Fish bred in fish farms differ in their biological characteristics, requirements for environmental conditions, primarily for temperature conditions and the chemical composition of water. In relation to water temperature, they are divided into two groups: heat-loving and cold-loving fish species. These characteristics of fish largely determine the structure of fish farms and the organization of the fish farming process. In this regard, modern pond fish farming is represented by two types of farms: warm-water (carp) and cold-water (trout). They differ in their structure, including the degree of flow, depth and size of the ponds. Fish ponds must provide an ecological environment that meets the vital needs of the fish being farmed.
In our country, warm-water fish farming has become more developed. The objects of breeding in warm-water farms are fish in which the main life processes (growth, development, reproduction) take place at temperatures above 18°C. These fish include carp, silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp, black carp, paddlefish, bester, channel catfish, etc.
In cold-water fish farms, fish that live in cold waters are bred: trout, salmon, peled, whitefish, etc.
Depending on the completeness of the fish-breeding process and the nature of the products produced, fish-breeding enterprises are classified as full-system, nurseries and feeding farms.
In full-system fish farms, a full cycle of fish cultivation is carried out, starting from the production of offspring and ending with the cultivation of marketable products. Such farms have ponds of the following categories: spawning, feeding, breeding and quarantine-isolation.
In partial-system farms, planting material is grown in fish hatcheries. They can be larvae, fry, fingerlings, or yearlings. Table (commercial) fish are grown in feeding farms. Based on the duration of cultivation of commercial (table) fish, farms are divided into annual, biennial and three-year.
At different stages of the life cycle and different seasons of the year, fish have certain requirements for living conditions. In accordance with these requirements, fish ponds are built, differing in their characteristics.
Warm-water fish farm ponds are divided into four groups according to their purpose: water supply - head, warming, settling ponds; production - spawning, fry, nursery, wintering, feeding and uterine; sanitary and preventive - quarantine, isolation; auxiliary - ponds-cages.
Head the pond is designed to accumulate water with its subsequent supply to the system of production puds. It is used as a feeding stock if it is not used to supply water to nursery ponds. The size of this pond is determined depending on the area of the production ponds, the terrain and other factors.
Warming ponds are used where the water in the ponds comes from a well and the water temperature is usually much lower than necessary when growing carp and other warm-water fish.
Settling ponds- used in fish farms, when it is necessary to reduce the content of gases in water when they are oversaturated after the water passes through the cooling system at a state district power plant.
Spawning ponds are designed for the natural reproduction of fish and must meet optimal conditions for spawning, development of eggs, and maintenance of larvae. The optimal area of such ponds is 0.1 hectares, the average depth is 60 cm, the maximum (at the spillway) is 1.0 m, the shallow zone (depth 30-50 cm) accounts for 70% of the area. The bottom of spawning ponds is covered with soft meadow vegetation, which serves as a substrate for sticky1 fish eggs. Each such pond is filled with water and drained within 2 hours. Spawning ponds should be placed in non-swampy areas with calm terrain, on soils covered with soft meadow vegetation. In the absence of it, grasses are sown or artificial spawning grounds are arranged. Water supply and emptying of ponds must be independent. Spawning ponds should not be used for other purposes, so as not to lead to the leaching and disappearance of meadow vegetation at the bottom, as well as for reasons of disease prevention. Most often they are located next to mother and fry ponds.
Fry(seedling) ponds are designed for rearing larvae transplanted from spawning ponds or coming from the hatchery. They are used in the first 25-30 days. Larvae at the age of 3-4 days are transplanted here from the hatchery. The area of fry ponds is 0.2-1.0 hectares, the average depth is 0.8-1.0 m. The duration of filling and draining one pond should not exceed 12 hours. It is advisable to place them on fertile soils that promote the massive development of food organisms for young fish.
Sometimes fry ponds are used for spawning and rearing of fingerlings. In many fish farms they are absent altogether. In this case, larvae from spawning ponds are transplanted directly into nursery ponds. warm water fish farm pond
Growing up ponds are used for rearing fingerlings. Larvae transplanted from spawning or fry ponds are kept in nursery ponds until the end of the growing season (until October). By this time, the juveniles reach 25-30 g. The area of the nursery ponds is 10-15 hectares, the average depth is 1.0 m. It is advisable to locate them near spawning and fry ponds on fertile soils. The water supply for nursery ponds must be independent, with various types of filters installed on the water supply system. The recommended duration of filling ponds is 10-15 days, draining is 3-5 days. The juveniles are then transplanted into wintering ponds.
With a three-year turnover of a carp pond farm, a distinction is made between nursery ponds of the first and second order - the latter are intended for raising two-year-old fish, which are not yet marketable fish.
feeding ponds are intended for growing commercial (table) fish. Ponds in this category are the largest on the farm. Their sizes are determined by the terrain. It is advisable, for ease of operation, to build feeding ponds with an area of 50-100 hectares. Great depths are unfavorable for; nutrition and growth of fish, which is associated with lower water temperatures and less oxygen content in them. The average depth is 1.3-1.5 m. Filling time depends on the area and ranges from 10 to 25 days, lowering time - from 5 to 10 days. To ensure better performance, ponds must be well designed so that they are completely drained when the water is released. Feeding ponds are divided into dammed and run-of-river ponds. Channel ones must also be drainage; they are created by blocking the river bed with a dam; accordingly, they have large differences in depth (up to 5 m or more). In central Russia they are used from April to October.
