By placing suitable types of fish in an artificial pond, you will always have access to fish delicacies and meat. How to raise fish in a home pond correctly - read this article.
When planning to breed fish in a pond on a personal plot, you need to choose the right type of fish, focusing on financial capabilities, the characteristics of the reservoir and the characteristics of the water. In addition, it is important to take into account the water temperature and climatic conditions of the region. Today we will present the characteristics of the most common types of fish and tell you about the features of their cultivation.
- What you need to know
- Peculiarities
Pond requirements
The first thing you should focus on is the list of requirements for how a fish pond should be made at home and on your own.
- The approximate depth on average ranges from 1.2 m to 1.5 m.
- Take into account the fact that the number of fish directly affects the volume of water. For example, one adult should require 50 liters of water. For larger breeds, water consumption increases.
- Take care of high-quality compaction of the walls and bottom of the future reservoir. It is advisable to cement the bottom, then cover it with film and lay pipes or pots on the surface.
- Choose the right materials to decorate the walls of your homemade lake. They must be safe for individuals. Place sand on the bottom.
- Take care in advance of choosing vegetation, which will later become additional food for underwater inhabitants.
- Pay attention to acidity, the norm of which is within 7-8 ph. If it is not enough, you can add a solution of limestone or soda.
- Fill the pit with well or spring water. After the water reaches the desired level, let it brew, warm up, and be sure to wait until microorganisms appear there. If you add a certain amount of water from another artificial reservoir to the pond, the process will go faster.
- Monitor the temperature. To avoid shock reactions in fish to a change in environment, make sure that the water temperature matches the one from which the fish was transported.
Zander
A predator of the perch family that ambushes other fish. Active at any time of the day, capable of hunting even in low light. Its body length can reach 1 m, and its weight often exceeds 10 kg. A distinctive feature of the fish is the presence of large fangs. The body color is usually dark green, with grayish-brown transverse stripes on the sides. At a young age, pike perch lives in a school; as an adult, it prefers solitude.
Conditions for keeping fish in the pond
The previous few points touch on this issue to some extent. In addition, you can see that what you feed the fish in the pond plays a very important role.
By adhering to proper nutrition, you can speed up the growth and development of individuals. Of course, each type of fish has its own nuances.
However, there are certain provisions that are universal for all types of fish:
- Be sure to dilute dry food with water in a special container in advance to obtain a homogeneous thick paste;
- Instead of mixed feed, add beans or grains to your food, which should be steamed in hot water before serving;
- Decide on the place where you will constantly feed the food, and arrange special feeders there. Ultimately, this will save you time and nerves, protect you from acidification of water and help regulate the amount of uneaten food.
Ruff
Photo: Tiit Hunt/Wikimedia Commons
A medium-sized fish of the perch family. The body length rarely exceeds 12 cm, and the weight is 25 g. The color of individuals depends on the body of water in which they live. Residents of rivers and lakes with a sandy bottom have a lighter body color than their relatives inhabiting reservoirs with a muddy bottom. The typical color is a greenish-gray back with dark spots, yellow sides and a whitish belly. Ruffs are common in lakes, along river banks and in dams. The basis of their diet is benthic invertebrates.
Breeding fish (instructions)
There are two main methods based on which you can breed fish for a pond in your country house, and both depend on the availability of food:
- Individuals are fed with additional supplements and contribute to the emergence of favorable conditions in the reservoir.
- No additives are used to produce fish fry in the pond. Focus on the food that already exists in your homemade pond.
Now let's look at the main features that are taken into account during this difficult process:
- Do not choose fish breeds that require complex care. Carp is considered the most unpretentious and frequently requested.
- Maintain a certain water temperature. If the mark shows less than 25 degrees, the development of individuals will occur more slowly. If you don't take into account certain breeds.
- Keep track of the number of individuals. If there are too many goals, this is fraught with bad consequences. Firstly, the allocated space becomes insufficient for them, and a banal struggle for territory begins. Some fish die, some get sick. That's why periodically reduce the number of animals yourself.
Pike
A predatory fish from the pike family, common in freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in Eurasia and North America. It prefers to stay in thickets of aquatic plants, where it waits motionless for potential prey. The pike has an elongated body and a relatively large head with a wide mouth. The color depends on the habitat and varies from gray-green to gray-yellowish or gray-brown, with a darker back and large olive spots forming transverse stripes on the sides. The average length is 40-55 cm, the average weight is 1-8 kg. Maximum length up to 150 cm, weight up to 35 kg.
