If there is no fish in the pond, you can run it there. Fish is not only a valuable product, but also a source of sports interest, relaxation, pleasure. Breeding fish by the method of stocking, you can not only sell it as a commodity, but also trade the right to fish. But during the “fish launch” process, it is important to know many of the rules and requirements.
What is stocking and why is it needed?
The stocking of a reservoir is the launch of a fish for the purpose of breeding it. In addition to obtaining marketable fish, you can stock up ponds with the goal of:
- improving the ecosystem of the pond;
- organization of sports, entertainment or business fishing;
- decorativeness.
Once upon a time, there were so many fish in ponds that you could easily feed it all year round. Over time, a man chasing profit, notably “thinned out” not only ponds, rivers and lakes, but also seas with oceans. Today, catching fish in a natural reservoir is not easy - it may not be there. To correct the situation helps the artificial population of fish.
How is stocking going?
In a reservoir (natural or artificial), you can run fish at any stage of growth. For stocking can be used:
- fry;
- yearlings;
- yearlings;
- adults.
The best time to start the fish is the end of spring flood. During this period, water contains the most nutrients and feed. The launch of young animals, experts recommend starting only after the appearance of mosquitoes - this will give a lot of live food in the form of mosquito larvae.
For settlement usually use non-competitive species that feed on different types of feed. Moreover, you can pick up fish so that they get along well and maintain a favorable balance of aquatic organisms in the pond. For example, carp are often lodged with carp, tench and crucian carp. To regulate the number of weed fish in the pond - minnows, roaches, and high water animals, an "orderly" pike is hooked. To prevent the pond from overgrowing with harmful algae, grass carp is introduced into it.
Features stocking artificial pond
An artificial pond, in which it is supposed to breed fish, must be correctly placed:
- The place must be chosen so that part of the reservoir is shaded in summer, and part is illuminated by the sun. This will prevent excessive photosynthesis and algal blooms.
- All water surface should not be allowed to fall into the shade - this will cause a drop in temperature and reduce the activity of the fish.
In the pond, a certain temperature regime must be maintained:
- Sharing of cold-resistant fish species - pike, catfish, trout, can be done at 0-2 ° C.
- Heat-loving fish - carp, perch, tench, hooked at a temperature of 5-10 ° C.
Ponds can be stocked from the earliest spring until late autumn. The main thing is that there should not be large fluctuations in daily temperatures, otherwise the fish will experience stress.
The choice of fish depending on the purpose of the reservoir:
- If a decorative reservoir is populated by fish, then the most striking and picturesque species of fish are selected for settlement.
- For a pond in which fishing is planned to be organized, medium-sized fish are suitable - carps, crucian carp, pike, grass carp and other species suitable for spinning fishing.
- For the cultivation of marketable fish - the pond is populated with the main fish species and auxiliary fish, which maintain a favorable balance in the reservoir.
Transportation of planting material
Fish for stocking are transported subject to the following conditions:
- The tank in which the fish will be transported is filled with water from the reservoir to be populated. If this is not possible, water is taken from another natural reservoir - a pond or lake. But it is forbidden to use water from wells, water pipes and springs, since there is little oxygen in it, and the fish may suffocate during transportation.
- If you have a long transportation, you need to maintain the temperature of the water with the help of ice - it is placed in a container of water, wrapping burlap.
If the temperature balance is upset, then when the fish is released into the pond, it may experience stress - it will simply die due to temperature shock.
Who can be cheated?
The choice of fish for resettlement in water bodies depends on the purpose of the pond, the goals set and the personal preferences of the owner. Today, special companies dealing with stocking ponds can order almost any type of fish - from sterlet to rudd.
Before starting this or that type of fish, it is necessary to prepare suitable conditions for it. There is a fish that is very demanding on the quality of water, its purity and oxygen content. Consider the types of fish that are especially actively used for stocking ponds.
Silver carp
This is a herbivorous freshwater fish from the carp family, which is appreciated for its rapid growth and delicious meat. Silver carp is a natural reclamator. Adult fish, eating phytoplankton, cleans water. Silver carp is a large fish, it grows up to 1 m in length, reaching a weight of 20-30 kg. For stocking, silver carp is recommended:
- White. The head of this fish accounts for up to 20% of body weight. It feeds on phytoplankton.