Wintering ponds are designed for winter fish keeping. They are located close to the source of water supply to reduce the length of the water supply channel or tray, which reduces the possibility of cooling water during its entry into the ponds, avoiding snow drifts and stopping the water supply to wintering ponds.
The main requirement for wintering ponds is the creation of optimal conditions for wintering fish stock, as well as fish of older age groups.
Their area is 0.5-1.0 hectares, depth 2.0-2.2 m. The depth of the non-freezing layer of water is 1.0-1.2 m. The bottom is loamy or sandy loam, dense. Complete water exchange in these ponds should be carried out within 15-20 days. The time for filling and draining water from the pond is 0.5-1.0 days. They are located near a water source.
Recently, wintering pools have been used to overwinter planting material. Usually a wintering complex is built, which is a collection of several pools closed on top by a storage room. The number of pools depends on the capacity of the farm. The depth of each is 1.5 m, width - 1.54, length - 6.5, the area of the pools is about 10 m2. The bottom and walls are lined with facing tiles. The water is enriched with oxygen due to the compressor. A complete water change is carried out in 10 hours. The density of fingerlings per unit area of the pool is 120-150 times greater than in conventional wintering ponds.
Uterine summer and winter ponds are intended for summer and winter maintenance of breeders and repairs. The size of the ponds depends on the number of producers. The construction of this category of ponds should be given special importance. Providing appropriate conditions for broodstock and replacement young stock is an important condition for obtaining high-quality offspring. Their area depends on the number of producers and replacement young stock available on the farm.
Quarantine ponds are intended for temporary housing and treatment of sick fish or producers imported from other farms. The area of ponds is usually 0.2 - 0.4 hectares, the average depth is 1.0-1.3 m. The bottom should be smooth and dense. These ponds should be located on the outskirts of the farm to prevent the possible spread of infection in the event of an outbreak of disease in imported fish.
Insulating ponds The design and location are similar to quarantine ones, only deeper (up to 2.2 m). They contain sick fish, which overwinter here.
cages belong to auxiliary ponds-pools. They are used mainly in the fall for short-term maintenance of live fish before they are sold (in pond farms). The size of the cages is 500-1000 m2. depth - up to 2 m. They are located close to water sources.
FISH TYPES
In homestead ponds, carp, tench, crucian carp, grass carp, silver carp, pike, and pike perch are well bred; In the northern regions, trout, whitefish, and peled are grown. Among the low-value, weedy fish that can live in reservoirs are perch, gudgeon, perch, roach and loaches.
According to the requirements for environmental conditions, fish are divided into two types: heat-loving and cold-loving.
Heat-loving (cyprinids) grow well, develop and prefer reservoirs with standing water, well warmed up, with moderately developed aquatic vegetation in them. They reproduce in the autumn-summer period. The eggs are spawned onto freshly drenched vegetation. Usually, after a few days, larvae emerge from the eggs, which then turn into fry.
Cold-loving
fish are demanding of clean water with a high concentration of oxygen in it. Eggs are laid by cold-loving fish, usually in late autumn on rocky ground, where they develop over several months.
It is advisable to breed several types of fish in a home pond, which increases the overall yield of fish products due to the different nutritional spectrum.
Carp- the most common fish in ponds. It is prolific, grows quickly, has good taste (proteins up to 16%, fats up to 15%). For carp, the optimal water temperature is 22-27°C, oxygen is sufficient at 5-7 mg/l. Under such conditions and abundant feeding, the increase is 5-7 g per day.
In winter, carp usually do not feed; during this period, 4-5 mg/l of oxygen is enough for them. With an oxygen concentration of only 0.3-0.5 mg/l in winter and 0.5 mg/l in summer, it dies.
The food of carp is varied - from small crustaceans (daphnia, cyclops) to worms, mosquito larvae and other insects. In addition, carp digest grain waste, cakes, and mixed feed well.
Sexual maturity occurs at 4-5 years of age. Carp lay their eggs on the grass in various small areas of the reservoir. Spawning usually takes place at a water temperature of at least 17-18°C, in calm, sunny and windless weather. Per 1 kg of mass, the female lays about 180 thousand eggs, which develop up to 5 days. The larva turns into a fry in 4-5 days.
Fry from spawning ponds are transplanted into nursery ponds, where they grow until autumn. Their standard weight should be at least 20-30 g by autumn. After wintering, they are transplanted into feeding ponds for growing commercial fish and kept for up to 2 years, at which point the production cycle usually ends.
crucian carp- typical pond fish. There are golden crucian carp (in ponds) and silver crucian carp (in flowing water bodies). They differ only in external coloring and some morphological characteristics.
Sedentary and lazy crucian carp feel best in thickets of aquatic vegetation, where they find food (lower crustaceans, mosquito larvae, oligochaena, mollusks, detritus, algae, insect larvae, worms). If it is sufficient, golden crucian carp at 8-10 years old weighs 1-1.5 kg, silver crucian carp at 5-6 years old weighs up to 1 kg.
Sexual maturity of crucian carp occurs at two or three years of age. The fertility of a female weighing 200-300 g is up to 300 thousand eggs. Spawning occurs at water temperatures above 18-20°C, usually in the second half of May-June.
Crucian carp spawn 2-3 times at intervals of up to 7 days. It “sticks” to vegetation and develops over several days.
