Fish farms eat too much.

[BattelMatter]

I was trying to set up a fish farm. pretty simple right? the feeder holds 200kg of algae. simple stuff.

the fish however eats the food at a crazy high speed. like obsurd amounts. there cap is 456calories. they will drop maybe 6 calories and eat more. eatting an entire fodder within a single day. this dosnt seem right.

[SKull]

You're not supposed to keep feeding them, unless you want to turn all you're algae into polluted dirt.. If you just want meat and shells you can remove the feeder when the pool is full of fish.

[BattelMatter]

why does this need micro management though? in order to increase the growth rate you need to increase the happiness, and you cant groom a fish. i just want domesticated fish, why do they need to eat perpetually.its is so unessassary

[Strygald]

Originally posted by SKull:

You're not supposed to keep feeding them, unless you want to turn all you're algae into polluted dirt.. If you just want meat and shells you can remove the feeder when the pool is full of fish.

This is a really weird design decision, more so because all the other critters need to be fed constantly. What happens if you stop feeding fish in your aquarium?!

[Strygald]

Originally posted by BattelMatter:

why does this need micro management though? in order to increase the growth rate you need to increase the happiness, and you cant groom a fish. i just want domesticated fish, why do they need to eat perpetually.its is so unessassary

There is a way, though I suppose people will call it an exploit:

You can make a setup where the fish feeder only holds a maximum of 1kg to 5kg(or more if you want) of algae, and using automation you only allow it to be filled once per cycle. One Pacu has access to feed from it ... you can keep a Pacu alive and laying eggs with this method. You can build a battery of small tanks with 1 Pacu in each for more eggs.

This 'exploit' actually makes more sense to me than having some Pacu eat through tons of algae rapidly then continuing to exist with no food at all!

[Zannen]

Puft farm first before Fish farm! Anyways
You can use Airlock doors on the walls with automation. when they open, they will add space for water to go creating a low tide. Closing these doors will push the water creating a high tide making water to go up, allowing fish to reach your Feeder. you can time these with a clock. Doesn't consume energy at all, only the second when closing and opening doors.

Originally posted by Strygald:

There is a way, though I suppose people will call it an exploit:

You can make a setup where the fish feeder only holds a maximum of 1kg to 5kg(or more if you want) of algae, and using automation you only allow it to be filled once per cycle. One Pacu has access to feed from it ... you can keep a Pacu alive and laying eggs with this method. You can build a battery of small tanks with 1 Pacu in each for more eggs.

You can combine it with this Idea.

[Angpaur]

Tamed pacus if not fed start to starve. When starving wont lay more eggs. So they might go extinct.
If you feed it 1kg per cycle you will keep it happy and it should lay 2 eggs before start to starve. Then you can stop feeding it and just remove from tank and put there freshly born pacu to continue process until next starvation.

[Strygald]

They still have 7% base reproduction when starving, so the 1kg algae at least resets the time to starvation so they will live long enough to die of old age, probably laying another egg or two. How would you automate removing live adult pacu from the tank?

[BattelMatter]

i would still argue micro mangement of this calibre is stupid. they eat 10kg at a time (assuming a full fodder), and then proceed to have a snack every 6 seconds. so they bounce from 456 to 450. having to set up timed air locks, limited acess, or straight up limiting the fodder to 1kg just seems obsurd. the dups will be running constantly if its set to 1kg, wasting so much time. why cant they just eat like other critters.

[Strygald]

Originally posted by BattelMatter:

i would still argue micro mangement of this calibre is stupid. they eat 10kg at a time (assuming a full fodder), and then proceed to have a snack every 6 seconds. so they bounce from 456 to 450. having to set up timed air locks, limited acess, or straight up limiting the fodder to 1kg just seems obsurd. the dups will be running constantly if its set to 1kg, wasting so much time. why cant they just eat like other critters.

I'm not arguing it's fine as is, I think Pacus are poorly implemented. However, I don't think they will be changed much, so i'm ok coming up with workarounds. I would just say that you wouldn't have dupes filling feeders, that's too much of a waste of their time. You would automate the entire thing in a closed section using sweepers: sweepers can remove eggs, meat and other materials from the room, stick egg(s) in incubator(s), fill the feeder once per cycle, send excess eggs along with meat to the kitchen, etc..

Saying that though, I think I would just ranch Hatches instead ... plentiful food with +2000 tons of low-value rocks vs hard-to-get algae .. hmmm, coal vs polluted dirt .. hmmm

[Gunhaver]

Yeah I set up a pack farm with an automated feeder. Probabally wouldn't bother again. It would pump out 5k every morning. I did get lots of those greedy bastards and it was less tedious than doing it manually, but really pacu are just broken. They get stuck all the time, and either they burn way too many calories and/or algae doesn't fill them up nearly enough. Ugh and that look they make after eating from a feeder.. like they just crapped... Hose eggs tho... So many tasty omlett calories

[Zannen]

You'll need necessary systems going before ranching pacus.

First, you need a Morb + Puft Ranch Combo = Slime Supply to convert to Algae.

Next, you're not relying on Algae but Water as Oxygen supply. Just 1 Cool steam vent will help you out or whatever it is. Its up to you how you'll manage the heat.

Finally, create an Automation System for your Pacu Ranch and optional, with conveyers.

Pacus are for high quality food and a necessary Ranch to supply you with PDirt to convert Dirt. (there are also other ways.) By then you'll be able to start with the Sleat Wheat Grain Farm.

[Angpaur]

Originally posted by Strygald:

How would you automate removing live adult pacu from the tank?

Like this:

Pacu lives in a space above mesh tiles:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1798820160
When it starts to starve (can be measured using water clock) lower doors open and water level drops:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1798820194
Top door opens next and since pacu has no longer any water to swim, it moves to "retirement" tank ;-)

Here is automation part:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1798820228

This is just a proof of concept. Final automation for in-game solution will be more complicated, but I leave that for you to solve ;-)

[BattelMatter]

yeah hang on lemme just go mine some Neutronium.....

[Angpaur]

Originally posted by BattelMatter:

yeah hang on lemme just go mine some Neutronium.....

And what is that supposed to mean?
You think I want people to build using neutronium?

[BattelMatter]

are you really deense enough that that joke didnt get through? i dont even see the feeder. all im seeing is a washing machine