- Motley. This silver carp has a larger head, it is almost 1/2 body weight. In addition to phytoplankton, zooplankton also eats, so the meat of the motley silver carp is superior in taste to other varieties.
- Hybrid. The head occupies 15-20% of the body. It features particularly rapid growth.
Only silver carp, of all freshwater fish, has fat that lowers blood cholesterol. There is even a silver carp diet in which 1 kg of fish is eaten per day - to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
For stocking, yearlings weighing 5 g or more are suitable. The rate of settlement is from 20 to 150 pieces per hectare.
Silver carp is recommended to be grown together with grass carp in carp ponds. Growing these fish together with carp significantly increases the productivity of ponds.
White amur
Grass carp is often called the "grass carp", and it really belongs to the carp family. It has a high growth rate of about 10 cm annually. Large fish reach a length of 1 m 20 cm, and their weight is 30-32 kg. This type of fish is beneficial because it is rapidly gaining marketable weight:
- 2 years - 800 g;
- 3 years - 1500 g;
- 4 years - 3200 g.
Grass carp is herbivorous, feeds on aquatic and terrestrial vegetation. If there is not enough grass in the pond, it is specially thrown into the water. Young growth feeds on bloodworms and crustaceans, and, having matured, passes to plant food.
Destroying grass, grass carp prevents the spread of mosquitoes - this creates comfort for people resting near a reservoir or engaged in fishing.
Amur eats daily as much grass as it weighs. If the water warms up to 25-30 ° C, then he eats even more. But when the water temperature drops below 10 ° C, grass carp does not eat at all.
The advantages of breeding grass carp:
- fast weight gain;
- tasty and nutritious meat;
- low oxygen content;
- resistance to infectious diseases;
- purifies water.
It should be noted that the abilities of the "reclamator" of grass carp show up only in the third year of his life in the pond. The recommended rate of settlement is 500 yearlings per 1 ha.
Trout
Trout is a valuable fish of the salmon family. This freshwater fish with light pink meat, has a flattened body on the sides, so it seems a little flat. Trout has delicious meat and is a valuable trophy for fishermen. Trout fishing is a special kind of sport fishing popularized in many countries.
Trout is a flock of predators. Eats small fish, rodents, chicks. In nature, the standard size of river trout is 25-35 cm, and the weight is 400-1600 g. Individual individuals reach a length of 0.5 m, weight - 1-2 kg, the champions grow to 5-6 kg.
Three types of trout are usually bred in ponds:
- rainbow;
- lakeside;
- gold.
With artificial cultivation, trout can easily grow up to 6-8 kg. To achieve such indicators, breeders feed the fish with special compound feeds.
Trout is demanding on the quality of water - it should be cold, clean and running, with a temperature of 14-20 ° C. The pond should have shaded places, since the trout do not like lighted areas.
Trout necessarily needs air, so the fish periodically floats to the surface to swallow it. If in winter the pond is covered with ice and there is no going up, the trout may die. Trout stocking is recommended in summer. The stocking rate is 500 yearlings per 1 ha.
Crucian
Karas belong to the cyprinid family. This fish is very common in domestic reservoirs. Crucian carp is a tempting fishing object and an excellent product for cooking. Especially popular are two types of crucian carp - gold and silver, they are usually used for stocking.
Crucian is undemanding to water. He is able to live in reservoirs with stagnant water and a minimum oxygen content. The fish is resistant to harsh winter conditions - winters, buried in silt. In nature, goldfish grows up to 50 cm in length, weighs up to 3 kg, silver - 40 cm in length, weighs 2 kg. Unlike carp, crucian carp do not have a mustache. This is the most hardy and unpretentious fish, which is found everywhere - in ponds, lakes, peat quarries, mud pits.
When artificially diluted to such sizes, crucians do not grow, but they are attractive:
- survivability;
- undemanding to environmental conditions;
- unpretentiousness to feed.
If you grow crucian carp from fry, then in 2 years the weight of the fish reaches 250-300 g. But usually for yearning use yearlings. Settlement is carried out based on: for every 25 square meters. m - 20 yearlings. Before launching yearlings into a reservoir, it is necessary to wait for water to settle in it and to fill it with microflora and fauna, which will become a breeding ground for crucians.