It should be noted that crucian carp are one of the most valuable fish breeds when bred by amateur fish farmers in small reservoirs, since they are not very demanding on the oxygen regime. However, it is necessary to constantly regulate their reproduction in order to prevent overpopulation of the reservoir and reduction of the mass.
Golden crucian carp is a strong competitor to carp in nutrition, so it is not recommended to grow them in the same pond. For joint cultivation, it is better to take silver crucian carp.
Tench lives in ponds, lakes and rivers overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Its meat has a good taste and high protein content (18%). It is little demanding on the oxygen regime. Tench fry feed on small crustaceans and rotifers, while adults feed on chironomid larvae and mollusks.
Tench grows slowly in ponds; in natural conditions, individuals weighing 6-8 kg are found and live 10-12 years.
Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 2-3 years. Eggs are laid on aquatic vegetation at intervals of 14 days throughout most of the summer. It develops in 5-7 days. Fertility depends on the size of the female (from 50 to 300 thousand pieces). Spawning usually takes place in warm water at temperatures above 22°C.
Tench breed well in non-drainable and overgrown ponds. This fish is very shy, afraid of noise, quickly buries itself in the mud and scatters throughout the pond. Therefore, it is better to catch it with a venter, a top or a fishing rod.
White amur- a typical herbivorous fish. An adult eats various aquatic vegetation of ponds - 30-70 kg per 1 kg of growth. The fry feed on crustaceans and rotifers. If there is little vegetation, it can compete with carp in nutrition, even eating mixed feed. Therefore, they are planted in overgrown ponds at the rate of 100-300 pieces per hectare of water surface.
The growth of grass carp is 500-700 g per summer (in cooling ponds of thermal power plants, the average growth per season is 2-3 kg).
Sexual maturity occurs at 6-8 years. Spawning in natural conditions has not been observed - this is an artificially propagated fish. To produce offspring, broodstock are kept in special ponds or pools with warm water; to mature the reproductive products, the pituitary glands of carp or carp are injected into the body muscles. Females are subjected to a fractional injection, males - a single injection, after which maturation occurs after 9-10 hours. In mature females, eggs, 400-800 thousand pieces, are filtered and fertilized with the milk of males using a dry method. After fertilization, the eggs are washed with clean pond water and placed in incubation apparatus for 18-32 hours. The embryos that hatch from the eggs fall by gravity into special catch cages. They are kept in the apparatus until the transition to mixed feeding. Later they go to ponds for growing or sale.
Silver carp. There are two types - white and motley, differing in color, growth, and feeding method.
Silver carp feeds exclusively on microscopic algae, while bighead carp also feed on zooplankton. The growth of silver carp is somewhat less than its counterpart.
There are bighead carp weighing up to 28, and white carp weighing up to 16 kg.
Bighead carp forms hybrid forms with silver carp. The production rate per 1 hectare of feeding pond is 500-1000 yearlings, depending on the food supply.
Perch.
Pike brings great benefits in water bodies overpopulated with small weed fish, destroys sick fish, which prevents the spread of certain diseases. It is also one of the factors for better growth of fish: by accelerating, it increases their appetite, they eat and grow better.
The nutritional value of pike is high: at two or three years of age, the meat contains 18-19% proteins.
Perch- inhabitant of lakes and rivers. In its predatory greed it is not inferior to the pike; it is very voracious. He eats any fish, as long as it is the right size, sometimes he eats his own offspring, he loves caviar of different breeds of fish, and fry in winter.
Perch is undesirable in carp ponds, especially where young fish are being reared. They fight it by installing nets and filters on waterfall canals, bowls, as well as by draining ponds and disinfecting them with lime. Perch is demanding on the oxygen regime, so it can be transferred in winter by artificially creating an oxygen deficiency, reducing strength, and introducing organic fertilizers into the ice holes.
SYSTEMS AND TURNOVERS OF POND CARP FARMS
Pond carp farming systems. Depending on the completeness of the technological process of growing fish, pond carp farms are divided into full-system and partial-system. In a full-system farm, fish are raised from eggs to marketable mass. In such a farm there is a fish hatchery, where replacement and broodstock of carp breeders are raised and maintained, and in the southern regions, herbivorous fish. In a fish hatchery, pond fish are reproduced by hatchery or natural spawning, juveniles are raised, fish are raised and kept in
winter time. After wintering in a fish hatchery, the fish are grown in a full-system farm to marketable weight. Full-system farms also include breeding farms in which carp producers of different breeds and layers are raised. Partial-system farms are divided into fish hatcheries and feeding farms. The fish hatchery produces planting material, which is then grown to marketable weight in another feeding farm. The feeding farm grows only marketable fish from planting material brought from nurseries. Fish hatcheries are divided into ordinary, zonal or specialized reproductive complexes of herbivorous fish.
The choice of one or another pond carp farming system during design and construction depends on the natural, climatic, technological, organizational and economic conditions, the area and topography of the area, the quality of the water source and the volume of water supplied by it, the social and economic conditions for the development of fish farming in a particular region, and also from the need to provide planting material for pasture reservoirs and reservoirs for small-scale fish farming.
Turnover of pond carp farms. The duration of fish rearing in full-system pond carp farms from eggs to marketable mass is called turnover and consists of the number of summer periods to achieve it.
Carps are not grown in winter. Therefore, farms use one-year, two-year or three-year rotations. When choosing the duration of fish farming, they take into account the farming system, the biology of the growing objects (carp, herbivorous fish), climatic conditions, the attitude of buyers to the weight standards of different types of fish,
economic preconditions of the market, etc.
