey are they?

4/ do you filter your well water with sand filters/other method?

5/ I read the FIU Aquaculture program. Are you going to grow plants too? what other fish other than discus is in the plan? strictly ornamental aquaculture, not commercial like crayfish?

Thanks, Dan

1. Yes we have a 1hp blower that goes through the whole hatchery. My comment on oxygen being a stocking limitation was mostly sarcastic to a point....oxygen is always a controlling factor when it comes to stocking density and we will never get to that point with this system and discus. However, if we ever did decide to go intensive stocking, all of the filtration/equipment is there to do so.

2. Yes, it is a greenhouse. We have a large propane heater that hangs in the front half of the building that is set to a given temp (its off right now). In the winter time, we can keep the water in the greenhouse around 82-84 rather easily...just takes a lot of propane. Later this year we will most likely run a 240V line to each discus system so we can install large 3,500W heaters so we can cut back on propane use. Because the tanks are on a recirc system the temp is relatively the same in each tank. Actually this summer we may have a problem with it getting too hot. We will have the systems run on a semi-flow through setup where the colder incoming water will help control and maintain a more exact temp.

3. Those tanks you see are not fiberglass at all. They are concrete burial vaults. They are roughly 200 gallons each and cost maybe $100 each. We coat them with an epoxy resin for ease of cleaning. Many farmers dont bother to even do that step. They work great for what they are.

4. The well water on site comes up through a 7.5hp well pump and is only degassed through a series of water nozzles which degasses hydrogen sulfide rather easily and quickly. Nothing else is done to the well water itself. We do have a large r/o unit on the farm that we use for various needs, but 95% of the water we use is straight well water.

5. We have talked very briefly one time about doing something very small with hydroponics. Nothing serious, just talking. Currently the plan for that system is discus. We will have several other projects going on in the greenhouse itself here very shortly, but those will be done in the main vat systems or the blue deck system.

Come on up one day....tour the farm. Be more than happy to show you around.

-Ryan

[MostlyDiscus]

YOU ARE AWESOME RYAN

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Hi Ryan,
I was just looking for the basic info like you gave in the reply to Hanz. Types of filtration, media, reasons for going with one kind over another, capacity, WC schedule, etc. Just explain as you go. I'm sure people are interested in pretty much every aspect of your project and will come up with specific questions as you go.
Thanks again for keeping us updated,

Kacey

Ok, here is a basic rundown of the whole system.

36 30 gallon tanks, ~150 gallon sump...roughly 1,200 gallons total. System designed to turnover 3x per hour. Artesian brand low head pump to move the water. 150W high output Emperor Aquatics UV...its a bit overkill I know, but its a beast. Big blue tank is a moving bed bio reactor (mbbr). 170 gallons in size. It is well oversized for our system but I wanted a 2 minute minimum retention time in the bio-reactor to give the system a more complete/efficient biological process. These filters are super efficient as they are, but by having such a long retention time they are even better. Google: MBBR, moving bed bio reactor for a better description of how they work. Mechanical filtration is taken care of by 2 filter socks that are changed out regularly. There is no heater on the system for right now as the weather is warm and will only get warmer for many more months. As we approach fall/winter we will run several 240V lines to drop in 3,500 watt heaters to maintain temp while saving on our propane bill.

Water changes will be minimal. Water top off, siphoning, and what's necessary to maintain temp is the only water that will be used (unless absolutely necessary of course). I think that excessive water changes in a discus tank is due to the inefficient design of hobbyist level filters as well as what we feed them (BH, excessively high protein foods, etc). This will be apart of my little experiment to see how well such filtration does in this situation (discus) along with my feed trials.

Let me know if you want any more specifics or have any questions.

-Ryan

[mcsinny99]

I hate to ask, but if you do have a breakout do you need to treat the entire system? I am guessing the UV will take care of some of that, but are the tanks interconnected?

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

I hate to ask, but if you do have a breakout do you need to treat the entire system? I am guessing the UV will take care of some of that, but are the tanks interconnected?


