Carp is an unpretentious, hardy and omnivorous fish, which is why it is most often bred in home ponds and in swimming pools at the dacha. But raising carp cannot be called easy, so for beginners we will tell you in detail about where it is better to keep fish, how to raise them, what to feed them and how many times a day.
Are you preparing carp fish?
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- No 9%, 254 votes
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- I will cook according to your recipes 4%, 130 votes
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Total votes: 2926
26.06.2020
- Yes 83%, 2440 votes
2440 votes 83%2440 votes - 83% of all votes
- No 9%, 254 votes
254 votes 9%
254 votes - 9% of all votes
- I will cook according to your recipes 4%, 130 votes
130 votes 4%
130 votes - 4% of all votes
- I don't eat fish 3%, 102 votes
102 votes 3%
102 votes - 3% of all votes
Total votes: 2926
26.06.2020
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Conditions in a home pond
For a comfortable stay of carp in a pond, the depth of the reservoir must be at least one and a half meters. Water in a pond that is too deep will not be able to warm up well and will remain cold, and cyprinids are heat-loving fish species.
The volume of the reservoir should be approximately 8 tons. This means that the minimum size of the pond should be 3 meters in width and length. To prevent water from flowing out of the reservoir, you need to equip its bottom with brick, concrete or clay. You can line the bottom with film. You should be very careful when constructing the bottom so that the water in the pond does not decrease in the future.
Lighting also plays an important role. You will need to think about the location of the reservoir so that the maximum amount of light falls on its surface, and the water can warm up to 24-25˚C. At lower temperatures, the fish begins to feed less intensively, or may stop eating altogether and die. Ideally, one part of the reservoir is on the sunny side, and the second is in the shade.
Another unsuitable place for a reservoir is lowlands. With this arrangement, there is a huge risk of melt water entering the pond after rain. This entails the appearance of bacteria in the pond water, which have a negative effect on the health of the fish.
It is not recommended to locate ponds, cages or fish pools near the city, near busy roads. It is better to place the reservoir in the country house in the quietest place. The noise scares the fish, the feeding intensity decreases and the growth of the carp slows down.
In large reservoirs, the water takes a long time to cool, so they are easier to operate than small ponds or swimming pools. In small ponds, water cools and warms up at a much faster rate, which is unfavorable for the fish living in them. This significantly reduces fish survival rates.
Important!
It is imperative to have a water filtration system in the pond. Both biological and mechanical treatment should be considered. The optimal solution would be to use two-stage water purification, which will successfully cope with both tasks. This system is a reliable protection against fish waste.
If the financial resources for setting up a carp pond are not enough, you can try raising fish in cages. With this method of growing fish, cages are installed in a reservoir so that there is at least 3 meters to the bottom. For their manufacture, burlap and nylon nets are used.
The stocking density of fry in cages should not exceed 200 units per 1 sq.m. After growing up, the young animals are moved to larger structures.
You can also raise carp in a swimming pool. It is a small sealed container made of durable fiberglass. Fish are released into it in March-April, when the water warms up to the desired temperature. With proper care, large fish weighing up to one and a half kilograms grow in the pool.
Oxygen content
For normal development of carp it is necessary to provide it with the necessary level of oxygen. In summer, its content in water should vary from 5 to 7 mg/l. In winter, this figure should be approximately 4 mg/l.
When breeding fish in artificial reservoirs, it is advisable to saturate the water with oxygen using special generators.
How fast it grows
Carp fish species are in great demand in the market. Large specimens are most in demand among buyers. The optimal weight of carp is from 1.2 to 1.7 kg. For a fish to gain such mass, it will need to be raised for 3 years!
Its growth rate is:
- In the first summer, the fry reaches a weight of 25-30 g,
- During the second summer season, its mass increases by about 200 more,
- In the third summer, their weight increases by approximately 1 kg.
How much can you earn from carp breeding?
Production costs consist of the cost of fry and the purchase of feed. Feed consumption is calculated based on the fact that one individual needs food per day equal to 5% of its weight. Thus, the amount of feed will need to be increased monthly. 25 one-year-old carp will eat about 300 kg of grain per day, which will cost 1,500 rubles. Then monthly costs can reach 4,000 rubles.
Fry cost about 450 rubles per 100 pieces. The average market price of carp on the market is 100 rubles per 1 kg. An average carp will cost 200-300 rubles. If we assume that at least 20 pieces will be sold per day (which is quite realistic), then the income from the sale of fish per day will be 6,000 rubles. Even with the most approximate calculations, it is clear that breeding this type of fish at home and in ponds is quite cost-effective.