Pond carp farms in the Russian Federation mainly use a two-year rotation. With the level of intensification of fish farming developed in the 70-80s, it makes it possible to grow commercial carp weighing from 350 g in fish farming zone I to 500 g in zone VI in two years. With a decrease in stocking density and a factory method of carp reproduction, which allows the larvae to be trained 20-30 days earlier than usual, in zone VI
fish farming commercial carp can be obtained in one summer. The technological norm for the average weight of marketable carp in the conditions of zones I - V of pond fish farming is in the range of 350-460 g. In regions where the population prefers to buy larger fish, it is advisable to grow it with a three-year rotation. The average weight of carp reaches 750 g or more. Since herbivorous fish are grown in polyculture with carp, the period for their cultivation to marketable weight is the same as for carp. However, due to the fact that herbivores are more thermophilic and grow slower than carp in the Central and Northern regions of the Russian Federation, in fish farming zones I and II they are grown to marketable weight only after a three-year rotation.
In a full-system pond carp farm, ponds are divided into production and special. In turn, production ponds are divided into summer and winter. Summer ponds include spawning, fry, nursery and feeding ponds.
Spawning ponds (spawning grounds) designed for natural spawning of carp. The area of the pond is small and amounts to 0.1 hectares. To quickly warm up the water, the shallow spawning zone with a depth of up to 0.5 m should make up 50-70% of the total area, and the maximum water depth at the bottom drainage does not exceed 1.5 m. The pond bed should be flat and covered with soft meadow vegetation, which is the substrate for sticky carp caviar. Spawning ponds are built on fertile, non-swampy soils away from roads and other sources of noise. The ponds are completely drainage. To concentrate the larvae in the drainage area, “herringbone” grooves with a width and depth of up to 0.4 m are made along the pond bed. After the spawning campaign, ponds of this category remain drained until the next spawning and should be overgrown with meadow vegetation.
Fry ponds are intended for rearing larvae of carp and herbivorous fish obtained in a factory way. The area of each pond is 1 hectare. The average water depth is 1.5 m, with a maximum of 1.8 m at the bottom spillway, not counting the depth of the ditch. Ponds in this category are built on fertile, well-planned, non-waterlogged soils, with a slight slope towards the spillway. A fish collection network of ditches is made on the pond bed.
Nursery ponds designed for growing young of the year carp, herbivores and other fish species. The standard pond area is 10-15 hectares, the average depth in zone I is 1.0 m with a gradual increase to 1.5 m in fish farming zone VI. In the area of the drainage, the depth should be from 1.5 to 2.5 m, respectively. Nursery ponds can be of two types: first and second order. On farms with a two-year turnover, only first-order ponds are built, and on farms with a three-year turnover, two types are built. The area of second-order nursery ponds is 50-100 hectares with an average depth of 1.3 m, at the spillway - 2.0-2.3 m. Nursery ponds must be well planned and have fish collection ditches. They can be built on soils of different fertility: pebble, peat, sandy, saline, black soil and others.
feeding ponds designed for growing fish to marketable weight. They are divided into two types - dammed and riverbed. Dammed ponds are formed when part of a river's floodplain is embanked. Their standard area is 100-150 hectares, with an average depth of 1.3 m in zone I, increasing to 2.2 m in zone VI. Channel ponds are formed by blocking a river valley, stream or dry land with a transverse dam; their area can reach 200 hectares or more, depending on the terrain and the given depth of the pond. The average depth of feeding riverbed ponds depends on the slope of the watercourse valley or dry land and the area of the pond to be laid. It is allowed to increase the average depth of the riverbed pond to 3.0 m.
Wintering ponds (wintering areas) belong to the group of winter ponds. They are intended for keeping pond fish of different ages, including breeders, during the winter. The standard area of one pond is 0.5-1.0 hectares. The total average water depth in ponds of this category is composed of the depth of the water layer that does not freeze in winter, which must be at least 1.2 m, and the thickness of the ice formed during the coldest winter conditions of a particular pond fish farming zone. The average water depth in winter quarters in the northern regions of the country reaches 2 m, in the southern regions - 1.5 m.
Wintering ponds are divided into wintering ponds of the first order for the wintering of underyearlings of carp and herbivorous fish, second order for the wintering of two-year-olds of the same fish species with a three-year rotation, wintering ponds, which contain older fish, but not yet matured and intended to replenish and replace the stock of breeders (this group of fish is called “repair”) and winter-breeding fish, for wintering the breeding stock of fish.
Wintering ponds are located in close proximity to the source of water supply, on dense, non-silted and non-waterlogged soils, preferably loamy or sandy loam. The vegetation layer must be removed or carefully mowed.
Special ponds in carp pond farms include summer broodstock and summer repair ponds, quarantine and isolation ponds, live fish earthen cages and a head water storage pond for supplying the farm’s ponds with water.
Summer breeding and maintenance ponds serve for feeding spawners and replacement young pond fish. These ponds are subject to the same requirements as feeding ponds, but their area depends on the number of breeders and replacement young stock available on the farm and is determined depending on the density of fish stocking.
