The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

David Lubin Memorial Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

FAO. Rome (Italy)
Handbook on small-scale freshwater fish farming
(FAO Training Series, No. 24)
ISBN 92-5-103163-0

1. Fish culture 2. Freshwater 3. Training
I. Title II. Series

FAO Code 44 AGRIS: M12; C10

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

© FAO 1994

Contents

Preface
1. Introduction

What is fish farming?
Why do we raise fish?
What do you need to raise fish?
How do we begin?

2. Locating your fish farm

Where to put your fish pond
Water supply
Soil quality
Testing soil

3. Constructing fish ponds

How large should your pond be?
How to build a 20 by 20 metre pond
Building bigger ponds

4. Inlets to let water into the pond

Simple inlets
A better inlet

5. Outlets to let water out of the pond

Simple outlets
A better outlet
Another kind of outlet: The monk
Improving your pipe outlet
Using a siphon to drain your pond

6. Bringing water to your ponds

Raising the level of your water supply
Digging a supply ditch
Digging a return ditch
Building a sluice to control the water flow

7. Controlling the water in the pond

Overflow
Controlling trash and fish: Screens

8. Preparing your pond

Before filling the pond
Fertilizing the water
How to make plant compost
How to make animal compost
Building a crib
Putting fertilizer into the crib
When is your pond ready?

9. Stocking your pond with baby fish

Growing your own baby fish
Feeding the fish in your nursery pond
Using your baby fish
Transporting your baby fish
Putting baby fish into your pond

10. Taking care of your pond

11. Taking care of your fish

Feeding your growing fish
Providing good water for your fish

12. Harvesting your pond

Harvesting without draining the water
Harvesting by draining part of the water
Harvesting by draining all of the water
Harvesting fish when you have a monk

Harvesting inside the pond
Harvesting outside the pond

Harvesting many fish
What to do with your baby fish

13. Beginning again

14. Improving farm management

Growing fish all year round
Growing only male fish

15. Producing fish in pens

Locating fish pens
How large should your pen be?
Building a pen
Putting baby fish into your pen
Feeding fish in pens
Taking care of your fish in a pen
Taking care of your fish pen
Harvesting fish in pens
Starting again

16. Producing fish in cages

Locating fish cages
Building a cage
Building a simple post cage
Building a simple floating cage
Building a better floating cage
Putting baby fish in the cage
Feeding fish in cages
Taking care of your fish in a cage
Taking care of the cage
Harvesting fish in cages
Starting again

17. Your farm and your fish ponds

18. Keeping you and your family healthy

Test your knowledge

Locating your fish farm
Bringing water to your farm
Building fish ponds
Bringing water to each pond
Draining water from the pond
Preparing the pond to receive fish
Putting baby fish in
Taking care of ponds and fish
Harvesting fish
Improving management
Producing fish in pens
Producing fish in cages
Bringing farm and ponds closer together
Avoiding diseases in your family