HAWAI'I LIFEClosing The Loop on a Hawaii Sustainable Farm – The Fish Food Tree
I went down to feed my fish tonight in my Tilapia pond at my farm in Maliko Bay on Maui. My focus came back to how will I be able to close the loop on a sustainable farm unless I can grow a fish food tree. My spring produces great quantities of water. My pond has been established for 5 years now and I have sold 700 pound of fish so far this year and consumed a lot as well. The problem is; how do I grow a fish food tree using the waste water to grow something my greedy fish will eat and thrive on. Fish like protein, fat and carbohydrates, the same as humans. Tilapia are happy with just about anything that you throw in the pond and that can be a problem. Throw in 20 loaves of stale white bread, they eat ‘em up. Throw in rotten tomatoes from the garden, they eat ‘em up. They are teenagers on steroids, just like weed smoking ice cream eaters, eat it all!
Talapia are just floating water pigs!
When my clients talk about farming , sustainability, and all of the great things we aspire to, I keep thinking of the fish food tree. It really involves more time than I have to take away from my real estate career that supports my hobby, a big Tilapia pond on Maui! It is great to have the consciousness of being able to live in Paradise, grow your own food, and have the security of knowing you can grow your next meal if you need to, but somehow you need to put gas in the tank of your truck and Tilapia food in the mouths of your fish.
Think about Maui. Warm water, lots of rain, US government with lots of guns to defend us. If you have a choice do you want to live in a crowded city, with lots of traffic , dependent on the next train full of produce from Salinas, or do you want to take your chances with me on Maui with my Tilapia pond? You have a choice.
Aloha Tracy – I’m flying over today with my bamboo fishing pole… and I’ll be sure to get all my leftover food at the Wailea resorts put into doggie bags for your fish!!! ;) Seriously, what about leftover food from restaurants feeding your fish, and then you can donate some of your fish to feed people at a homeless shelter or halfway house? It’s the circle of life… can’t wait to see your talapia pond!
Hi Tracy, I’m trying to help my mom find some tilapia frys or fingerlings. I came across your site and was wondering if you had a source for where you got your fish population started at, or if you would be willing to sell/trade some of your fingerlings? Our property is a few miles past Maliko. Please contact me back at jeremiah64@gmail.com.
Thank you for your time.
Hi Tracy:
Nice website ! I don’t fish but I definitely want to give it a shot on your pond if I ever make it back to magical Maui.
Best regards,
Steve
Try googling black soldier fly grubs. They are plentiful in Hawaii, and rather easily raised.
Their protein content ranges in the 40%+, and their fat(lipid) content is in the mid 30% range.
These grubs area perfect sustainable food supply in Hawaii and their are specially designed
containers to attract the adults to lay their eggs and have larvae grow in before they self harvest themselves to your fish.
Check it out.
Leland,
This is great information. The problem is, I have over 2,000 pounds of fish in my pond and they eat 20 pounds of food a day. I need to find a way to mass produce any food source for these fish. The students at Seabury Hall in Makawao are working on the tropical Breadnut, a type of breadfruit that has 14% protein and some fat. I have several trees, but I still can’t get the quantity that I need to feed my hungry fish.