Quite a good number of persons love the savoury taste they get from eating a well-bred fish but the reality is that not everyone has the time and/or know-how to make such available. Hence, for those who dare to bridge the gap, there’s a profit-making avenue.
Having said that, we delve into the discourse of the day, which is on starting fish-farming business.
For the lack of data, we may not be able pointedly state the exact amount of money realized by fish farmers but one thing is certain; the business is a lucrative one that is capable of raking in hundreds of thousands [as profit] on a monthly basis. And talking about the fish species that generates much profit in this part of the world, we can’t but bring catfish into the picture.
The market for catfish is really blossoming and that of tilapia only comes at a distant second. Catfish thrives well in our climate, and is best choice when one considers maturation period whereupon harvest time beckons – catfish takes between 4 – 6 months to reach maturity while for tilapia, it’s 5 – 7 months
So, what do you need to start fish-farming business?
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A good location: With the choice of fish [you desire to culture] already sorted out, the next thing to do is to look out for an operational base; a good location where you can situate the pond. You will need to consider factors such as accessibility and resource availability before settling for a particular spot.
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Pond construction: There are different types of pond available for breeding fish. Some fish farmers like to simulate the natural habitat of the fish thereby they have a pond dug around the spot that have been selected. If you’re however starting the business on a small scale, you can go for a plastic tank or have an artisan construct a makeshift culture tank for you using tarpaulin and wood. Concrete pond and fiberglass (culture) tank are other options. A pond with a dimension of 10ft X 8ft X 5ft should be sufficient enough to accommodate a thousand fish juveniles.
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Water supply: The saying that ‘water is life’ is best described in the lifecycle of a fish. Therefore, anyone hoping to make good gains in fish farming should know that constant water supply is a luxury that cannot be substituted for anything else. It then follows that a borehole should be drilled close to the pond to address the need for steady supply of water. Additionally, you should get a water reservoir [in form of an overhead tank] linked to the culturing tank.
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Fish juveniles: After you must have had everything ready, you will need to get fish juveniles or fingerlings [of good quality] to introduce into the pond and culture until they maturity. A thousand catfish juveniles will cost between N25,000 – N35,000 depending on the age.
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Fish feeds: While laying out the budget for a fish-farming venture, you should be careful to set apart a good sum of money for feeding cost as this alone takes up a large chunk of the expenditure – say 50% of the budget. Fish feeds are of different types; there are the natural ones [whereby you have worms, phyto plankton, aquatic plants and so on] and also feeds that have been commercially prepared to help fish grow in a healthy manner – without any complication.
The last thing you will have to do is a personal research. You should acquire information/knowledge from those who have been in the (fish-farming) business; look up facts from the internet or you could even sign up for a course in this particular area as you aim to breed nutritious fish stock and grow your business.
Fish Farming: Know the Terms
As you aim to start your fish farming business, there are aquaculture terms worth taking note of, and this is why we are reeling out the following list:
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Pisciculture: The activity that revolves round breeding fish species in ponds or culture tanks for commercial purpose.
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Fish hatchery: A place specially set up for the purpose of breeding, hatching and rearing fish through the developmental stages – from larvae to yearling.
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Culture tank: A facility for housing fish stock that is being reared. It can be used to complement the fish pond in some occasions.
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Brood stock: This refers to the group of mature fish that are kept for the purpose of reproduction. This helps to ensure that there is a regular supply of a particular fish species
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Fry: A fish that is in its developmental stage, and about one or two week(s) old – right after surpassing the larval stage. Be minded that the time gap between developmental stages varies from one fish species to another.
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Fingerling: This defines a fish in its first 3 weeks to 4 months of development. In other words, fish that have advanced past the ‘fry’ stage.
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Juvenile: Used to define the stage stretching from the period in which the fish is regarded as a fry/fingerling down to its reproductive age. A fish in this stage is often so called – juvenile – though the word ‘juvenile’ is sometimes used interchangeably with fingerling.
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Yearling: Simply put; a fish that has completed one year of its development.
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Fish meal: Specially formulated food used in feeding the fish stock that is being reared. It is usually available in powder or pellet form.
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Phytoplankton: These are minute plants [that are invisible to the naked eyes], and they serve as food to fish [as well as other aquatic forms]. They are often regarded as algae.
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Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR): This is the ratio of food intake (of the fish) to the weight gained over time. It can be used as a measure of the growth rate of the fish.
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Water quality: This encompasses properties [of water] such as water temperature, pH, mineral contents, etc. that make the water sustainable for the growth of the fish.
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Water pH: The degree of acidity or alkalinity of the water. The best pH for culturing fish is between 6.5 and 7.5 (pH level).
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Water turbidity: This relates to the extent to which water becomes cloudy or loses its transparency. The more turbid water becomes, the more difficult it is for light to penetrate and this could eventually have a negative effect on the oxygen intake of the fish. Water turbidity can be spiked by the presence of excessive solid particles from fish wastes, left-over fish meal and so on.
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Dissolved Oxygen: This is the amount of oxygen molecules (in solution) available in the water at a given point in time. Low or high amount of dissolved oxygen can be detrimental to the growth and/or health of the fish.