How to Build a Backyard Fish Farm
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With the growing popularity of backyard vegetable gardens, backyard fish farming is becoming another popular source of food. Start small by building a fish pond.
Step 1: Dig a test hole in your yard
Dig a test hole as deep as you plan to make your pond. Then fill it with water from a garden hose and see how much water drains to determine the seepage quality of the soil.
Tip
Backyard fish ponds are typically 5 to 15 feet deep.
Step 2: Ask local authorities if permits are needed
Contact your local government authorities and ask if permits are needed for building a backyard fish pond.
Step 3: Decide where your pond will be dug
Decide where your pond will be dug. Locate it where it will be exposed to sunlight to promote algae growth and where children and pets won’t be attracted to it.
Tip
If you’re a beginner or on a tight budget, build a fishpond only in a warm climate. Colder climates require expensive heating and filtering systems.
Step 4: Hire a contractor to excavate a hole
Hire a contractor with equipment to excavate a hole for the pond. Then fill the hole with water, spread 8-8-4 crop fertilizer in the water to grow algae, and wait 4 to 6 months.
Step 5: Stock the pond with fingerlings
Stock the pond with fingerlings or young fish. Tilapia is a tasty fish that is easy to raise, and they tolerate a variety of environmental conditions.
Tip
It’s recommended that a fishpond be stocked with five to six fingerlings per square meter of surface area. Spring is the best time of year to stock.
Step 6: Wait until the fishes are full grown and harvest
Wait for six months to a year for the fish to grow. Lower a dip net to the bottom of the pond, sprinkle a small amount of fish food into the water above the net, and lift the net to harvest the fish.
Did You Know?
Fish farming, also called aquaculture, has been around for centuries and may have been practiced in China as early as 2000 B.C.E.
