An artificial reservoir on a private plot can become a source of not only aesthetic, but also gastronomic pleasure. With some effort in fish farming, you can get good help in providing yourself and your loved ones with valuable fresh produce. And if you get down to business on a grand scale, then make money. After all, doing everything with your own hands in the country at home is not so difficult.
Suitable types of fish for breeding in the pond
Fish species are selected according to the breeding conditions. The determining factors are air temperature and water composition. The type of pond is essential - flowing or standing. When selecting varieties, one should take into account the coexistence of breeds, competition for food. The most unpretentious and productive are:
- Carp or carp - thermophilic, but resistant to temperature fluctuations. The diet is plant food and compound feed. It enters puberty at 1-3 years old, depending on the ambient temperature. The varieties are scaly, mirrored, and leathery.
- White amur - a large relative of the carp. Reaches a weight of 50 kg and more. Homeland - the Far East. It eats a large amount of plant food, is used to clean up overgrown reservoirs.
- Black carp - similar to white, but feeds on shellfish. The scales are dark in color. Well sanitizes ponds from pests of other species.
- Silver carp - very similar up to 3 years of age. Then spots appear on the scales of the motley. Reach 50 kg. The silver carp feeds only on plants. Motley is more unpretentious.
- Buffalo - similar to carp, homeland America. In terms of growing conditions, it is similar to carp, but meat is much more valuable in taste.
- Channel catfish - omnivorous, large, thermophilic. Homeland America. It has a very pleasant meat flavor when properly fed.
Less productive, but well amenable to cultivation in a man-made pond, are:
Gold and silver carp are unpretentious, fast-growing. Can interbreed with other fish species. Gains weight up to 5 kg. Feels good even with unfavorable water composition.
Trout, pike, tench, sturgeon are also bred in artificial reservoirs.
Advantages and disadvantages of fish farming at home
An important advantage of cultivation in a home garden is the ability to receive for personal consumption or sell all year round products that are in great demand.
Fish meat contains a lot of valuable substances and vitamins. The fresh catch has excellent taste.
The investment required to start fish farming is not very large. Labor intensity of cultivation is from 3 to 5 hours a day. Weather conditions when using an artificial reservoir insignificantly affect the growth of individuals.
The main investments take place at the initial stage. You need to build a pool or dig a pond.
Their type and size are determined by the financial capabilities of the owner and the area of the site. The minimum depth of an artificial reservoir is 1-1.5 m. The volume is calculated from the estimated number of individuals inhabited in the pond. One fish 10-15 cm long must have at least 50 liters of water, i.e. in one cubic meter no more than 20 specimens can coexist peacefully.
The recommended area of the water surface is 25-50 sq.m. Usually 1.5-2 years are enough for a fish to gain weight.
Types of breeding pools
The quality of water in a mini pond, its chemical composition depends on the source of the pond filling. It also determines the temperature, the availability of food and the oxygen supply of the aquatic environment.
What type of filling is there:
- Stream or river. Water enters the reservoir from natural sources through the supply channel. The excess is removed by a branch duct. The oxygen and plankton content in a pond with such filling is favorable for breeding, because closest to natural conditions.
- Rodnikovoye. Clean water with a high oxygen content is most favorable for breeding fish of different species. For the source of food in the area adjacent to the reservoir, daphnia pits are arranged - shallow small depressions for the reproduction of plankton. They communicate with the main body of water. Daphnia move to the pond and serve as food for fish.
- Atmospheric. In the absence of rivers, streams and springs, the source of moisture is rain and melt water. Well-heated water is favorable for the development of vegetation and living organisms.
- Closed water supply. The use of ponds without external water sources became possible thanks to the use of special equipment: pumps, filters, ultraviolet sterilizers, etc. When constructing a reservoir, special attention should be paid to waterproofing the bottom.
How to make a pond with your own hands
Having decided to arrange a fish pond on the site, you need to determine its location, area and method of construction. If there are no natural sources of filling, the reservoir is built using a closed water supply.
How to choose the right site
The place for the pond must meet the conditions:
- stay away from noisy places and highways,
- be shaded by trees, but not under them, because falling leaves pollute the water,
- do not be located in the lowlands, because there is a risk of contamination by running off rainwater,
- have a source of electricity for equipment with water filters and oxygen enrichment plants.
Required tools and materials
The most durable is a pond with a concrete bottom. Its device requires significant material and labor costs, which will pay off with interest in the process of long-term operation.
To build a pond you will need:
- crushed stone,
- sand,
- cement,
- mesh of reinforcement with a diameter of 3-4 mm and a cell of 30x30 cm,
- formwork from boards,
- roofing felt or other material for waterproofing the bottom and walls,
- pipes for inlet and outlet openings,
- waterproofing additive for plastering the bottom and walls.
The technology of creating an artificial reservoir in the country
- Mark the size of the pond on the ground. For this, pegs and a cord are used. For fish farming, the shape of the pond does not matter.
- Digging the pit manually or with an excavator. The optimum depth is 1.5-1.8 m, the angles of the walls are 20 °.
- Before concreting, prepare from sand and crushed stone with compaction of the bottom.
- Laying waterproofing from roofing material or film with its output to the surface of the earth.
- The first layer of concrete is poured onto the bottom with a thickness of 10 cm, the reinforcing mesh is tamped and recessed along the entire bottom.
- The second layer of concrete is poured.
- Install the formwork for the pond walls. When finished, they should be 10-12 cm thick.
- The walls of the reservoir are reinforced and poured with concrete.
- Concrete surfaces are covered with plaster with a waterproofing additive or liquid glass. The material for processing the walls must be safe for the life of fish.
- The necessary equipment is installed: pumps, filters, oxygen water enrichers.
For a safe wintering of fish, a wintering well should be provided. It is arranged from asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of 80 cm or ordinary reinforced concrete rings. In a well deepened to the level of 2.7 m, covered with a wooden shield, the fish will not freeze or die from lack of oxygen.
Even a beginner can build a pond with his own hands. Fish farming will not take much time if the process of stocking, fattening and catching is well established. Even if the purpose of fish farming is not to generate income, it will be beneficial and enjoyable.