Finding sources of aquaculture supplies

Good sources of aquaculture supplies can be quite tricky, since the industry is very much geared to suit large commercial producers.

The hardest thing to source is feed pellets. My experience to date says the only reliable source is the person you buy your fish from. The aquaculturists I have met so far have all been very friendly and keen to help, whereas feed manufacturers tend not to want to know you unless you are talking in tonnes.

Other things you will need, of course, are tanks, plumbing and fittings, and so on. Much of this can be sources from your local Hardware store, but tanks are not so easy.

Aquaculture tanks are generally made from 'Food-grade' PVC and are actually the tops cut off rainwater storage tanks. The reason they are the tops and not the bottoms is that the bottoms have reinforcing ribs that would restrict flow and make cleaning difficult.

However, if you can only find tank bottoms, try filling the space between the ribs with gravel or sand. This will ensure you still get good flow around the tank and may even open up some interesting production alternatives (more later). Of course, you will have to adjust the depth of the tank accordingly when you order it.

At present I am busy trying to put together a list of links and contacts to help you effectively source equipment and materials, so keep coming back to check this page for updates.