Unfortunetly yes, that is the number 1 drawback to a recirculating system (all tanks connected). The large UV along with fairly strict bio-security measures will help prevent such issues. Starting with healthy stock and maintaining that health is important as well. Proper nutrition and excellent water quality is the best way to do that.

-Ryan

[Discus-Hans]

Discus from one source and you reduce that problem for 95%
Mixing sources in a system like that is asking for troubles,

Hans

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Absolutely....which is why we only intend to buy from one source to minimize any potential issues.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Absolutely....which is why we only intend to buy from one source to minimize any potential issues.

-Ryan

I wonder which one....:) Maybe you should do a poll and see where everyone thinks the fish should come from! Just an option unless you already made up your minds. :D

Eddie

[ApacheDan]

Hey Ryan;

Thanks for all the info....now I know how those farmers come up with so many "casket tanks" LOL. Good price too!. Do yours have overflows? I would imagine 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" pvc's would do. How do you drill those cement holes?

How many strains of discus do you expect to keep? any wilds? Can you give us a little run down of some of the objectives of the study/experiment?

Hey, I might take you on your offer & visit you in Tampa one day!

Dan

[Graham]

Dan I spent a few enjoyable hours with Ryan several weeks ago at the farm when I was in Fl. Well worth the visit. The tanks have slip PVC fittings already built in...its quite the system.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Hey Ryan;

Thanks for all the info....now I know how those farmers come up with so many "casket tanks" LOL. Good price too!. Do yours have overflows? I would imagine 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" pvc's would do. How do you drill those cement holes?

How many strains of discus do you expect to keep? any wilds? Can you give us a little run down of some of the objectives of the study/experiment?

Hey, I might take you on your offer & visit you in Tampa one day!

Dan

As Graham already stated, the concrete burial vaults come with a 1.5" pvc slip connector already molded into the concrete. If you need to cut into the concrete it would take a diamond tipped core bit to drill through it cleanly.

We are currently planning to have about 4 different color types...all domestics. No wilds at this point in time. The overall goal of these systems first and foremost is student education. Learning about different types of fish (mouth brooders vs substrate spawners, etc) as well as different forms of filtration and system design. When it comes to actually working with the discus, our goals are several. The original goal was to develop a discus-specific pellet/gel diet with scientific backing through feeding trials and flesh composition. We are also working on their nutritional needs at various sizes (1/2", 1", 2", etc) to ensure a complete diet at every stage. Using such a nice recirc system, we are also going to look into the commercial viability of discus production in FL. This is important for local farmers who want to get into discus, but dont know what is the best way to do it. Finally, we wanted to raise a slightly more valuable fish than Malawi cichlids just because we can, lol (60 cents @2" for a malawi compared to $6+ @ 2" for discus).

Like I said, anytime you (or anyone else) want to visit you are more than welcome.

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Dan I spent a few enjoyable hours with Ryan several weeks ago at the farm when I was in Fl. Well worth the visit. The tanks have slip PVC fittings already built in...its quite the system.

It was great to have you at the farm for a while. How did those pics come out??

-Ryan

[Graham]

Unfortunately nothing that anyone would get excited about, that's why I haven't posted them:o

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ah, well that sucks. It looked like you were getting some decent pictures. Oh well, maybe next time you're in town.

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Update!
We have water running!!! We finally finished the system today and we were able to do some testing of the system with water. We have a few small issues to work out, but nothing that bad (one small leak and a minor drain issue). I got pics today, but none of them came out very well. I'll take more pics either tomorrow or later in the week sometime. We are still waiting on our new tanks to finish out the rest of the system though. Once those come in and we get them installed everything will be done. Next we start working on the breeding system. Still debating amongst ourselves as to which way we want to go with filtration on the system, but we'll get it figured out by tomorrow. Since that system is much smaller/simpler, it should be finished relatively quickly. I'll update progress on that system as we get through it.

Thanks for looking everyone, and I really appreciate the comments and questions!!