How to breed
The purchase of fry should be made exclusively from specialized fish farms that have extensive experience in this business and have an impeccable reputation.
It is not recommended to purchase fish material for planting from suppliers whose reliability is questionable.
Attention!
It is better to use large buckets to transport fry. It is better to fill them with lake or pond water. If this is not possible, rainwater will do, but only as a last resort.
If there are difficulties in purchasing fry for planting, you can raise the fish from start to finish yourself. When breeding carp yourself, you must take into account that the technology for its cultivation requires the presence of several ponds. In one they will grow and gain weight, in another they will reproduce, and in the third they will hibernate. The advantage of this method is that it saves money on the purchase and transportation of fry and timely stocking of the reservoir with fish.
For beginners, we’ll tell you a little more about how to breed carp in a pond yourself.
When catching fish from a reservoir in the fall, you should leave several adults of different sexes. Carps reproduce quickly because they are highly fertile. In order to avoid problems during the spawning period, a number of mandatory requirements must be observed:
- To breed carp yourself, you need a special spawning pond. It must be at least 3 meters, and its maximum depth should not be more than 0.5 meters.
- The reservoir must be filled with clean and oxygenated water to prevent infection of the fry.
- With the onset of spring, when the water warms up to 18-20˚C, a pair of males are released into the spawning pond during the day, and a female is placed there in the evening.
- It is necessary to provide places in the pond where eggs will be laid. You can plant the pond in advance with reeds or lay fresh turf on its bottom so that the eggs have something to attach to.
- Once the fertilized larvae begin to hatch, the adult males and females should be returned to the adult fish pond.
- After a week, the fry that emerge from the larvae should be transplanted into a nursery pond, where they will grow and gain weight (at least 20 grams). The planting density of larvae should not exceed 10 specimens per 1 sq.m. The water from the spawning pond must be drained.
- Powdered milk, mixed feed and bloodworms are suitable for feeding young animals.
- Before the arrival of winter, the water from the nursery pond must be drained, and the grown young animals from the small pond must be transplanted into an adult pond, pool or aquarium inside the house.
Attention!
Determining the sex of carp fish is not easy. It is possible to distinguish males from females only during the spawning period. Hard warts appear on the gill covers of males; the genital opening is a narrow slit of pale color. In the female, the abdominal area enlarges and becomes soft to the touch, the genital opening has a reddish color, a slight swelling and is larger than that of the male.
Carp breeding. As a business.
The sale of carp keeps pace with cultivation. Having carp in abundance, you can start selling it, first through friends, and if there is too much carp, then organize a wholesale sale or sell it via the Internet, submitting several advertisements, someone will definitely be interested. Carps raised in small farmsteads are very different from commercial farms, since your pets do not feed on various chemical additives, which is also very important for the consumer. Find out the average prices at the fish market for goods and set yours. For starters, you can reduce the price of carp, but not by much, otherwise they will think that there is something wrong here and they simply won’t buy fish. Yes, at first the trade will not take off right away, since the competition in the fish market is enormous, but if you have decided to achieve the goal of selling carp, then you should not retreat. Carp will always be a favorite and desired dish on a gourmet’s dinner table ……………read more………………
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What weight does it reach?
Typically, an adult carp weighs 5-6 kilograms, and its length ranges from 50 to 70 centimeters. But under favorable conditions, the fish can grow up to 100-120 centimeters, and such a specimen weighs about 20-25 kilograms. Sometimes their size reaches one and a half meters, and the fish can weigh up to 35 kilograms.
According to historical facts, one and a half meter carps weighing 70 kilograms were found in nature.
What to feed for fast growth
With proper feeding of the carp, in just 9 months the fry can be grown into an individual fish weighing up to 0.5 kg. Fish of the carp family are omnivorous. They readily feed on bloodworms, worms, insect larvae, barley, wheat, steamed rice, and rye bread crumbs.
Feeding carp should be done twice a day at the same time:
- In the morning, when the water has already warmed up under the sun's rays.
- In the evening before sunset.
Because of its omnivorous nature, the carp is often called the “pond pig.” But for proper breeding of carp in a pond, it is necessary to be especially careful when choosing food.
Find out more about carp nutrition.
The following types of food should be given to the fish:
Compound feed
It contains fishmeal, bran, wheat, soybean and sunflower meal, etc. It can also be used for feeding mixed feed that is fed to chickens and livestock. You need to mix it with water in advance. Add as much water as needed to obtain a dough-like consistency.
