AQUACULTURE
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cated and time consuming.
The result of the 30-plus year genetic fish
lineage that Timmons engineered is a viable
and robust female fish that is extremely
tolerant to low-oxygen, cold temperature,
and ammonia, high concentrations of
which would ordinarily kill tilapia.
“They grow really fast,” says Dixon. “And
some of them have a pumpkin seed wide
middle, which gives a really nice filet.”
Atlantic Pacific Jade, soon to be called
Dixon Aquafarms, does nutrient testing
on the fish. And the purging tank, the final
stop in fish-raising, maintains a constant
flow of fresh, not recirculated, water that is
as clear as an aquarium.
Fingerlings are young fish that are
nurtured to become full-grown tilapia for
market. But they can also be used to sell
to other fish farms. The fame of Timmons’
genetic engineering attracts buyers on a
regular basis.
Three or four male fish in a tank will typically
service 15-20 females. Breeding is approximately
a three-to-seven-day process.
A female will lay a pass of anywhere from
300 to 1,500 eggs and the male will follow,
fertilizing the eggs.
“They’re mouth brooders,” Dixon says.
Meaning that the female will pick up the
eggs into her mouth and move them
around inside.
“She keeps rolling them to keep them
from damage,” Timmons explains. “They
will hatch in her mouth and swim there for
a while, about seven days.”
The females are left on their own for a
couple of weeks and then are taken to their
own tank. The farmers then drain the tank
to catch the babies. “The females are reconditioned
to build up their body strength for
eight weeks, in a separate tank. Two weeks
later they go back to breed,” Timmons says.
A large sale of stock to the live-fish
market is on the horizon for Timmons and
Dixon just as the company is transitioning
ownership. This will be Dixon’s first sale under
his newly named venture, but Timmons
will be working right beside him.
READY FOR MARKET
The fish need to reach approximately
1.5 pounds for viable sale. In their final
production stage, they are moved into the
purging tank, which holds approximately
1,000 fish.
“We bring their temperature down, and
make sure their gi system is completely
cleaned out,” Timmons says. The time in the
clean-water purging tank also helps lessen
a strong fishy taste.
Timmons, Dixon and their crew will
basket the fish from the tank, weigh them,
oxygenate them and place them in approximately
16 to 20, 250-gallon holding
tanks. The fish are then loaded onto a truck
and taken to a North Carolina broker who
sells them to markets such as New York,
Cleveland and Chicago.
It’s a cyclical business, according to
Timmons.
“Too many fish farmers producing too
many fish brings the price down, then it’s
difficult to manage profits. And companies
go out of business, which creates another
shortage and prices go up again.” But currently,
“There’s a shortage of live tilapia,”
Timmons says.
And the American/Asian market relies
heavily on live fish. Dixon says, “There are
not a lot of tilapia farms in America and not
that many hatcheries.”
The field expertise and practical application
from years of research brings a successful
farming endeavor to the area, plotting
the future safety of food and supplying
a protein-rich, sustainable food source. And
it will continue to benefit United Against
Poverty, as Timmons helps those in need
stock their grocery program.
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