Yellow Perch | Aquaculture Tanks

An interesting video about Urban Aquaculture.
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Opposing Flows Technology Aquaculture Tanks being fabricated at its Parchman, Mississippi facility.
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Opposing Flows Technology Aquaculture Tanks being produced at it's UK location in Scotland. Only the highest quality materials are used. All hand laid fiberglass.
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Opposing Flows Technology Filter Unit coming together at the Parchman, MS facility.
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Equipment room that drives the fish farm. On the left are the positive displacement blower packages furnishing air for the complete farm. On the right are waste oil boilers which furnish hot water to the aquaculture tanks which are thermostatically controlled. The white tanks in the background are used to store well water.
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View of the harvest end of Opposing Flows Technology aquaculture tanks.
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Spray bars work on timers to remove foam from the system which contains submicron particles.

Yellow Perch

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Yellow Perch grown in Opposing Flows Technology Tank System being delivered to process plant.

Production Management For Twelve (12) Tank System

Tanks #1 & #2: 67,000 Fingerlings per tank starting at 1 inch long or .5 grams.

Tanks #3 – #6: 33,750 Fingerlings per tank. After 10 weeks the average size is 56 grams (about 5 inches long).

Tanks #7 – #12: 22,500 fish per tank.  After 10 weeks the average size is 100 grams (about 7 inches long).  These aquaculture tanks are harvested every 10 weeks.  5,000 pounds per tank or 30,000 pounds per harvest five times per year.

Note: This management technique is one that has been used for decades called “Stock Splitting”. Fingerlings are contracted from a hatchery for a ten week delivery schedule or ponds are installed for the facilities own production.

Operation Cost For Twelve (12) Tank System

Electric: $1,800. per month with an electric rate of $0.10 per KWH or $21,600 per year.

Fingerlings: 675,000 fish at $0.07 each = $47,250 per year.

Food: 150,000 pounds of fish x 1.3 FCR x $0.32 per pound of food = $62,400 per year.

Heat: 10,000 SQFT building heated with waste motor oil at $0.50 per gallon using 3,000 gallons per year = $1,500 per year

Property Tax: $2,500 per year.

Sewer Tax: $5,800 per year.

Insurance: Building and Fish Mortality = $8,000 per year.

Miscellaneous: Soda Ash, Salt, Testing Chemicals = $15,000 per year.

Labor: Part time 20 hours per week (grading and harvest) $10.00 per hour or $10,400 per year.

Total Annual Cost: $174,500

Average Selling Price: $3.20 per pound x 150,000 pounds per year = $480,000 per year.

Net Profit: $480,000 – $174,500 = $305,500

Note: These cost and production data are shown as an example of operating an aquaculture tank facility. Actual results may vary from state to state due to food cost, electric rate, insurance, labor and sale price which will effect the business profitability.

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Yellow Perch are hand filleted to get the maximum yield

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Farm raised Yellow Perch give a higher yield average of 52% versus wild caught perch of 44%

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Yellow Perch fillets are frozen using a spiral freezer which sprays a mist of water on both sides of the fillet which seals the meat

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Yellow Perch fillets on a pallet for shipping