Types of fish for home breeding in a pond
After your homemade pond is fully equipped and ready for use and settlement by the first inhabitants, read the relevant literature regarding what kind of fish is best to breed in the pond.
It is important to understand that the importance of choosing the right breed affects whether individuals will take root in your particular aquatic world or not.
Take into account the weather conditions of the region where you live. The climate, temperature, amount of sun and other things determine which fish will take root in your property.
- For example, in the Moscow region alone there are 45-50 fish species, the conditions of which coincide with natural conditions.
- If you take a fish that grows and feels comfortable in regions with a warm climate, it will definitely die in the northern regions.
- The same rule applies vice versa.
Carp
It is not for nothing that the popularity of carp among other fish breeds for keeping at home breaks all records.
- Firstly, it does not require special conditions of detention. It is omnivorous, fast, and can adapt to some changes.
- Secondly, its meat is very healthy. Carp is a heat-loving fish, found in fresh water.
- For reproduction and development, a temperature of about 20-30 degrees is suitable for it.
- The only thing is that the warmer the water, the faster the individual grows.
There are three types of carp: scaly, mirror and naked.
Koi
Koi belongs to the carp family. They are purchased for the purpose of decorating their water areas, since, unlike their relatives, they have variegated attractive colors, which vary depending on the subspecies.
With proper care, their length is a meter, life expectancy is 30 years, and fertility ranges from 300 thousand eggs to 1 million.
Pike
As everyone knows, pike is a predator fish. Life expectancy is about 20 years. Length 1-1.5 m, weight 8-10 kg.
It does not experience any particular difficulties with a lack of oxygen and grows quickly. Its meat is highly valued due to its special taste and dietary properties.
Rudd
This fish is hard to miss thanks to its bright color. It is small, length does not exceed 40 cm, weight - from 300 g to 2 kg. No requirements for conditions of detention were found. The only thing for reproduction is that it needs a fairly warm water temperature - 20 degrees.
It is not purposefully bred. Rather, it is necessary to keep the pond filled.
crucian carp
The crucian carp is distinguished by its special vitality. They easily tolerate fluctuations in acidity levels, as long as they do not go too far beyond the norm. Shellfish and insect larvae are suitable for them as food.
- For breeding they need additional feeding.
- Despite the equally tasty meat, crucian carp are in great demand.
- They are easy to breed, feed and raise.
Silver carp
This type of fish is considered to be a large species. It is thermophilic, gains weight and reproduces at temperatures of 20-25 degrees. It feeds mainly on plankton; the use of artificial bait is acceptable. Ponds with a depth of 3-4 m are suitable for them.
Zander
Pike perch by nature is a predatory fish. Clean water without excess vegetation suits him.
- It does not need high temperatures for development - only 8-10 degrees.
- Small fish are selected for their food.
For breeding, it needs well-oxygenated reservoirs with an abundance of weed fish.
River perch
A predatory fish of the perch family, growing on average up to 15-20 cm. The size of individuals depends on the habitat, the largest reach a length of 50 cm and weigh more than 2 kg. The body of the fish is compressed on the sides, covered with small scales. Its snout is blunt and there is a small hump behind its head. The main color is yellow-green with black transverse stripes on the sides, while the belly is white. River perch lives in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and ponds, and can also be found in brackish waters. It feeds mainly on other fish.
Photos of the best types of fish for the pond
Roach
A schooling fish of the carp family. Body length can reach half a meter, weight in rare cases reaches 2.5 kg. The color of most representatives of this species is silver on the sides and belly, and almost black on the back, with a green or bluish tint. There are also golden-colored specimens. Roaches feed on mollusks, invertebrates and algae; large individuals do not reject fish larvae and fry.
Smelt
Small schooling fish that smells like fresh cucumbers. It is a lake form of the European smelt. It grows no more than 18 cm in length, weighs up to 8 g. Its elongated body is covered with large scales, which can fall off. The mouth has strong teeth. The sides of the smelt are silvery, the back is usually dark with a grayish-green tint, and the belly is light. The diet is based on small crustaceans.
Common catfish
Photo: Dieter Florian/Wikimedia Commons
A large fish of the catfish family, growing up to 2.5 m in length. The body weight of the most well-fed individuals reaches 100-150 kg. There are no scales on the body of the catfish. The color on the back and sides is usually brownish-brownish, with a greenish tint, and the belly is white. Albinos are sometimes found. Catfish feed on fish, shellfish and other freshwater animals, and can attack birds. Hunts at night.