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Update!
We have water running!!! We finally finished the system today and we were able to do some testing of the system with water. We have a few small issues to work out, but nothing that bad (one small leak and a minor drain issue). I got pics today, but none of them came out very well. I'll take more pics either tomorrow or later in the week sometime. We are still waiting on our new tanks to finish out the rest of the system though. Once those come in and we get them installed everything will be done. Next we start working on the breeding system. Still debating amongst ourselves as to which way we want to go with filtration on the system, but we'll get it figured out by tomorrow. Since that system is much smaller/simpler, it should be finished relatively quickly. I'll update progress on that system as we get through it.

Thanks for looking everyone, and I really appreciate the comments and questions!!

-Ryan

Thats excellent news Ryan! Can't wait to see everything when its all up and running.


Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Time for another small update....
Work is slowing down as the semester is coming to a close and as we wait on our final remaining pieces to our puzzle (a filter and all of our remaining tanks). Tanks will be coming in May 9, and the filter should be in around the same time frame. Once those are in place, both systems will then be functional and we can start thinking about getting our fish in. So there is definetly a light at the end of the tunnel.....that light is just taking forever (in my mind) to get here, lol. This summer should be an interesting one as we start discus production. I will post pics once we make additional progress.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Time for another small update....
Work is slowing down as the semester is coming to a close and as we wait on our final remaining pieces to our puzzle (a filter and all of our remaining tanks). Tanks will be coming in May 9, and the filter should be in around the same time frame. Once those are in place, both systems will then be functional and we can start thinking about getting our fish in. So there is definetly a light at the end of the tunnel.....that light is just taking forever (in my mind) to get here, lol. This summer should be an interesting one as we start discus production. I will post pics once we make additional progress.

-Ryan

Sounds great Ryan, I was just wondering about the progress yesterday. Thanks for the update.

Take care,
Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

The tanks FINALLY came in today. I havent been down there to see them, but I am told they are built very heavy. I will try to get pics of the tanks tomorrow or Tuesday sometime when im down there next. We got our pump and other equipment for the breeding system from Aquatic Eco Systems a week or two ago...just waiting on the filter itself to arrive from Louisiana. Now that we have all our tanks we can finally finish plumbing the breeding system and get the growout system fully functional. Im hoping sometime this week we can atleast get the growout system started on cycling. Once we get a cycle going we can then think about when we want to get our fish in. So it looks like by end of May we can think about getting fish in. Depending on how the fish like our handywork we can start doing some basic growout studies beginning in June sometime....but we'll see how it all pans out. Pics soon I promise!

-Ryan

[Eddie]

The tanks FINALLY came in today. I havent been down there to see them, but I am told they are built very heavy. I will try to get pics of the tanks tomorrow or Tuesday sometime when im down there next. We got our pump and other equipment for the breeding system from Aquatic Eco Systems a week or two ago...just waiting on the filter itself to arrive from Louisiana. Now that we have all our tanks we can finally finish plumbing the breeding system and get the growout system fully functional. Im hoping sometime this week we can atleast get the growout system started on cycling. Once we get a cycle going we can then think about when we want to get our fish in. So it looks like by end of May we can think about getting fish in. Depending on how the fish like our handywork we can start doing some basic growout studies beginning in June sometime....but we'll see how it all pans out. Pics soon I promise!

-Ryan

Sounds like a lot of work in progress Ryan. Best of luck with everything and hope you meet your ETIC for end of May.

Take care,

Eddie

[kaceyo]

Alright Ryan! Almost time for the real fun to start. Can't wait to see pics of the whole setup.

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Ok I said I would post pics and here they are. We got all the tanks drilled and put in place for the pics. The filter arrived at the greenhouse today so we assembled it and put it into its proper place on the breeding system.

-Ryan

Taking the filter out of the box.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0625.jpg

Ready to finish assembling the bubble washed bead filter
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0626.jpg

Filter on a dolly being wheeled down to its new home.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0628.jpg

Placed onto its "mini-rack" next to the breeding system, ready to be installed.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0631.jpg

Shot of the breeding tanks (broodstock tanks not shown)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0623.jpg

Shot of the new tanks put in their place along with the old ones.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0622.jpg

The other side
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0634.jpg

Definetly good quality...very thick glass, courtesy of GlassCages.com
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0635.jpg

Even in the midst of all the excitement with new toys, maintenance must go on...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/OrlandoDiscus/100_0627.jpg

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

And now that we have a few students interning at the greenhouse itself this semester we should be able to finish up with everything by next week or so if everything goes well.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

And now that we have a few students interning at the greenhouse itself this semester we should be able to finish up with everything by next week or so if everything goes well.

