Fish Farming: Choosing your Fish





Do It Yourself Fish Farming - Choosing The Finest Fish Species For Your Ponds

By Vin Hayes

When purchasing stock for your do-it-yourself fish farming ponds, species is important. There are a few to select from, although one is easier than the others. Which you decide on will depend on the climate and your ambition.

Once the h2o in your fish pond is stocked with vegetation and food, it is time to consider the fish. What fish your do-it-yourself fish farm will raise totally depends on a variety of items; the dimensions of your pond, intentions for the breed and your experience will all determine what you will raise.

Typical fish grown by fish farms include salmon, catfish, tilapia, cod, carp and trout. At any rate several other kinds can be raised as livestock, the trout is the finest fish for a novice to start up with. It's among the strongest of the fish raised on a fish farm and they have got an excellent market value.

Salmon, though an excellent market fish, is a larger undertaking for an amateur. The initial breeding of this kind of fish is nearly equal trout. However, these fish require some time living in the ocean. This means they may require additional facilities to get them there, depending on the location of the fish farm.

In addition to the species of fish you want to primarily raise on your fish farm, consider some secondary species. One species to consider is perch. The fry make an excellent food source for other fish, especially trout and offer a bit of variety to your pond. Keep in mind that perch are very zealous breeders and should be kept under supervision.

Once you've decided on what kinds of fish to include in your aquaculture, it is time to get some ova. There are a couple of ways that you can do this; collecting and and fertilizing the ova or purchasing pre-fertilized eggs.

Wild fish eggs can be collected and then fertilized by the aquaculturist. The ova from a female fish are removed and mixed with the milt of the males. This process requires that the aquaculturist have a good knowledge of his species. Knowing when to harvest the eggs is crucial or they will not be fertilized.

Pre-fertilized, or eyed, ova are the easiest, and more dependable way, especially for the first-timer. Many fish farmers start with ova that are already fertilized. These can be bought quite readily and arrive when they are almost ready to hatch, avoiding the harvesting, fertilization and protecting of the eggs.

Choose the type of fish you raise on your do it yourself fish farm carefully. Keep in mind that climate, location and the size of your setup will greatly determine what you raise.

Also keep in mind that variety in your ponds is essential to a healthy fish population. Be careful about what you introduce. Don't over-stock your pond with any one kind of fish for a healthy balance.

In the next do it yourself fish farming article in this series, you'll learn the basics of setting up rearing ponds, boxes and hatching trays. If you construct and install these the right way, you'll have much better success.

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