Learn more about breeding crucians at home here.
Carp
Carp is an omnivorous freshwater fish, which is in high demand among consumers due to delicate tasty meat. It is sometimes bony, but this drawback fades against the many advantages of the carp. This fish eats a lot and grows fast. Everything that gets into the food - shoots of reeds, caviar of fish and frogs, worms, crustaceans, insects. They can even eat their own fry. Dependence of weight on age:
- yearlings - 250 g;
- two-year periods - 450 g.
The weight of commercial carp is 1250-1500 g. Length is 39-41 cm. It can live in both fresh and brackish water. Carp is a cultivated form of carp, which he surpassed in endurance and fertility. For stocking, you can use any of the existing varieties of carp:
- Scaly. His whole body is covered with scales. They are characterized by high adaptive abilities. Omnivorous and unpretentious.
- Mirrored. The body is covered with large scales, but in some places - near the dorsal fin, at the tail and on the sides. It is more demanding on food - loves mollusks and cereals.
There is also a bare carp — completely without scales, and framed — it has one or two rows of scales on its back and belly.
It is recommended to stock ponds:
- Larvae - 10-70 thousand per 1 ha.
- Annuals - 50-150 units per 1 ha.
- Two-year-olds - 600 units per 1 ha.
Sterlet
Sterlet is a valuable commercial fish from the sturgeon family. Attractive facility for artificial breeding. Commercial mass of adults - 0.5-2 kg. Body length - 40-60 cm. Individual specimens grow to 6-7 kg or more.
During the day, the sterlet lies at the bottom, and in shallow water comes to dusk - to feed. Actively feeds only during the warm season - until mid-October. Then, huddling in flocks, goes into the wintering pits.
Sterlet is considered the most delicious fish among all sturgeons. They, in comparison with the sturgeon, are quite hasty - they can breed from the age of 8, males mature by 4-5 years.
When breeding a sterlet, its exactingness to water quality should be taken into account. She needs ponds with clean, cool and fast oxygenated water. A small amount of pollution (chemicals, household waste fertilizer, etc.) is enough to cause the livestock to suffer. Also, sterlet is demanding on temperature conditions. Water should maintain a temperature of 20-21 ° C. Saturation with oxygen - from 5 mg / l, not less.
The population density of sterlets of two-year-olds is 1500-2500 pieces per 1 ha.
Cupid
Cupid is a rare fish imported from the Far East. It reaches a length of 130 cm and a weight of 50 kg. This is a fish of the cyprinid family, characterized by a dark color of the back.
Young grass carp eats zooplankton, later - insect larvae. In the second year of life, grass carp eats mollusks. This is his favorite food, but he can also eat other aquatic organisms, and with artificial breeding he eats compound feed perfectly. True, when feeding compound feeds, fish has a% fat increase, and it grows more slowly. Puberty - at 6-8 years of age, when the weight of black cupid reaches 18 kg.
This large fish is especially interesting as an object of sport fishing. Yearlings are grown in polyculture with herbivorous fish and carp. The population density of grass carp is 50,000 yearlings per 1 ha.
Catfish
Common catfish, also known as river or European. This, after the beluga, is the largest fish in freshwater bodies of water. Som is a predator, it does not have scales, and meat is fat and tasty. This is one of the most coveted trophies for any fisherman.
In length, the body of the catfish reaches 5 m, weight - up to 350 kg. It happens more - up to 500 kg. This predator eats fish, frogs, and other amphibians. Catfish performs “sanitary” functions in water bodies. The ponds in which catfish live are distinguished by the purity and freshness of the water.
Som is a great fishing spot. They often stock up ponds for organizing sports or amateur fishing.
Catfish are recommended to be stocked with ponds with crucian carp, perches, and roach. The stocking rate is 30-50 pieces per 1 ha.
Loach
The loach has an elongated, scaly body, slightly compressed from the sides. The length of the loach reaches 15-30 cm. In ponds, loach eats processed remnants of food - it performs sanitary functions qualitatively. The loach, launched into the pond, serves as a natural "barometer" - before the rain, the fish repeatedly floats to the surface.
Loach unpretentious - can live in the dirtiest or swampy water. But bad water negatively affects its growth and reproduction. An ideal place for breeding loach is a clean artificial pond.