Quarantine ponds designed for aging fish imported from other farms. The area of this category of ponds is small - from 0.1 to 0.5 hectares with an average depth of 1.2 m. To prevent diseases of other fish, quarantine ponds are located at the very end of the farm at a distance of no closer than 20 m from the rest of the ponds; water supply and discharge must be independent. You can drain water from the pond only after disinfecting the water. The bottom of the pond should be dense and level. Quarantine ponds cannot be used for other purposes.
Isolation ponds Designed for keeping sick fish. These ponds must meet the same requirements as quarantine ponds, but since their operation is also possible in winter, up to 60% of their area must have a water depth equal to the depth in the wintering ponds of the corresponding zone.
Live fish earthen cages serve to preserve fish alive and sell it at any time of the year. They have a rectangular shape with an aspect ratio of 1: 3-1: 4, an area of up to 0.1 hectares, the depth of such cages should be the same as for wintering shelters in the corresponding zone.
Head Pond is a water storage device for filling and feeding ponds of all categories. To discharge excess water, it is equipped with a spillway or flood spillway. In the head pond, the water is heated and freed from suspended matter. Intensive cultivation of fish in the head pond is prohibited in order to avoid the possible occurrence and spread of fish diseases throughout the farm.
The percentage of ponds of various categories is determined by calculation and depends on the system and turnover of the pond farm, the level of intensification, the technology used, the zone of pond fish farming, the set of tasks solved by a specific farm, and other conditions. The ponds of carp fish farms are equipped with various hydraulic structures: a head dam, spillways, dams, bottom drains, a verkhovna, etc.
The largest and most expensive structure is the head dam, which is used to block the watercourse and create a head pond (reservoir). The height of the dam, taking into account the terrain, should create a water supply that meets the needs of the farm at any time of the year. To prevent erosion of the dam by flood and rainwater, a spillway is installed on it. Dams (dams) are also built to create
channel and dammed ponds of various categories.
A very important hydraulic structure of the pond is the bottom drainage, which serves to regulate the depth of water and ensures its complete discharge if necessary. Drains (water outlets), depending on the category and area of the pond, have different sizes and design features.
An important hydraulic structure is the water supply and drainage system, which is a network of earthen channels, wooden trays or asbestos-cement pipes and regulatory structures (gateways, partitioning structures, etc.).
In the practice of pond fish farming when growing carp, two main economic systems can be distinguished: full-system carp farms and partial-system ones. Full-system farms are characterized by a full cycle of fish breeding, from eggs to marketable condition.
In a partial-system pond farm, only fish stock (nursery) or marketable fish (feeding farm) are grown.
During rearing in a full-system pond carp farm, the fish complete a two-year rotation. In the first summer it grows from a larva to a fingerling, in the second - from a yearling to a marketable mass.
The full production cycle in a full-system pond farm includes: maintaining its own broodstock of producers: males and females of the necessary fish; obtaining viable larvae to provide the farm with its own fish seeding material; rearing juveniles from larvae to fingerlings during one summer; wintering of fish; growing fish during the second summer to marketable condition.
Full-system pond fisheries, where the process of growing fish occurs according to the above scheme, should include a whole system of categories of ponds of different sizes and purposes, corresponding to the stages of development and maintenance of generations of fish of different ages: spawning, fry, uterine, nursery, wintering, quarantine and feeding .
Spawning ponds intended for fish breeding. It is advisable to place them on soils with soft meadow vegetation, as far as possible from roadways and livestock runs, in places well warmed by the sun, protected from northern and northeastern winds. These conditions are necessary in order to provide the fish with peace during the spawning period. The number of spawning ponds is determined depending on the area and capacity of the farm and the need for juveniles of the produced fish species.
Fry ponds serve for growing fry for 30-45 days before transplanting them into nursery ponds. If there are no nursery ponds, the fry are placed in feeding ponds.
Mother ponds are used for summer and winter maintenance of broodstock and replacement young stock. There should be at least 15 m2 of brood pond area for each breeder and 7.5 m2 for each younger fish.
Nursery ponds necessary for raising fingerlings. When the fry begins to grow in spawning ponds, it becomes crowded there. It is transplanted into nursery ponds. This category of ponds has large areas. In Belarus, their average area ranges from 7 to 30 hectares.
Before transplanting fry into nursery ponds, hydraulic structures are repaired, drainage ditches are cleaned, pond beds are limed, and feeding areas are determined. Ponds should have high natural productivity.
Wintering ponds are intended for winter maintenance of carp fingerlings transplanted from nursery ponds. These ponds have the required depths and do not freeze during wintering of fish. In our conditions, up to 400 thousand pieces are planted per 1 hectare of such a pond. carp fingerlings In recent years, feeding and nursery ponds have often been used for wintering young of the year.
Quarantine Pond used as an insulator for aging fish imported from other farms.
feeding ponds- these are the largest reservoirs by area, where fish go through the last stage of development (fattening) in order to achieve their marketable condition. The fish come here at one year of age after wintering. During the second summer it fattens up and in the fall after harvesting it enters the trading network.
The ratio of ponds of individual categories according to the agricultural management system, as of January 1, 1983, is as follows: spawning - 96 hectares, or 0.47%, summer broodstock - 215 hectares, or 1.05%, wintering - 218 hectares, or 1.07 %, nursery - 3200 hectares, or 15.70%, feeding - 16400 hectares, or 80.40%, quarantine - 270 hectares, or 1.31%.
When designing and constructing new farms, regardless of their purpose, it is imperative to provide for the complete drainage of ponds of all categories.