Legumes and cereals
They should not be used for regular meals. They should first be soaked in water for several hours. Peas and beans are first steamed to rid the beans of toxic substances present in them.
Protein food
This necessary and useful type of food for burl fish is represented by bloodworms, worms, snails, maggots, etc. The maximum need for protein food occurs in spring and autumn. But it is recommended to provide protein year-round to prevent the development of digestive system diseases in fish.
Potato
The root vegetable is given to the fish after boiling it. Since the nutritional value of potatoes is low, it is better to mix them with fish meal or protein supplement.
Bread and cake
It is better to use them together with grain or grain waste.
Young grass
Before feeding, soft grass (woodlice, lupine, clover, etc.) should be chopped.
Insects
Carp happily eat insects, but catching them is not an easy task. But most insects fly to the light, so you can install lamps near the pond or stretch a garland over the surface of the water. They only need to be turned on at night. Having flown to the glow, the insects will certainly fall into the water, becoming food for the fish.
How to create a carp farm?
There is a need to adhere to aspects of the management of creating a carp farm. Since carp grows well at the water temperature in the reservoir allocated for it, the temperature should be warmed up to 30 degrees, and with the arrival of abnormal heat in our regions, this is just in time, and do not forget about the availability of sufficient food. If there is a pond in your region, there is an excellent opportunity to breed carp in it. Carps easily settle in such ponds, even if the pond, in your opinion, is poorly saturated with oxygen in terms of the quality and composition of the water. As already written above, carp is not whimsical, and this also applies to it. With the advent and spread of fishing, and we are talking about carp, a huge number of reservoirs with carp has increased, usually they are all paid, by paying a certain amount, any fisherman can try himself in catching carp.
Features of wintering
With the onset of the cold season, the carp's feeding intensity gradually decreases, and the fish hibernates. Artificial reservoirs are not suitable for wintering fish. This means that it is necessary to provide a constant supply of oxygen to the pond.
In order for the fish to survive the winter normally, the following measures should be taken:
- To avoid complete freezing of the water in the pond, you should wait until a durable ice coating forms on its surface. After this, you need to pour an impressive layer of snow on top. If there is no snow, then you can lay insulation and cover it with film. Be sure to leave places where holes will be drilled in the future.
- To saturate the water with oxygen, you will need to use a fishing ice drill to drill several holes in the ice cover of the reservoir and prevent them from freezing.
- With the onset of cold weather, it is advisable to transfer carp to special aquariums located inside the house. You can return fish to the pond only when the snow has completely melted and the water has warmed up.
When overwintering carp in indoor aquariums or in greenhouses, it is recommended to reduce the feeding intensity. It is necessary to feed the fish based on its activity.
The attractiveness of carp for home fishing
Fish meat should be in every person's diet. In carp it is quite tasty, not bony. There are enough people in the country who are interested in fishing. By organizing carp breeding at home, you can combine an exciting activity with a profitable financial investment.
Carp is chosen for its positive qualities:
- Unpretentious. A pond 3 by 3 meters, 1.5 meters deep, is enough for him. A partial water change is required.
- Frost-resistant. During winter, it hibernates, immersed in silt.
- Growing quickly. By two years of age, individuals are ready for sale and weigh up to 2 kilograms.
- Omnivorous. Individuals eat both larvae and plant seeds. In artificial reservoirs they still need complementary feeding. If you do this in one place, it will be easier to catch.
It is better to start breeding in a pond, the depth of which is up to 2 meters. The area must be more than 50 square meters. Young animals can be fed natural food, but for more intensive growth there are protein-rich mixtures.
We also have a step-by-step business plan for growing trout at home. You can also read useful material on crayfish farming as a business.
Interesting business idea?
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When is the best time to introduce fry into the pool?
It is best to stock the pond with fish in March-April. The fry, which were released in the spring, have time to gain the necessary weight before wintering and adapt to new living conditions. The fry should be released after the water in the reservoir has warmed up. The temperature should be between 22 and 25˚C.
You can release the fry into the pond in the fall, but this is not the best solution. The fish will not have time to gain strength, which will negatively affect its survival in the winter.
Carp breeding is a fairly popular industry today. But many, until they start growing fish themselves, think that this is a very simple business that requires minimal effort. It is enough to buy fry, put them in the pond and after three years the fish will grow by itself. This opinion is wrong. Like any business, carp breeding is painstaking work that requires strict adherence to technology and knowledge of the numerous features of growing fish. It is also worth considering the fact that investments made in this business pay off for a long time.