The loach is not settled in ponds with crucian carp, tench and carp, since he eats their eggs. He is also not bred in ponds with predators, if there is a pike in the pond, he will eat all the loaches, they are for her a tasty prey.
The loaches are gluttonous. They eat larvae, bottom mollusks, worms, bloodworms, raw meat. During the winter, the lovers hibernate. To prevent the fish from suffocating in the winter, ice holes are cut in the ice.
Pike
Pike is a freshwater predatory fish. On the territory of Russia, common pike live - this is commercial fish, and the orderly of ponds, and the object of sport fishing. The length of the pike grows to 1.5 m, the maximum weight - 35 kg. In life, instances of more than 1 m and heavier than 8 kg are rarely found.
The gray-green body has a torpedo shape. The pike is aggressive and gluttonous, feeds on small fish - crucian carp, roach, rotan, as well as worms, mice and even waterfowl. Pike stocking is useful in non-salmon ponds filled with weedy fish.
A dead water pond is one in which a fish dies in the winter due to a lack of oxygen.
Recommended pike stocking rate:
- for yearlings - 10-20 pieces per 1 ha;
- for larvae - 150-300 pieces per 1 ha.
Buffalo
This fish is native to America. In the early 70's. three species of buffalo were brought into the USSR - large-breasted, small-breasted, and black buffalo. In appearance, they are all similar to carp. Buffalo, like carp, are growing fast. This is a large fish, reaching 45 kg.
When grown in artificial ponds, it feeds on large zooplankton.If there is a lot of natural food in the pond, yearlings grow to 200-500 g, the weight of two-year-olds is 1500-2000 g.
Culinary experts say that buffalo is tastier than carp. Due to its omnivorousness, early maturity and unpretentiousness, this fish is a promising object for fish farmers. It is recommended to stock reservoirs at a rate of 1000-1500 year-olds per 1 ha.
Zander
This predatory commercial fish is appreciated for non-fat nutritious meat that is gentle on taste. Pike perch prefers ponds with warm and clear water. It has an elongated trunk of dirty green color, spiky fins and a powerful toothy jaw.
If young animals eat well, and he eats fry of other fish, then grows to 800 per year. Per kg of pike perch, 3.3 kg of fish is required - this is less than that of pike and perch. Kuban zander, which reaches maturity by 3-5 years, grows especially fast. Fish living in the northern climate grows longer.
Pike perch is recommended to stock up reservoirs, where there are a lot of weed fish - roach, high water, etc. It is recommended to stock up on the basis of 10-100 thousand larvae per 1 ha.
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is a valuable freshwater fish. She has an elongated body and an elongated, pointed head. There are two types of sturgeons - Russian and Siberian. The latter is characterized by better survival, so it is more profitable to breed it. But Siberian sturgeons have a lower growth rate than Russians.
Ideal conditions must be created for this fish - clean water, high oxygen content, favorable water temperature. In summer - 18-25 ° C, but not higher than 30 ° C, in winter - 10-11 ° C.
In nature, sturgeons grow up to 2 m, weighing up to 200 kg. In ponds, they serve as excellent biological orderlies - they eat invertebrates, larvae, frogs, etc.
Difficulties in breeding sturgeon:
- Sturgeons do not tolerate fungal infections affecting the gills. Also high mortality among fry. One fish can infect all inhabitants of a reservoir.
- In order for the sturgeon to grow and give offspring, 80% of protein food should be in its diet. If the sturgeon will eat plant food, this will negatively affect its reproductive abilities.
- Females become sexually mature only at the age of 10-20 years.
How to feed the new inhabitants of the reservoir?
Before you start fish, you should calculate the costs of its nutrition and evaluate their capabilities - different types of fish require different feeds. If the fish is grown to marketable weight, you have to regularly feed it with appropriate feed.
Features of feeding fish after stocking:
- The feeding regimen depends on seasonality. In the summer, the fish need more food, in the winter - less, and some species of fish completely hibernate.
- The amount and composition of feed depends on the type of fish and on the reservoir. In ponds, there is one schedule, in fenced ponds and cages another. Natural ponds have a lot of natural feed, so feeding requirements are less stringent.
