Hurricanes
and Walking Catfish,
followed by Chilly Weather
Diary of a Florida Fish Farm
by Colin Calway
of Happy Trails Aquatics, Florida
Aquarticles
September 2004 - Hurricane season
Large numbers of Florida fish farms were devastated by four hurricanes in a row
last month, as I write in October 2004. Happy Trails Aquatics, located in South
Central Florida, was one of these.
Many trees were brought down, some of them in the breeding ponds. This makes it impossible to get the fish out of the ponds until the flood water drops, since seine nets can no longer be used. Some fish can be trapped, like the barbs, livebearers and some cichlids. Others can be caught with cast nets, but this is not always successful as after a couple of throws the fish get smart and dive for cover. Damage to our holding tanks and shade cloth covering them was extensive. The shade cloth can be seen high in the trees that are still standing.
The hurricanes caused another problem:
I learned a long time ago to go with gut feelings in this business. Recently
while checking a pond in which we are raising rosy barbs I noticed a couple of
suspicious 'pops' hitting the surface of the water. We pumped the pond down.
Not one rosy barb was to be found. Instead, the mud in the bottom of the pond
was seething with Clarias batrachus, better known as walking catfish. Non-native
to Florida but becoming an increasing menace these fish originate in India,
Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.
Walking catfish, taking advantage of the hurricanes and wet conditions, had made their march. Not one or two but thousands at a time, and they decided to make our rosy barbs pond their home. These mainly nocturnal fierce and extremely tough predators had completely devoured over 10,000 rosy barbs.
When the food supply is expired the walking catfish will wait for the right conditions which are wet conditions and march on like an army to the next food supply. Even killing a pond by pumping down spreading active lime and using chlorine will not guarantee a 100% killing of these fish. They are quite capable of burying themselves deep in the mud, emerging when conditions are more favorable.
I have seen the walking catfish migrate on several occasions. One time was in Boca Raton, Florida. I was driving along a country road and it seemed from a distance the road was moving. Moments later I was driving over thousands of these fish. The feeling was like driving over a oil slick.
The only time I have seen walking catfish turn belly up is in times of extreme cold. The chances are that these monsters will not migrate beyond North Florida. That is the only good thing I can say about them. Other than a friend of mine tells me they are good eating. I don't know, I haven't tried them.
If you would like to visit Happy Trails Aquatics make sure you are wearing rubber boots, for the next month at least!
I should not be complaining. We survived four hurricanes and are still alive.
January 2005 - Brings a Chill to Florida Fish Farms.
After the hurricanes comes the chill at Happy Trails Aquatics. With
temperatures dipping into the 30s F at night the whole operation changes from
raising and selling fish to trying to keep fish alive. Survival being the name
of the game.
Some of the larger farms have the equipment to cover ponds with metal hoops and plastic covers, and this method is fairly successful as long as the cold temperatures don't extend for to many days and as long as the sun shines during the day. At Happy trails Aquatics our ponds are a little large for this type of protection. We cover the holding tanks with plastic covers and the ponds pretty well have to look after themselves. We prefer cloudy days as this keeps the night temperatures a little higher.
After being wiped out by record cold temperatures three years ago and being left with holes in the ground full of water and very few fish we decided to change to mostly fish that could take lower temperatures. Examples are the livebearers platys and swordtails, checkered Australian rainbows, and rosy barbs, along with the Japanese koi carp and mosquito fish. At 50F we started to lose Hoplosternum littorale (armored catfish). But to my surprise the emerald green corydoras (Brochis splendens) were still quite active at this temperature. I certainly do not recommend keeping these fish at these temperatures, although a drop and sudden rise in temperatures is very often the trick to getting these guys to spawn.
Most people who keep aquarium fish like to fish as well. With this in mind Happy Trails Aquatics is now raising bait fish (golden shiners) to supply to local anglers who use them to catch largemouth bass on the famous bass fishing Lake Okeechobee, which is within an hour's drive of our farm. We are also breeding bluegill and channel catfish which we stock into local ponds or within a three hour drive of the farm.
Fish farming like all farming is a precarious business so you have to adapt. This is our sixth year in business in spite of many setbacks we are still alive and kicking. The setbacks are almost always weather condition related and you can't beat Mother Nature, so you learn to live with her.
Visitors are welcome to the farm by appointment. This month's dress code is: bring a jacket - it's cold.
Visit Happy Trails Aquatics. Florida Fish Farm.Tropicals, Koi Carp and Mosquito Fish, to control mosquito borne diseases.