-Ryan

Hey Ryan, can I get into that school! ;)

Eddie

[Ed13]

VERY nice Ryan! Are the vats always drained onto the floor?:confused:

BTW, how did Glasscages placed the bottom glass on those rimless tanks? Sorrounded by the side panes or on top? Mixed?

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

VERY nice Ryan! Are the vats always drained onto the floor?:confused:

BTW, how did Glasscages placed the bottom glass on those rimless tanks? Sorrounded by the side panes or on top? Mixed?

In that pic we were siphoning the vats....hose right onto the floor which runs into a central greenhouse drain channel which goes right outside into a pond.

To be honest, I dont know. I am wanting to say the side panes are on top of the bottom pane. If I remember i'll check it out for you tomorrow.

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Hey Ryan, can I get into that school! ;)

Eddie

Nope, young people only...no old people allowed :p. If you really wanted to you could most definetly move here and go back to school and work down on the farm.

-Ryan

[Ed13]

In that pic we were siphoning the vats....hose right onto the floor which runs into a central greenhouse drain channel which goes right outside into a pond.

To be honest, I dont know. I am wanting to say the side panes are on top of the bottom pane. If I remember i'll check it out for you tomorrow.

-Ryan
Ok, I imagined there was a drain somewhere, but I couldn't see a canal leading to it, so big puddles came to mind:)

I'd appreciate it if you could check the tanks for me when you can Ryan:)

[kaceyo]

That's an interesting design for the filter housing. Have you got any diagrams of the inside?

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

That's an interesting design for the filter housing. Have you got any diagrams of the inside?

Kacey

It would be easier to Google: Bubble Washed Bead Filter than to have me try to explain its operation. We use them all over the farm and they work very well. This particular filter is rated to 65gpm...we got one larger than we needed because the larger it is, the more cubic ft of media that goes in it...more media = better nitrification. In our minds this is extremely important with this small(er) system because it will have fluctuations in bioload, depending on current pairs and fry. As we all know the better the water quality provided to young fry, the better they do and become.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Nope, young people only...no old people allowed :p. If you really wanted to you could most definetly move here and go back to school and work down on the farm.

-Ryan

Hey....I still get carded when buying alcohol. I can try to fit in! :D

I might have to think about that one Ryan, let me retire first. :) I'd love to do it though.

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

We got more plumbing done today and started making final connections to the growout system (little stuff mostly). Next week will be our big push week as we have several people commited to come down on various days to help out. Oh and I took all the current pics of the systems and put them into a gallery on Photobucket so y'all can see everything easier.
http://gs92.photobucket.com/groups/l32/HNBCKER402/

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Whats the word Ryan, how is everything going? Hopefully coming together and running smooth.


Take care,

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Well, the main growout system is fully functional since last Monday. The breeding system is about 75% plumbed, had a few small parts on backorder (again :mad:) that is slowing us down. Since it is summer term and we dont have any aquaculture-specific courses going on, getting help down at the greenhouse has been a challenge. We are getting there though. I myself have been extremely busy working on the farm in their new greenhouse building their systems (I was hired on by UF as their system builder). I'll try to get pics of that as soon as I can.

Other than that, just waiting on a few small parts to finish it up and then discus!!

-Ryan

[dpt8]

Cool idea for the tank racks.. They're not cemented together but just placed together ??

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Cool idea for the tank racks.. They're not cemented together but just placed together ??

They are just stacked ontop of each other as you see it. In the double configuration that you see, the whole rack system is actually very stable even when the tanks are empty. When the tanks are full of water, they are immovable.

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Well, the main growout system is fully functional since last Monday. The breeding system is about 75% plumbed, had a few small parts on backorder (again :mad:) that is slowing us down. Since it is summer term and we dont have any aquaculture-specific courses going on, getting help down at the greenhouse has been a challenge. We are getting there though. I myself have been extremely busy working on the farm in their new greenhouse building their systems (I was hired on by UF as their system builder). I'll try to get pics of that as soon as I can.