The production process for growing fish in a full-system pond farm with a two-year turnover is presented below.
* The calculations use average data for Russia
4,000,000 ₽
Minimum starting capital
From 4 years
Payback
25%
Profitability
The fishing industry is of great interest to entrepreneurs. This direction is in demand and promising, although it requires considerable investment and is associated with certain risks. Both natural and artificial (pond) reservoirs are suitable for fish farming. Domesticated fish and their hybrids are grown in them.
Pond fish farming, which is discussed in this article, is the cultivation of fish using intensive technologies and is characterized by a high degree of use of all components of the food supply of reservoirs plus additional feed. The main goals of pond fish farming are natural and artificial fish breeding, selection and breeding work and acclimatization of new fish species.
The main expenses in this business are related to the organization of a reservoir, which must be at least 1-1.5 hectares in area, its maintenance and the cost of purchasing feed. However, in addition to funds, you also need to have good knowledge in this area. The mistakes that beginners often make can have serious consequences.
Artificial reservoir for breeding and keeping fish
Reservoirs used for water supply to livestock farms, irrigation of plots, watering livestock, etc. are suitable for fish breeding. In addition, separate reservoirs - fish ponds - can be built for these purposes. The first option is in most cases suitable as an additional source of income and increasing the profitability of livestock farming. The second option can become an independent type of profitable business. The main feature of a fish pond, which distinguishes it from natural reservoirs, is the ability to control all biological processes occurring in it - from growing fish to breeding food supplies.
You need to start this difficult business by finding a place for a pond in which fish will be kept and bred, or a place for it. It doesn't matter whether you are planning to build a new pond or restore a damaged pond, a pond used for fish farming purposes must meet several basic requirements.
These requirements apply to both its location and the characteristics of the reservoir itself. In the first case, pay attention to the presence of developed infrastructure near your future fish farm. It is necessary to have access roads and settlements nearby. As mentioned above, the minimum area of your pond should be at least one hectare. However, one should not go to the other extreme: a large pond is much more difficult to maintain, expensive to maintain, and its fish productivity is noticeably lower than small ponds.
Artificial reservoirs are constructed in two main ways: using dams or by excavation. The choice of one method or another depends on the terrain, soil characteristics, source of water supply and other factors. Experts consider the most suitable body of water formed using an artificial dam on a flowing source (spring or stream). In this case, it will be easier to organize water exchange. Another quite profitable option is to construct a dam for spring and rainwater. With intense movement of such waters, it will be possible to simply install a dam in the right place.
But digging a reservoir “from scratch” is the most expensive option. If you prefer it, then carefully select the site for its construction, taking into account the structure of the soil and the composition of the water. Sandy and swampy soils will not be suitable in this case, or you will have to make an artificial bed for the reservoir from monolithic or precast reinforced concrete. The first option is more expensive, and the second requires additional sealing of the seams.
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However, regardless of the type of reservoir, its bottom should be as smooth as possible. If there are holes and low places at the bottom of the pond, the soil becomes swamped, which can be fatal for fish. A fish pit should be provided in the center of the reservoir near the drainage, which will allow you to quickly catch the inhabitants of the pond and drain the reservoir for the winter. Please note: overwintering of fish is only possible in ponds with running water. It is most advantageous to supply water to the pond by gravity through pipes or channels. Using a pump significantly increases the cost of the entire project.
It is best to make the pond drainage. If you can drain and refill the pond, this will allow you to fish and regularly clear the bottom of the pond of silt. Drainage ponds are more convenient, produce more fish and are less prone to waterlogging. When choosing or arranging a reservoir, pay attention to the area adjacent to it.
Shrubs, trees, stumps, snags growing near the shore of the pond must be uprooted, otherwise in the future they may contribute to its siltation and overgrowth. It is advisable that springs, groundwater outlets or springs are located nearby. If such sources exist, it is recommended to clear them, thus ensuring a natural flow of water into your pond.
Types of ponds suitable for fish farming
There are several main types of ponds, which vary in location. The most common are the so-called stagnant or low-flow gully ponds, which are located on gentle ravines or dry hollows. Such household ponds are small in area (from 0.5 hectares with a depth of up to 1.5 meters) and are used for water supply, bathing, irrigation, etc. Due to their shallow depth, the water in such ponds quickly warms up in the sun.
They are suitable for breeding carp, tench, pike perch, crucian carp and other types of fish. If you have chosen just such a pond for your fish farm, then its preliminary preparation for the release of fish will consist of cleaning the bottom of the reservoir from silt, installing a bottom drainage and catching weed fish.
Forest and park ponds are less commonly used for fish farming, as they require a lot of preparatory work before releasing the fish. First, they need to be drained (for at least one to two years), cleared of silt, snags and stumps, and a bottom drain installed.
Reservoir ponds, as a rule, have a vast water area - from several tens to hundreds of hectares, and are used for irrigating fields. If such a pond is planned to be used for fish breeding, then experts advise paying special attention to cleaning and leveling the bottom. In such areas you can breed carp, carp, pike perch, bream, trout, sterlet, whitefish, etc.
Peat quarry ponds are formed after peat has been extracted. Their area is several hundred thousand hectares. However, due to the large number of snags, stumps, earthen embankments, holes, etc., fishing in such ponds is very difficult. On the other hand, if there are sufficient funds for preparing and filling a quarry pond with water, the “productivity” of such a fish farm, even with extensive cultivation, can amount to a couple of centners of fish per 1 hectare of water area per year.
