AQUACULTURE
Compact tilapia “farm” ideal for smallholders
W
ith permission ~
finally ~ granted
by the Dept of
Environment Affairs &
Fisheries for the importation
of commercial stocks of Nile
tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
and the development of a
cost-effective, scaleable,
totally self-contained fish
production unit named
Farminabox, veteran
Muldersdrift fish farmer David
Fincham and business partner
William Kelly have put in
place the last pieces of the
puzzle to make small-scale
aquaculture a viable reality
throughout sub-Saharan
Africa.
Farminabox is easy to
transport, easy to erect, stock
and run, and can be configured to suit the needs and
budget of the individual
farmer.
In its larger iterations the
concept comprises a circular
10 000 litre tank fashioned
from plastic-coated fabric.
This is held in shape by a
simple framework of plastic
water pipe, and plumbed
into a dual filter comprising
two rigid cylindrical tanks
filled with biological filter
media, the primary (smaller)
tank to remove solid waste
and a secondary tank where
bio-remediation of the water
takes place through the
From page 14
151 snakes indigenous to
Southern Africa.
The Gauteng Smallholder has
published information on
eTrees of Southern Africa, the
definitive tree identification
app by renowned botanist
Braam van Wyk and the late
Piet van Wyk. However, the
app has been updated with
the addition of about 50
species and 2 750 photographs (many of these are of
full trees), which can be
zoomed in on tablet devices.
Of general use is Wildlife of
Southern Africa, featuring
more than 2 500 species
most likely to be encountered, with more than 1 600
images to assist with identification.
Categories covered are lower
invertebrates, spiders and
other arachnids, insects,
freshwater fishes, frogs,
reptiles, birds, mammals,
grasses, sedges, ferns and
fungi, wild flowers and
trees.
APPS
and succinct information
about their habits, habitats,
and key identification
markers.
A handy emergency numbers
list allows you to dial out
directly from the app so that
you can get help quickly.
The obvious companion app
is eSnakes of Southern Africa,
which is an interactive version
of Johan Marais' A Complete
Guide to the Snakes of
Southern Africa. It covers all
16
www.sasmallholder.co.za
Continued on page 18