Other than that, just waiting on a few small parts to finish it up and then discus!!

-Ryan

Thanks for the update Ryan, hope the pieces arrive soon. I'd help you if I could.

Take care,

Eddie

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Here is a video of our greenhouse/discus systems!!! This is my first time shooting a vid, so please excuse the poor quality/shaky camera. Let me know what y'all think.

-Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5lDw4dHA8

[MSD]

That is every fish keepers fantasy, I'd loved to have worked there when I was 20 or so years old. Nice vid Ryan, one more spin though and I might have gotten dizzy. :)

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

That is every fish keepers fantasy, I'd loved to have worked there when I was 20 or so years old. Nice vid Ryan, one more spin though and I might have gotten dizzy. :)

haha, thanks...i'll keep that in mind for the next vid. Next one will be better, promise.

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

Very impressive Ryan. Definitly for the serious discus keeper only, lol! Why the goldfish? Aren't you guys worried about contamination?

Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Very impressive Ryan. Definitly for the serious discus keeper only, lol! Why the goldfish? Aren't you guys worried about contamination?

Kacey

LOL! You are the second person to say they are goldfish!! They are Malawi Cichlids. Most of them are red zebras. They are our leftovers that we are growing out (almost 1,00 left over spread over 4 vats). Go back in the video and look again to see for yourself, LOL..

-Ryan

[Eddie]

Killer greenhouse Ryan, I'd love to have me one! Can't wait til you have discus in tanks.

Thanks for sharing the video!

Take care,

Eddie

[Scribbles]

That's an awesome setup! Is this your personal fish house or the UF? Also, how deep are the tanks on the racks? I love the design. Could definately have some serious fun with that place. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

That's an awesome setup! Is this your personal fish house or the UF? Also, how deep are the tanks on the racks? I love the design. Could definately have some serious fun with that place. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

This is apart of the college on the UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab site in Ruskin, FL. The main system tanks are custom 30's....30"x18"x12" (give or take a bit from what I recall). I took the basic rack design off of an existing structure they have here at the farm. From there I ran with it and evolved it into what you see on your screen. Believe me, we have plenty of fun when we're down there :D

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

LOL! You are the second person to say they are goldfish!! They are Malawi Cichlids. Most of them are red zebras. They are our leftovers that we are growing out (almost 1,00 left over spread over 4 vats). Go back in the video and look again to see for yourself, LOL..

-Ryan

Well...if it looks like a duck, and swims like a duck...it must be Malawi Cichlids, LOL:o
You have to be dreamin' about discus every night working in a place like that. Can't wait to see it stuffed full of discus.

Kacey

[rich_one]

dude that's funny, because I thought they were goldfish too! LOL...

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Update time! Wanted to let everyone know we got our first shipment of discus in today. 6 adult Marlboro Reds from Hans. We are taking it a little at a time, giving everyone time to get adjusted to having discus in the greenhouse (and to make sure the systems continue to do well).

We would have had discus in the systems a month ago, but summer has really put a damper on things. Only because during the summer we have no aquaculture-specific courses and that means we have less help at the greenhouse. We have been working off a skeleton crew mostly, just getting by. But the Fall semester is starting in a few weeks and we will have more than enough help.

Good news about the discus is that within an hour, 2 seemed to have paired off already and began doing a little dance in the tank. So we might be starting production sooner than we thought. We'll see what happens.

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

Sounds good Ryan. So lets see, with 6 discus, that would be aprox how many gallons per fish??? :) No wonder they started to shimmy and shake right off the bat.
How 'bout some pics of them fishes?

Kacey

[Chad Hughes]

Ryan,

That UV is insane. LOL! It's the biggest one I have ever seen. You look like you are having way too much fun! Sure wish I had whatever budget you apparently had. LOL! Great job brother!

Best wishes!

[Scribbles]

Pictures...more pictures?

Chris

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Thanks for the comments guys. Really appreciate it. It has been a very long and hard road to get everything to where it is now.