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So, no matter where your pond is located, it may require a whole range of expensive preparatory work: drainage (to drain a non-draining pond, water is pumped out), clearing the bottom, removing stumps and branches, leveling the bottom and slopes, installing supply and drainage channels water, filling the pond with water.
Basic water requirements
The quality of the water in your pond is key. Of course, there are some species of fish that survive in polluted and oxygen-poor water, but it is better to spend time and money on creating a suitable environment so that the fish not only survive, but grow well, quickly gain weight and reproduce.
The quality of water in a reservoir is determined, first of all, by the oxygen it contains, which is consumed by fish during respiration. Lack of oxygen negatively affects all life processes of fish and can lead to its death. In natural reservoirs, water is saturated with oxygen from the air under the influence of wind and temperature changes. A large amount of oxygen is also released by aquatic plants. The recommended oxygen content in a pond is 5-7 mg per liter of water.
When the oxygen content in water drops to 0.3-0.5 mg per liter, the fish die. In winter, due to the formation of ice on the water and the cessation of oxygen release by plants in stagnant reservoirs, the oxygen content drops sharply, so in the cold season it is necessary to carry out additional aeration of the water.
In addition to oxygen, other gases also dissolve in water, including methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide. Free carbon dioxide levels of more than 10-20 mg per liter can also have a detrimental effect on fish. In order to avoid the formation of harmful gases in the water, it is necessary to regularly clean the pond of excess silt and aquatic vegetation. For the same purposes, the soil is drained and mineralized, peat areas are poured with lime and excess vegetation is burned.
In addition to the oxygen content of water, its reaction is also of great importance, which can be acidic (pH less than 7), alkaline (pH above 7) and neutral (pH = 7). To reduce the acidity of water, lime is added to it or lime filters are installed at sources. For the full development of any organisms in water, various minerals are needed - potassium, calcium and other salts, phosphorus and nitrogen compounds.
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In the natural environment, salts come from the soil, dissolving in water. In addition, the enrichment of water with minerals occurs during the decomposition and mineralization of silt deposits into two reservoirs. In artificially created reservoirs one cannot do without organic and mineral fertilizers, which enrich the water with all the necessary minerals.
Iron in fresh water is usually found in the form of oxide salts. If the reservoir is supplied with water from a spring, then it may contain salts of ferrous iron, which, when converted to oxide, absorbs a large amount of oxygen, forming iron oxide hydrate. The latter can accumulate on the gills of fish in the form of a brown coating, making breathing difficult. This is especially harmful when the water is highly acidic. On the other hand, plant and animal organisms cannot do without iron. To reduce the iron content in water, the water is additionally aerated, since oxygen leads to the oxidation of iron and its precipitation.
In fish farms, it is extremely important to regularly analyze the water in the reservoir, paying attention to the following parameters: temperature, acidity, oxygen content, hydrogen sulfide and minerals. In some cases (primarily in winter), such measurements need to be carried out daily. Before stocking a reservoir with fish, experts advise having the water analyzed in a hydrochemical laboratory. Such laboratories are located at SES and Vodokanal. There are also independent laboratories that perform more advanced analysis, which is preferable.
Features of fish breeding
The choice of certain groups of fish depends, first of all, on the condition of the reservoir. According to their keeping conditions, all types of fish that are suitable for pond farming can be divided into heat-loving and cold-loving. Heat-loving fish thrive in well-warmed, standing water. They are not so demanding on oxygen content. This group of fish includes representatives of the carp family. Cold-loving species, on the contrary, need clean, cool water with a high oxygen content. These fish are suitable for breeding in reservoirs that are fed by springs or underground sources.
Carp, carp, crucian carp, tench, pike, pike perch, grass carp, and silver carp are most suitable for pond fish farming. In the northern regions, trout, whitefish, and peled can also be grown in artificial reservoirs. To maintain the microclimate of the reservoir, it is recommended to keep several species in one reservoir. If you do not have experience in the field of fish farming, be sure to consult with specialists about the composition of the fish being released at the planning stage.
Beginners often make the mistake of introducing certain species into the pond that can harm other fish (for example, dwarf catfish, Amur chebak, etc.). If fish farming is only an additional source of your income, then you can also keep low-value fish species in the reservoir - both small ones (minnow, galyan, verkhovka) and weed fish species (roach, ruffe, perch). However, if the former do not interfere with the breeding of commercial species (unless they take up free space), and even serve as additional food for predatory fish, then weed species simply take food away from valuable fish species.
Most fish farm owners prefer carp and trout. Carp are unpretentious and survive well in most bodies of water. Trout is more demanding on conditions and water quality, however, with slightly higher maintenance costs, the retail price of this fish turns out to be 3-3.5 times higher! On the other hand, carp breeding does not require much experience. If you decide to fish for trout, you will have to seek help from a qualified specialist. A one-year-old fry (in the case of carp) or a two-year-old fry (trout and some other species) are suitable for populating a pond, as they take root well and are large enough not to be eaten by predatory fish.
Rules for feeding fish during artificial breeding
When kept naturally in a pond, unpretentious fish species have enough natural food, which includes insects, aquatic vegetation, bloodworms (mosquito larvae) and small crustaceans (cyclops, daphnia), but you should not count on high productivity with such maintenance. In the case of artificial breeding in a “densely populated” pond, the fish are fed with meal, cake, bran, feed for birds or pigs, which is mixed with water until the consistency of dough. Properly selected food can increase the natural weight gain of fish up to five times. True, in this case they become the main expense item for fisheries. They account for up to 60% of all costs.
