Like many on this forum who have aquariums or have brought some of their fish indoors, I just finished my RAS 2 days ago.
The fish were in my backyard pond and include 10 PS's ranging in length from 7 to 9 1/2 inches, also 2 GSH & 3 spottail shiners.
I hope to grow some big PS's and keep breeding the biggest ones and most colorful ones.
The RAS is a 100 gal. tank with a bubble bead biological filter and a media filter at the outlet. I lucked out getting the bead filter used for 100 bucks, it did a great job filtering my backyard pond.
Here's the set-up

That's a pretty cool setup, AP. Let us know how it progresses and how the fish do.

Hey, that's neat.

AP,

So the biological filter is already seeded by using it in the pond to efficiently remove ammonia? And/or you have so few fish in the tank it's not an issue?

Cecil I had the filter in the 700gal. yard pond for 2 months so it had enough time to develop good bacteria, every time I tested the water there was no sign of ammonia. Of course it didn't have a heavy fish load the most PS's I had were 18 even though I fed them heavily.
With only a 100gal. tank and 6 gal. a min. pump it should have no problem keeping it clean, but I'll keep a close eye on it.

I had no doubts you had it under control. I was just curious about this.

I keep changing my mind but I think I will set up my RAS and fill the tank with pond water to get the cycling going. Then when I pick up the pumpkinseds in November the tank may be ready for the fish.

I'm trying to decide if I want a good number of YOY fish to grow out in the tank or a few broodfish to plant into the production pond in the spring.

Cecil you should set up a RAS, you gotta have something to do over the winter,
What type of filter will you be using ?
I also read info that bass and sunfish are less susceptible to nitrites than other fish.

I would be using the RBC I posted earlier. The clarifiers consist of one or two 55 gallon drums packed with plastic netting to keep the solids and suspended solids underneath it for periodic draining.

If you haven't seen the RBC I can post a picture again.

I'm sure I saw it but I don't remember, pic's please.

Thanks for the info Cecil, great looking filter, I missed those posts somehow, ---senior moments.

We're even then. Initially I missed your thread on the pond sealant you used remember?

How many square feet of surface area does your biofilter have? Mine had 600 and is supposed to support over 100 pounds of fish at optimum temps for nitrification.

Here's the type of filter I have, it's made to support up to 2000 gal. with 400sq. ft. of bead surface area and up to a 100 pounds of fish at the feed rate of 1 pound per day.
Obviously it's overkill for my situation now, but I hope to enlarge the backyard pond to 1400 gal. next year.
This will keep me busy when I can't get up to my big pond, my wife likes it cause it helps keep me out of trouble.

http://www.beadfilters.com/support/theory_exp.php

AP,

Looks good. I think you got off cheaper than I did. My materials to build the RBC were over $300.OO.

Looks like I will put into one of my 6 foot diameter tanka with about 20 inches of water 18 adult pumpkinseeds. I'm going to put some YOY bluegills in first before I get the pumpkinseeds (won't be for over a month) to start cycling the filter. I'm going to use pond water to fill it so I'm hoping that will speed up the nitrate cycling?

If all goes as planned I'll be setting up a 100 gallon aquarium also to to move the bluegills into when I get the pumpkinseeds. I've convinced the wife that the aquarium may help increase the humidity in the winter as our house gets very dry and we have to use a humidifier.

I spend a few hours this evening cleaning an adjacent storage room and the room the tank will go in. (Both in my walk in basement) Looks like it may be a go!

Cecil, even though your RCB cost $300. to make I'll bet it would cost you quite a bit more to buy one. The size bubble bead filter I got would have cost me over $800. new.
Your 18 PS's should be real comfy, I figure your tank should have more than 330 gallons in it, and your RBS should be able to handle the load easily.
When the cold weather comes it seams like we can never get enough humidity into the house, especially when it gets below zero, so I wouldn't worry.
Has the guy at Smith creek farm told you what size the biggest PS's are that you can get?

Absolutely. AES as a smaller one for sell for $559.00 not including shipping.



How much did your pump cost to go with it or did the pump come with it?





No. Bill and I just specified we wanted pellet trained adults and how many of each sex. I want mine for broodstock to plant one of the production ponds with in the spring after holding them inside for the winter. Bill is going to get mostly males of the same size apparently. I think he's going to do a cage growth experiment or something for an article.

Since the health test results won't come back until sometime in November, and I have to apply for a importation permit after that, the owner (Todd) is going to hold the fish in indoor tanks for us rather than seine in November or December! The permit only lasts for 6 months which really messed up the deal last year. The permit expired before Todd could seine the ponds in early March. Just like you there was still snow on the ground in early March and being near Buffalo he's in the snow belt to boot.

We're going to try and transport them in a large cooler or two with agitators and oxygen in the back of my SUV. I don't want to pull my hauling tank on a trailer for 36 fish. It uses too much fuel.

Cecil:

Iffen you want, I have a 120qt. igloo cooler set up with 2 holes drilled in the top for an aquarium air line to pass thru. I've found with transporting live fish in a cooler that coolers don't have water tight lids...... I've transported BG down to Montezuma, IN using 2 of the Wal-Mart "D" cell powered aerators and they survived the trip just fine. The stripers in Cecil Hardin Reservoir loved them!

Cecil, the pump I'm using cost about $40., I initially used it in the backyard pond but felt I needed more flow so I put in a 1000GPH pump. The smaller pump is just right for the 100 gal. tank though.
How much is the Importation permit, or is it free?
The fish should do well transporting in the cooler weather, just leave the windows open on the way home.

Thanks for the offer. I have one that size I'm going to use and will set it up for oxygen and an agitator. And yes don't I know the water slushes around and the lids aren't that tight. Ask my wife what she thinks of fish water after it soaked the carpet of a van we used to have, and stinks even after it's dry! I had to promise to put a large tarp down so I can use the SUV. I drive a clunker 92 Saturn Sedan for local trips that has 200,000 miles on it. The wife has a newer SUV to drive to school and back. I did convince her to trade in the newer Saturn sedan for the SUV so I could pull the hauling tank trailer.

Bill Cody showed me how to build a baffle out of closed cell foam that suppresses the sloshing a little, and I will probably strap the lid shut. Bill knows all the tricks!