Rainbow trout are a popular food fish. They are found naturally in almost every part of the United States. They are a hardy fish and relatively easy to raise under the proper conditions. These trout are cold water fish and prefer temperatures at approximately 50-60F. Temperatures at or above 70F are lethal to rainbow trout.
Trout are a substantial part of aquaculture. About 70 million pounds of trout are raised in the United States annually. These fish are grown primarily as food fish, although some are raised for recreational purposes as well. The demand for trout is escalating so quickly that it is expected to increase by 500% over the next 25 years!
With the need in today's world for all operations to be ecologically friendly, trout farming is a major contributor to the green effort. Farm raised trout are quickly replacing the use of saltwater fish such as menhaden and jack mackerel. This means that through the use of aquaculture, fish can be farmed inland and thus decrease the need for boats that run on gasoline and oil, and add to the pollution of our waterways and atmosphere, to be sent out to commercially fish.
Unlike many other types of food fish, trout are marketed in various manners, such as fresh, frozen, dressed, boned, boneless filets, breaded, stuffed, canned, and smoked.
Because of the high consumption of trout, the U. S. Trout Farmers Association has developed a quality assurance program to ensure that high quality fish are grown and are safe for consumers. This means that when one sits down to a meal of trout, they can feel secure that they are eating an organically healthy catch and not have to worry about high levels of mercury contamination and other risks associated with consuming fish caught in the wild.
Trout can be raised either in an earthen pond or a concrete tank. It is important that a current is established regardless of which environment is chosen. This is difficult to achieve in a mud pond but not impossible. Another problem associated with raising trout in a mud pond is the growth of weeds and accumulation of organic matter. These factors increase the time needed for maintenance and upkeep of the pond. For this reason, most aquafarmers chose to grow out the fish in tanks.