Transcript Pond Production

Basic Pond Production Cycle:
Grow a crop of fish
By Matt Ferrell and Ken Semmens
Harvest
Drain
Sterilize
Feed
Fill
Stock
Starting a pond- Start Fresh
• Empty it
– New stock will not be food for old stock
• It only takes one large fish left in pond to destroy large numbers of fingerlings
• It only takes two bluegill or green sunfish to contaminate a pond
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Prevents disease
Allows for oxidation of old crude on the bottom
Easier maintenance work
Allows you to know what is in it
And what comes out
• If you can not empty it, killing fish in the pond is another way to
begin. (this is why cages are a good option for ponds without a
drain)
• Is the pond subject to contamination with unwanted fish?
Starting a pond- Sterilizing
• Hydrated line(calcium hydroxide)
• Increases hardness and temporarily total alkalinity
• Can raise pH very quickly; >12
– Kills most disease agents and pests
– Elevated pH last about 1 week
• Add enough to cover pond bottom with thin layer and
then add water , hit all puddles directly
• Caution- avoid breathing, eye and skin contact
• Can use Chlorine granules but this does not add
alkalinity
Selecting a crop
• What fish makes sense for your market and
pond?
• Producing food fish
• Producing fingerlings
Stocking
• Number and size is based on growing season
– Fingerling ponds can be stocked with small fish,
but higher numbers
– Food fish will most likely be stocked with larger
fish at a lower density
• Temper fish to temp and pH
– No more than 1 degree per 15 minutes
– No more than 1 pH per hour
Tending the Fish- Feeding
• Feeding to under satiation will yield the best
FCR
• Its best to feed sometime in the morning
• Feeding across the day will minimize oxygen
demand spikes
• Buy a feed that matches your species
• Floating feeds are easier for feed management
Tending the Fish- Water Quality
• Oxygen is arguably the most important WQ
parameter
• Maintaining greater than 3mg/l is a general
rule
Tending the Fish- Water Quality
Problem
Solution
High Ammonia- When pH, Temp, and feed
rates are high
Stop feeding, increase alkalinity
Nitrite Poisoning- NO2>1ppm
Add salt (NaCl), 10:1 Cl:NO2
pH swings-
Add alkalinity
Poaching, weeds, predators
Tending the Fish- Observe behavior
• You will know your fish
• When something looks different, that is the
time to figure it out.
– Feed response
– Regular behavior
– Indications of disease or lack of oxygen
Tending the Fish- Record Keeping
• Record mortalities
• Record yields
– Numbers and weight
• Record inputs
– Feed
– Stocking rate and size
• Record everything, it’s the only way you will
be able to compare year to year, and business
to business
Harvest
• Partial harvest
– Dip net
– Hook and line
• Total Harvest
– If live harvest remember water quality, and temp
• Might have to pick strategic time of day
– Drain pond, seine, and net out
– Drain pond into net