Converting My Swimming Pool To A Fish Farm In Winter?

[jaideeguy]

This may sound like a joke, but I'm seriously considering converting my pool into a fish farm during the cold winter months up here in Chiang Mai. I have had my pool for 4 yrs now and no one [kids included] gets into the water from Nov until after Feb.....yet I continue to maintain it just for looks, altho not as much.

It occurred to me that I might as well be raising fish during the winter months. after letting the chlorine dissipate, I could stock it with fingerling's [tabtim or ??] in November and bypass [isolate] my pump so it wouldn't get clogged with fish poop, then in February, after I harvest the fish, I'll super chlorinate and add flocculant then vacuum to waste and i can reclaim my pool for human usage.

In the past, I have used klong and lake water to top it off and altho green at first it clears by above mentioned process.

Not only would I save money on chemicals and electricity, but I may even make a little profit from the fish to pay for the chems the rest of the year.

good idea??? or am I mad??

please tell me if there is any reason why not to do this??

[H2oDunc]

MAD!!!!! :D :D

Nothing I know is going to grow that much in 4 months to make it profitable!!!!!

But I know nothing, maybe a little less !

[jaideeguy]

I know that there many fish that can grow to maturity in 4 months. The wife has grown catfish in cement tanks in 3 months....can be sold at many sizes as well. I would prefer tab tim [talapia] for my own taste. with air temps down to 50f....i wonder if I could grow trout???

Am I still mad??

[UtopiaFlorida]

Hi,

I own a swimming pool company and I would not recommend to do this:

1. You have to empty the water -refill it with regular water for the fish then refill it again (bacteria concern) when your kids start to use the pool.

Just think about the amount of liters (maybe 10,000) per fill you have to pay

2. Because your pool is chlorinated there will be still residue from the chlorine in your filter, pump, piping, walls etc. You would have to get new filter

elements and still carry a big risk that the chlorine residue will kill the fish in a matter of days.

My advice just keep it as it is and enjoy the beauty of your pool

I know that there many fish that can grow to maturity in 4 months. The wife has grown catfish in cement tanks in 3 months....can be sold at many sizes as well. I would prefer tab tim [talapia] for my own taste. with air temps down to 50f....i wonder if I could grow trout???

Am I still mad??

[jaideeguy]

1. You have to empty the water -refill it with regular water for the fish then refill it again (bacteria concern) when your kids start to use the pool.

I don't think so....cholorine is mostly disapated into the air and little residue. My lonely talipia that I introduced into my non cholorinated [for over a week] water is alive and well....but lonely.

Just think about the amount of liters (maybe 10,000) per fill you have to pay

When filling my pool, I lay down 200mtrs of pvc pipe and pay a local farmer to pump from a lake near by, then flocculate and vacuum to waste and run filter for24 hrs.....works good for me.

2. Because your pool is chlorinated there will be still residue from the chlorine in your filter, pump, piping, walls etc. You would have to get new filter

elements and still carry a big risk that the chlorine residue will kill the fish in a matter of days.

it's been a week and fish is still ok and I would bypass my swimming pool filter and recirculate the water maybe thru a sediment filter on the side dedicated to the fish pond.

My advice just keep it as it is and enjoy the beauty of your pool.

A pool full of edible/sellable fish can be a thing of beauty too and save /make money on the fish and not having to add chemicals....plus less pumping time saving on electricity.

Am I still mad??

Edited January 19, 2009 by jaideeguy

[DragonQuest]

your crazy not mad lol

[jaideeguy]

Not so 'mad' after all......I deem my experiment a success in that my test fish survived and thrived in the green pea soup that my pool turned into and over the last week, i reclaimed the pool for huan use with a shock cholorine and PAC flocculent. There was some residual green staining on tiles from the algae and I just gave it a little extra cholorine and it has now returned to normal and yesterday we had our first swim in chrystal clear water.

Next year, I'll shut down in november and stock it with fish [species yet to be determined] and grow me a mess of fish.

[HangDongRider]

This may sound like a joke, but I'm seriously considering converting my pool into a fish farm during the cold winter months up here in Chiang Mai. I have had my pool for 4 yrs now and no one [kids included] gets into the water from Nov until after Feb.....yet I continue to maintain it just for looks, altho not as much.

It occurred to me that I might as well be raising fish during the winter months. after letting the chlorine dissipate, I could stock it with fingerling's [tabtim or ??] in November and bypass [isolate] my pump so it wouldn't get clogged with fish poop, then in February, after I harvest the fish, I'll super chlorinate and add flocculant then vacuum to waste and i can reclaim my pool for human usage.

In the past, I have used klong and lake water to top it off and altho green at first it clears by above mentioned process.

Not only would I save money on chemicals and electricity, but I may even make a little profit from the fish to pay for the chems the rest of the year.

good idea??? or am I mad??

please tell me if there is any reason why not to do this??

In Europe this is popular. You need a big pool and you can use it all year long for both. Yes, I know. Nobody springs in a pool in german winter. Watch this: www.teichmeister.de Does this work in Thailand?

[Crossy]

In Europe this is popular. You need a big pool and you can use it all year long for both. Yes, I know. Nobody springs in a pool in german winter. Watch this: www.teichmeister.de Does this work in Thailand?

Looks interesting

Can fish and people inhabit the same water safely??

Edited February 24, 2009 by Crossy

[gilbreth]

Why not buy a heat pump and use the pool year round? Heat pumps are great, and massively efficient since they use ambient air temperature to heat the pool. Even in Pattaya (where I live) the pool is too cold during the "winter" so we installed a heat pump. Quiet, efficient, warm.

Gil

[twr404]

Not so 'mad' after all......I deem my experiment a success

Nicely done! Great experiment. Curious how your first big "harvest" turns out. Let us all know.

[jaideeguy]

old post revived....

It turns out that I was mad......sorry I didn't post my failure. Stocked pool with 50 4inch tabtim and they did well for the first three months....actually growing then all of a sudden, they started floating and all died within a week. Seems the fish poop turns to nitrate, robs oxygen and fish floats. Maybe could have saved them with lots of oxygen introduced to the bottom....but it happened too fast. As it was, i ran the 2hp pool pump into fountains to ariate water, but not enough.

Now investigating biofilter, but it needs a lot of surface area and more $ investment.......

Anyone wanna buy a swimming pool.....slightly used. Delivery not included!!