Jay or enyone how are you coming with your fish project? do you have enything on raising crawdads? Bob in s.e.ks.

-- Bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), December 16, 2000

Answers

Bob, I kept the pool going for about 5 weeks, had too many problems with temp control and animals getting in it. As far as the catfish I had left, they were delicious. Still have a couple gallon jugs worth in the freezer. While experimenting with the shallow pool, I discovered the lack of depth detrimental to the catfish' well being. I filtered water off of it every other week, seemed as effective as other liquid fertilizer. I plan on trying again using 500 gallon reinforced plastic storage container to accomodate more fish and afford better water temp.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 16, 2000.

I sort of have an aquaculture project going. I bought this place not quite 3 months ago. It came with an above ground pool that looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years. Well come to discover that the former owner after a fishing trip dumped some bait goldfish in it. You guessed it I've got a swimming pool full of goldfish! Some of them are 6-8 inches long...they are huge! Of course the kids want me to clean it out and make it a regular swimming pool (got to make a goldfish pond first of course) but I've been thinking that since the goldfish made such a great go of it that I might try raising some catfish in it. My family thinks I have lost my mind....I'd rather grow catfish than go swimming.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), December 16, 2000.

Amanda down there somewhere around you is a place called s and s fish farms or something like that i think its at west plains. is that where porter waggoner is from? Bob in s.e.ks.

-- bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), December 16, 2000.

Amanda:

For stock try your local farmers' coop or equivalent. Locally a fish truck comes in about every two weeks. Can get bass, catfish and hybrid bluegills.

See if your local library can get you a copy of Getting Food From Water: A Guide to Backyard Aquaculture by Gene Logsdon.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 17, 2000.

Amanda:

P.S. Call places which sell live fish. They might buy the goldfish off of you.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 17, 2000.

My fish are in ponds so I don't really have many problems. But for better temp. control, wouldn't it help putting the tank in the ground to stabilize the temp? It works for plants in the garden. Also if not bury it then try mulch. Can't hurt.

-- Nick (wildheart@ekyol.com), December 17, 2000.

The last response mentioned controling the temperature. I sure do hope that isn't a big issue because there is at least a good inch of ice on my pool at the moment. I assume the goldfish will live since they have been in the pool with no care whatsoever for a while now. Thanks for the advice on where to find fish. Now I need some advice on how to get my kids to give up their swimming pool for my project!

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), December 18, 2000.

our school has a pregnant crawdad. how do we take care of it

-- emily nyholm (enyholm@aol.com), January 22, 2002.

our school has a pregnant crawdad. how do we take care of it Lnyholm

-- emily nyholm (Lnyholm@aol.com), January 22, 2002.

Emily, if it's been living in an aquarium, IT should be fine to keep living in the aquarium. However, if there are other fish or whatever living there, they will probably LOVE baby crawdads. That means you may need to move your mumcrawdad into another aquarium, and also think about what you will do with grown babies when they're grown.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), January 24, 2002.