Raising Fresh Fish in Your Home Waters养鱼技术.docx

RaisingFreshFishinYOUrHomeWaters养鱼S#AprojectofVolunteersinAsiaby:BrendaBorta,JackRuttle1andMarcPodemsewspInc.33Ea8tMinorStreetEmmaws,BA18049USAbo,Inc.BrendaBortzJackRuttleMurcPodsmsWIWBEAF1SHFARMERStManypeoplethinkoftishasapotentialcrop.Ru:thatsjustwhatcarp,catfish,trout,andbassare.Tillrecently,fi3hhasbeenawiIdfoc:dinthiscountry-huntedandcaddhtinopctnwater:,thentakenhomeortomat.Butallthatischanging.Wildstockisbeingdcletrdbyoverfishingandcou!;"mirlatcclbyindustry,andthecostottrcshandfrozenfishkeepsclinbing.21.uckily,theresahappyendingtothisfishstory.Inotherlandspeoplehavebeenstocking,breeding,feed-ing,andharvestingfishforcenturies.Andmorerecently,Americansin-tistshavebeguntodomesticatede,siratlenativespeciesliketruutandr%,tfish.Puttingthisknowhowtowork,CUmmer1.iaIfarmsnowraisehugenumbersoffishmuchlikeagribusi-nesserodeextieandchickens.Attheoth,.extreme,countrypeopiestillen,Olthefarmpond-stockedfor;ecre,Itionandoccasionalmeals,butnottrulycultured.Now,though,theresamiddleground.Itsabackyardfishculture,;Imethodthatletsyougrowfish1ikeagardencrop.1.ikethefoodsyougrowin4,Ihcfishinyourwatergardenwillneedregularattentionandfeedingorfertilization.Caredforinthisway,apondthesizeofamodestswimmingpoolcansupplyenoughfishforafamily,Artdatypicalfarmpondcanyieldenoughtohaveplentyleftoverforsale.Backymlfishvs.barnyardanimaleFormanypeople,acropoffishcanalsoturnouttobethebestchoiceinlivestock.Highlydigestibleandlow,infat,fisharerichinprotein.Andtheirproteincomesclosert.meetingthebodysneedsthanmeatproteindoes.Sincefisharecoldblooded,theydontburnfoodjusttokeepwarm.WhichmeanstIicyarconeoftIitsmostenergyefficientlivestockaround.Andunlikebarnyardanimals,theyreabsolutelyquidandodorless.Sincetheresnopenormanurepiletooffendtheneighbors,raisingfishis.analmostinvisiblewilytogrowSonirofyourownnitintownorinthesuburbs.GREATINGAB1.ANCEDJtlikeorganicgardening,fishculturrinvolvesworkingwithawholelivingsystem.Ihcwaterthatwillbeyourgrowthmediumismuchmorethantheequivalentofnourishinggardensoil.Itsalsotheatmospherethatprovideslife-givingoxygen.Manyforcesinteractinthistotalen-vironmtnt,andasabeginnerinaquacultureyou11wanttoknowaboutthosethatdirectlyaffectfish.Cleanwaterisamustinfishcul-ture,andfortunatelythewaterinmostfarmponds,ruralstreams,springs,andwellsisnaturalIyclean,Keepinmind,though,thatthekindofwaterbestforfishfarmingisfarfromcrystalclear.healthybloomofalgaeisvitaltoahigh-yieldingsys-tcm,andthesemicroscopicpeagreentoruddybrownplantscanmakewaterlooksoupy.Ifyoususpect,however,thatyourwatersourcecontainsman-madepol-Iutants,youshouldhaveitanalyzed.YourcountyAgriculturalExtensionAgentoryourstatesFishandCameCommissionpeoplecantellyouhowtodothis.Youmustalsobealerttonaturalsourcesoftrouble.Evenordinarysoi1aidec!byerosionortherootingofduckscanfoulwatertoonluchforthefishesliking,Inheavi1ystockedlx)ndg,droppingsfrmthefishthem-selvescangetthickenought,tnclog110withtinyparticles.Uncon-SUmCdbitsoffoodcandothesamething.Happily,theseprrblemsarent72*common-especiallywhenotheror-g;Inismsinthepondaredoingtheirwork.Temperatureiscrucial.Becausefisharecoldbloodedanimals,theycanbegrownonlywhenandwheretheclimateandwatersupplycooperatetoprovidewatertemperatureswithintheirgrowingrange.Moreover,eachkindoffishfavorsaspecificitimperatureringe.Someflourishonlyincoldwaters.OtherswontgrowandreproduceWellunlessthewaterisverywarm.Thewatertemperatureyouwillhavetoworkwithcanbecloselytiedtothetemperatureofyourwatersource,Ifym-sourcewaterflowsfastfromanundergroundsupply,itstemperaturewillberough1ythesameasthatofthegroundwaterinyourarea.(SeeFig.1,)Ontheotherhand,ifyourscrurctwatertricvklcsfrombe1owemendratherthangushes,itwillbewarmedsomewhatasitpassesslowlythroughthegroundbelowthefrostline.irtemperaturealsogreatlyinflu-encespondwatertemperatures.saruleofthumb,watertemperatureinapondtendstnapproachtheaver-ageairtemperature.Ibgetagoodideaofwhatthatis,scanthetableofaveragemonthlytemperaturesforyourarea.(GetthisfromthenearestU.S.WeatherBureau.Or1ookitupatthelibraryinTheClimdictlasqfthiUStsorinagoodalmanacorencyclopedia.1Sincepondwaterrespondsslowlytochangesinairtemperature,thewatertemperatureinyourpondwillbeslightlybehindthetemperatureriseinspringandthedropinfall.Forthesamereason,pondwaterisusu-allycoolerthanthehottestairduringthedayandwarmerthanthecoolestairatnight.Thedeeperthepond,thelessthechangeinwatertemperaturebe-tweennightandday.Insmal1ponds,however,watcrtemperaturecanchangeafairamountonasummersdayandwillfollowseasonalchangesinairtemperaturemoreclosely,Thismeansthattobeonthesafesideinchoosingfish,youshouldknowbothaveragemonthlyairtemperaturesandtheapproximatehighesttemper-atureyourpondwaterisapttoreachinthesummer,(FishCommissionpeoplecanhelpyouwiththatesti-mate.)sallthissuggests,eachregionhasagrowing?ieasonforfish,Thoughpondsize,source-watertemperature,andclimateaffectthelengthofthisBeason,itwillcorres-pondrough1ytothefrost-freeperiodrdeninginyourarea,Hocloseitcomesyou11havetodeterminefromepg.Sence1mantinwinter,a1gaewillgrowa1it-tie.Watertcmpcrturt'willcent