The dependence of the regime and diet on the type of fish:
Kind of fish | Feeding Features |
Carp | The daily rate depends on the weight of individuals and water temperature. Carps weighing up to 500 g receive a feed equal to 100% of the weight, and after 500 g - only 3%. Juveniles are fed with granular feed placed in feeders. Young animals are fed hourly. The number of feeds decreases as it grows. |
Salmon | They are fed sea and freshwater fish, meat waste, dry non-fat milk, fish and krill flour. For fry and young animals - special compound feeds. |
Catfish | They are fed with special feed mixtures supplemented with calcium. Fry is fed every 3 hours, then feeds are reduced to 4 times a day. The warmer the water, the more feed is required. |
Sturgeon | Give food with a high fat content. Fry is fed with an interval of 2 hours, adult sturgeons - 4-6 times. |
In order for fish to grow and multiply in an artificial pond, it must be obtained as part of the feed:
- Squirrels. Must be 30-60% of the total mass of dry food. Protein is especially important for the nutrition of young animals. Lack of protein foods leads to growth retardation and disease.
- Fats. The main source of energy. Lack of fatty acids reduces growth rates, the percentage of protein and fat in its meat decreases in fish. The need for fats depends on the type of fish, for example, carp need to get 1% of body weight.
- Carbohydrates. Must be no more than 25% of the total feed. In many fish, an excess of carbohydrates causes growth retardation and increases the fat content in meat.
- Minerals If fish can absorb chlorine, phosphorus and calcium from water, then the rest should be given along with food. Lack of minerals slows growth and can even lead to the death of young fish.
- Vitamins Fish needs vitamins A - for metabolism, D - for the formation of bones, E - for the formation of eggs, B - for the absorption of proteins.
How much does stocking cost?
Growing fry from caviar is a troublesome business, which can be done by experienced farms that have the appropriate base. Those who want to stock up a reservoir should contact a company providing stocking services. Such firms provide customers with the opportunity to choose:
- Different types of fish - carps, silver carp, trout, perch and others.
- Different age of fish - larvae, fry, fingerlings, two-year-olds and more adult fish. Adults may be needed, for example, to organize fishing.
- Transportation and launch of fish using special technologies that eliminate stress.
Such companies guarantee to customers that the launched fish is healthy and prepared for adaptation in a new place.
The cost of stocking depends on the type of fish. And transportation and launch are carried out in exactly the same way. For example, the cost of stocking with carp is 200 rubles. per 1 kg of live weight. Goldfish costs about 500 rubles. per 1 kg, grass carp - 350 rubles, silver carp - 250 rubles, catfish - 500 rubles, and sterlet - 1000 rubles.
As you can see, stocking requires considerable investments, therefore, before ordering such a service, you need to carefully calculate the costs and the likely profit.
Benefits and Risks
Starting costs depend on the breeding option. If there is a natural pond, then the costs will be 10-20 times less than when organizing an artificial reservoir with a closed water supply system. In the latter case, expenses will amount to about half a million rubles, or even more.
If, for example, growing carp in a natural reservoir, then the main costs will be associated with the feed - its cost is about 20 rubles. per kilo (for trout and salmon an order of magnitude more). You will also have to spend money on fry, transport, insurance, etc. And carp will reach marketable weight in only 2-3 years - and this is fast, other fish grow even longer.
So, in order to make a profit, you will have to wait a few years, and all this time you will have to spend money on keeping the fish.
Additional profit can be obtained if you provide paid fishing services, rent fishing rods, etc.
The profitability of the fishing business, subject to well-established sales, is about 10%. On the way to profit, the owners of the fish business face many risks:
- Problems with law. We have to overcome many administrative barriers. To rent a pond, coordination with local authorities is necessary - this is due to bureaucratic procedures.
- Products are not stored for long. If a fish is caught, it urgently needs to be sold. So that it does not deteriorate, you often have to donate it in bulk at a lower price.
- Infectious diseases of fish. The livestock may decrease, or even die due to various diseases - worms, rubella, etc. It is necessary to test individual individuals - to control their health, and if necessary - give food containing antibiotics and immunoprotectors.
Fish farming can become a very profitable business if you invest in its development and organize everything correctly. It is worth missing something, and instead of profit it is necessary to calculate losses.
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