No pictures this moment....wife is borrowing the camera for work and I wont be able to steal it back from her till atleast Monday. I will say though that out of the 6 Hans sent us, we have 2 pairs forming already. One female was pecking at the cone and her tube was halfway out. Fed them a little beefheart today and they ate very well. Overall im extremely enthusiastic about our project and hopefully we can get into production here soon.

-Ryan

[Discus-Hans]

I will say though that out of the 6 Hans sent us, we have 2 pairs forming already. One female was pecking at the cone and her tube was halfway out. Fed them a little beefheart today and they ate very well. Overall im extremely enthusiastic about our project and hopefully we can get into production here soon.

-Ryan


GRRRRMMMMMMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I was hoping I would have send you 6 males or 6 females so you had to order 6 more, what a $hitty Discus picker I'm :angel:

Hans

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Haha Hans....maybe you can try again on our next shipment! LOL

-Rayn

[Discus-Hans]

Haha Hans....maybe you can try again on our next shipment! LOL

-Rayn

I ensure you I will do my best on that one :D :D :D

Or I can always mix match the pairs for the shipment after the next, I will make your life miserable as possible

Hans

[Eddie]

GRRRRMMMMMMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I was hoping I would have send you 6 males or 6 females so you had to order 6 more, what a $hitty Discus picker I'm :angel:

Hans

LMAO, thats a good one Hans. Hey but if its works, it works! Bet they are nice too.

Take care,

Eddie

[Discus-Hans]

Eddy,

Ryan (or the University) ordered XX Single Discus and they will pick a few breeding pairs. Because I know what they want (not show tanks but big mean Stendker breeding machines) I select the Discus a little different, now I don't want to say I select crappy Discus but more on what they want to do with them................breeding.

And it looks like I didn't do to bad lol lol

Hans

[Eddie]

Eddy,

Ryan (or the University) ordered XX Single Discus and they will pick a few breeding pairs. Because I know what they want (not show tanks but big mean Stendker breeding machines) I select the Discus a little different, now I don't want to say I select crappy Discus but more on what they want to do with them................breeding.

And it looks like I didn't do to bad lol lol

Hans

Excellent work, may even be 3 pairs. ;)

Can't wait to see pictures Ryan!

Eddie

[FloridaFishGuy]

Long time to speak Ryan. I must say I am impressed at what you have been able to accomplish. I remember seeing your small setup in your garage. Just thought I would see what you were up to and got a big surprise... Keep on working, can't wait to see more pictures. Drop me a PM and we can talk more through email or something.

-Blake

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Long time to speak Ryan. I must say I am impressed at what you have been able to accomplish. I remember seeing your small setup in your garage. Just thought I would see what you were up to and got a big surprise... Keep on working, can't wait to see more pictures. Drop me a PM and we can talk more through email or something.

-Blake

Hey Blake, great to hear from you. Sorry I didnt see this earlier. This week has been especially busy with school and the farm.

I know I promised pics several weeks ago, and right now I have none to give you. Things have been extremely busy at the farm, and everytime im there something is always going on where they need my help. I guess that's what happens when they have multiple projects/grants going on simultaniously. I am going to try my best to get some decent pictures this week though.

We have had several spawns already while the fish are in the community tanks, but we had a minor bacterial issue that we needed to address first. Right now we are making sure everyone remains healthy for a few weeks before we move on to production.

-Ryan

[FloridaFishGuy]

Well, if I can convice my wife that our small house can indeed fit a 55g or so tank, then I will definatly be getting some Discus from you guys. I would love to come and check out the place as well.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Well, if I can convice my wife that our small house can indeed fit a 55g or so tank, then I will definatly be getting some Discus from you guys. I would love to come and check out the place as well.

Anytime you are near Tampa you are more than welcome to give me a call. I will give you the grand tour of the entire UF facility.

Oh and let her know we have a bunch of tanks for CHEAP, lol.

-Ryan

[FloridaFishGuy]

What size tanks and prices? We are taking a vacation to Sanibel at the end of October and could stop by on the way back, if there are any still available.

[randyblktl]

interesting read, any update on this project?

[Second Hand Pat]

interesting read, any update on this project?

+1