The Reproduction Of Carp And Pond Fish
Many owners of large gardens and farms choose to condition their land to favor the reproduction of carp and pond fish. While beginners need to be carefully informed, the investment of time and money will be worth it.
How to get the ideal conditions for water
The ideal setting to start working with carp and pond fish reproduction is that it is shallow, which allows the water to heat up quickly in summer.
Depending on the temperature of the region we are in, we can opt for tanks 1 to 1.5 meters deep, as it is also important to avoid overheating the water in the summer months.
The size of the pond will depend on the type of breeding we are looking for: if the goal is to raise some larvae for recreational purposes, building a pond of 100 to 500 square meters will suffice.
On the other hand, if the objective is extensive fish farming, the fattening or reproduction ponds for the market can have up to 5 or 10 hectares.
The quality criteria for water in the tanks are not very strict: many of them are supplied with water from rivers, streams or springs, but it is necessary to take special measures so that contaminated water from other lands does not infiltrate, in order to prevent the spread of disease to fish.
Losses caused by leakage and evaporation can be resolved with an additional supply of water that we can add to the tank through channels.
The beginnings of breeding the common carp
Carp breeding began in ancient China in 45 BC and has continued to develop to this day. Breeding methods were mainly perfected in the 16th and 18th centuries, when Jakovi was able to artificially fertilize trout roe.
However, this type of artificial insemination fell by the wayside and was not recovered until the mid-19th century.
The reproduction and rearing of the common carp are quite distinct from the reproductive and growth cycles of wild species.
The feed used in breeding domesticated carp in captivity makes tank carp grow very quickly compared to wild species. A mixture of feed and natural food will lead to healthy and good-sized specimens.
The breeding cycle of carp and pond fish
The carp’s metabolism is accustomed to sudden changes in temperature, so we must keep in mind that the lower the temperatures in its habitat, the less its food needs.
The cultivation of these species can be divided between the stage of reproduction and larviculture, and the creation of growing fish. In the first, the eggs are fertilized, spread and hatch after the winter has passed.
In the second phase, the fish start to grow in late spring: they transform the tank food and artificial feed into fat reserves and meat volume.
Thus, the closer to autumn, the slower their metabolism will be and they will grow less, although the growth of specimens is also linked to the density, quantity and quality of oxygen and food available.
