| Chapter 1 | General Background | Chapter 9 | Fish Propagation | |
| Chapter 2 | Improving Pond Water Quality | Chapter 10 | Fish Feed and Feeding | |
| Chapter 3 | Controlling Water Losses in Ponds | Chapter 11 | Fish Harvesting from Ponds | |
| Chapter 4 | Protecting Farm Structures and Fish Stocks | Chapter 12 | Grading and Sorting Fish | |
| Chapter 5 | Pond Conditioning through Liming | Chapter 13 | Live Fish Storage | |
| Chapter 6 | Fertilizing Fish Ponds | Chapter 14 | Transporting Live Fish | |
| Chapter 7 | Integrating Animal Husbandry and Fish Farming | Chapter 15 | Fish Disease Prevention and Treatment | |
| Chapter 8 | Handling Live Fish on the Farm | Chapter 16 | Monitoring, Record Keeping, Accounting and Marketing | |
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The purpose of this manual
2.0 Introduction
Pond water composition
Changing water composition
2.1 How to sample the pond water
Obtaining a good water sample using a sample bottle
2.2 The chemical reaction of the water (pH)
What does pH mean?
Measuring pH
Choosing the pH value of your water
Values of pH throughout the day and night
Correcting water of too low or too high pH
2.3 Water turbidity and transparency
The effects of turbidity in fish ponds
Measuring turbidity
Measuring plankton turbidity with your arm
Measuring turbidity with the Secchi disc
Measuring the Secchi disc transparency
Controlling turbidity
2.4 Pond water temperature
The importance of water temperature for fish farming
Measuring water temperature
Recording extreme water temperatures
Calculating the average daily temperature of pond water
Showing water temperature fluctuations in a graph
Managing the water temperature in fish ponds
2.5 Dissolved oxygen in fish ponds
Sources of dissolved oxygen
Measuring DO content in water
Determining the average DO content of the water in a pond
Expressing the DO content of the water
Determining how much oxygen water can hold
Using a graph to determine oxygen saturation values
Levels of dissolved oxygen that fish require
Fluctuating oxygen levels
Sudden drops in the DO content of pond water
The signs of low DO content in fish ponds
Predicting low DO content with a Secchi disc
Predicting low DO content with DO measurements
Improving pond water oxygenation
2.6 How to improve water
oxygenation at pond inlets
2.7 How to improve oxygenation by
using a cascade
Introduction
Using a cascade
Designing an efficient cascade
2.8 Mechanical aeration devices
Choosing aeration devices
Selecting mechanical aerators
2.9 Water filtering devices
Introduction
Cover screens for water pipes
Sleeve filters for water pipes
Using the sleeve filter at a pond inlet
Using small sleeve filters for water tanks
Fence screens for fish ponds
Fence filters for pond inlets
Sliding screens for grooved structures
Horizontal underwater screens
Using the horizontal underwater screen
Box and basket filters for pond inlets
Barrage filters for feeder canals
Designing barrage filters
Building barrage filters
Upflow filters
3.0 Introduction
3.1 How to seal the pond with
organic matter
Light organic layer
Gleization
3.2 How to seal the pond bottom by
puddling
3.3 How to seal the pond bottom by
compacting
3.4 How to seal the pond bottom
with a soil blanket
Laying out a soil blanket
Laying out a subsurface soil blanket
3.5 How to seal the pond with a
synthetic membrane
3.6 How to seal the pond with
bentonite
What is bentonite?