Feeding begins in May, when the water temperature reaches 12-15°C, and this temperature will last for at least half a day. During this period, no more than 7% of the total volume of feed calculated for the growing season is given. It is recommended to feed the fish twice a day (the most favorable times are 12-13 and 18 hours). It is best to determine in advance the location of the so-called “feed tables”.
The latter are square trays made of heavy wood or stainless metal measuring 50 by 50 cm and a side height of 4-5 cm. A hole is made in the center of the feeder for a pole. The tables are lifted to the surface using a fishing line. A one-hectare pond will require at least four feeding tables. These devices help reduce the consumption of granulated feed. At first, food is given in small portions so that the fish gets used to the feeders, and according to a certain signal (ringing a bell or clapping a hand on the water).
Regularly monitor how your fish eat their food. You can estimate the volume of food eaten 40-60 minutes after feeding. Do not feed a large amount of food at once. On average, the daily food intake for carp is 1.5-3% of the estimated weight of all fish in the reservoir, depending on the water temperature (the lower it is, the less food).
A new portion can be added only after the fish have eaten the previous one. Remains of food that the fish have not eaten must be removed from the feeders every 2-3 days to avoid contamination of the reservoir. When the oxygen content in water drops to 2 mg per liter, you need to reduce the usual portion of food by half. It is also necessary to reduce the amount of feed during preventive treatment of the reservoir, transplanting and transporting fish: under stress, their food reaction is inhibited.
Do not skimp on food: it must always be fresh (the shelf life of any food does not exceed six months from the date of manufacture), and stored correctly (in a dark, dry and well-ventilated area). Following these simple rules will allow you to avoid many problems associated with pool pollution, which entails the emergence of various fish diseases.
Features of fish farming business
If you are not specialists in the field of fish farming, then it is best to start such a business with a small pond with carp. The optimal water temperature for carp is 20-27°C with an oxygen content of 5-7 mg/l. If the temperature drops to 14°C or lower, the fish eats less and does not gain weight. At a water temperature of 7°C, carp stop feeding and lose activity. Under favorable conditions, carp weight gain can reach 7-8 grams per day. Sexual maturity occurs at 3-5 years. Carp spawn in the spring, laying eggs on vegetation in shallow areas of the reservoir. The fry appear on average after five days.
The production cycle of fish farming lasts two years. By this age, the weight of one carp is 300-800 grams. And by the age of three, the weight of a male can reach 1-2 kg. The weight gain of carp is greatly influenced by the quality of water, feed, living conditions, and climate. It is most profitable to breed carp and other types of fish in the southern regions of our country.
Fish farming is a profitable business, with an average profitability of 15%. However, it requires considerable investment. Most of the funds will be used to equip the reservoir (from 3 million rubles in the best case), purchase food (4 kg of food is required to obtain a carp weight gain of 1 kg) and fry.
Of course, you can also raise fish on natural food - the so-called extensive method. But in this case, no more than 0.3-0.4 tons of fish can be obtained from 1 hectare, while with additional feeding the productivity can be up to 1.2 tons per 1 hectare per year. When using a high level of intensive cultivation in cages, which involves frequent feeding of fish, high stocking density and the creation of additional conditions in reservoirs for productive breeding (constant aeration and liming of the reservoir), it is possible to obtain up to 5-6 tons of fish products per hectare.
However, in this case, feed costs will increase even more. With a high-intensity growing method, high-protein nutritious feed is used with a protein content of at least 26-28% and fat - 6-7%. The average price of carp food is 8-9 rubles per kilogram. High-protein nutritious food will cost twenty percent more.
To grow trout, experts advise using European-made feed at a price of about 0.9-1 euro per kilogram. Although such food is also produced in our country, so far only by a couple of enterprises. However, cheap feed has virtually no effect on the taste of trout meat, but with such nutrition it has a light color. Domestic consumers are accustomed to the fact that trout meat is red, and special feed additives obtained from krill give it such a bright shade.
It would seem that the high cost of trout food makes its breeding economically unprofitable. However, the high cost of feed is compensated by its lower consumption and the high cost of meat. If for 1 kg of weight gain in carp you need to spend about 4 kg of feed, then in the case of trout the consumption will be only 1 kg per 1 kg of weight gain. Ultimately, the costs of growing one kilogram of carp and trout are approximately equal - about 35-38 and 40-45 rubles per kilogram in the first and second cases, respectively.
Income and expenses of pond fish farming
When calculating costs, also take into account the costs of processing all necessary documents. Before constructing a reservoir, you will need to order its design from a design organization that has a license to carry out such activities, and go through all approvals, as when constructing a real estate property, obtain permits from environmental organizations, etc.
The productivity of large fish farms is up to 1000 tons of live fish per year. They make a profit from selling fry to small fish farms, organizing paid fishing and fish processing (canning, smoking, etc.). Small fish farms choose 1-2 main directions. Moreover, one of the leading ones is often the organization of fishing
You can’t count on a quick payback in this business. Large fish are in greatest demand on the market. For carp, the optimal weight is 1.2-1.5 kg, and for trout – about 1 kg. The growing cycle for carp is three years, for trout – six months less. According to experts, the payback period for a small farm is four years.
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