Selecting this method
Taking precautions before applying the method
Sealing a drained pond with bentonite
Sealing a full pond with bentonite
3.7 How to maintain earthen ponds
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Soil conservation
Introduction
Kinds of erosion
Factors affecting soil erosion
Managing natural vegetation to conserve soil
Cultivating soil to conserve it
Using physical controls to conserve soil
A simple method of soil conservation: the self-made terrace
Choosing a vegetation strip for a self-made terrace
Establishing and maintaining vegetation strips
Dealing with steep slopes
4.2 Wind protection in fish farms
Protecting fish ponds from wind
Providing wind protection
The characteristics of an efficient wind-break
Designing a live wind-break
Choosing vegetation to use in a wind-break
Various kinds of wind-breaks
Establishing, maintaining and renewing a wind-break
4.3 How to protect dikes against
wave action
4.4 How to protect dikes and canals
against erosion
Protecting your dikes
Protecting your water canals
4.5 Traffic control: fencing
Live fences
Piled fences
Woven fences
Post-and-rail fences
Wire fences
Wire-netting fences
Stone fences
Providing controlled access for livestock
4.6 Animal pest control in drained ponds
Controlling pests when the pond is drained
Taking precautions when handling dangerous chemicals
4.7 Animal pest control in undrained ponds
Controlling pests by treating the water
Controlling insects and zooplankters in nursery ponds
4.8 Animal pest control in stocked ponds
Controlling wild fish
Trapping water turtles
Trapping water snakes
Controlling frogs
Protecting against birds
Controlling harmful mammals
Preventing theft
4.9 Aquatic vegetation control in fish ponds
Introduction
Controlling aquatic vegetation biologically
Controlling aquatic vegetation mechanically
Controlling aquatic vegetation chemically
5.0 Introduction
Total alkalinity
Measuring total alkalinity
Expressing total alkalinity
Using total alkalinity in fish farming
5.1 When to use lime to condition your ponds
Introduction
The beneficial effects of liming
5.2 Chemicals for pond liming
Making lime yourself
5.3 How to calculate the amount of lime needed
Determining the lime requirement of a pond
5.4 How to lime ponds in practice
Introduction
Liming drained ponds
Liming filled ponds
6.0 Introduction
Different types of fertilizer
Making the best use of fertilizers
Deciding about the need for fertilizers
6.1 Inorganic fertilizers in fish farming
Different kinds of inorganic fertilizer
Selecting inorganic fertilizers
Mixing inorganic fertilizers with other substances
Storing inorganic fertilizers
Fertilizing your fish ponds
Choosing the quantity of inorganic fertilizer
Distributing inorganic fertilizers
6.2 Organic fertilizers: animal manures
Different kinds of organic fertilizer
Animal manures as organic fertilizers
The composition of animal manures
How much manure do animals produce
Selecting the best animal manures for your fish pond
When to fertilize your ponds with animal manures
Using animal manure safely
Controlling the amount of animal manure to apply
Mixing animal manures
Applying animal manures to a drained pond bottom
Applying animal manures to water-filled ponds that have not yet been stocked
Applying animal manures to water-filled ponds that have been stocked
6.3 Other organic fertilizers
6.4 Composting
Composting and fish production
What does composting involve?
The C/N ratio of organic materials
Making a good C/N mix
Two general types of composting
Preparing compost in the pond (aerobic/anaerobic)
Preparing compost on land (aerobic)
Preparing compost from grass cuttings
Preparing compost from water hyacinth
Preparing compost from plant materials and animal manure
Preparing compost using the pit method
7.0 Introduction
Additional inputs of animal husbandry
Beginning successfully
Raising animals at different densities
7.1 Integrated pig farming
Housing your pigs
Designing a pig sty for tropical conditions
Some simple designs for a pig sty
Feeding your pigs well
7.2 Integrated chicken rearing
Choosing the chicken breed
Nursing one-day-old chicks
Producing broilers and fish together
Rearing laying hens and fish together
7.3 Integrated duck rearing
Choosing the duck breed
Nursing one-day-old ducklings
How to produce table ducks and fish
Producing duck eggs and fish together
8.0 Introduction
8.1 Characteristics of netting
materials
Different kinds of netting material
Varying resistance of netting to weathering
Designating the thickness of single yarns
Designating the thickness of netting twine
Measuring mesh size
Buying netting material
The hanging ratio of a net
Calculating the final height of a net
8.2 Seine nets
Introduction
Choosing the dimensions of a seine
Choosing the netting material and mesh size
Selecting materials to make a seine
Making a simple seine
Making a better seine with a central bag
Adapting your seine for a muddy bottom
Preparing the seine before using it by hand
Harvesting fish using the seine
Taking good care of your seines
8.3 Other fishing gear
Gill nets
Lift nets
Cast nets
Traps and trap nets
Mobile barriers
A simple bag net for capturing juvenile fish
8.4 Dip nets for fish handling
Making a dip net
Making a round dip net
Making a larger shovel-shaped dip net
Lengthening the life of your dip nets
Open dip net for handling broodstock
8.5 Counting small fish
Estimating large numbers of very small fish
Estimating large numbers of fingerlings
8.6 Measuring length and weight of live fish
Measuring the weight of batches of live fish
Measuring the individual weight of large fish
Measuring the length of fish
Determining the length-weight relationship
Using the length-weight relationship on your farm
8.7 How to sedate fish
9.0 Introduction
9.1 Preparing broodstock fish for
spawning
Obtaining broodstock
Managing broodstock ponds
Selecting suitable breeders
Using pituitary glands to propagate fish
Collecting pituitary glands by cutting open the head
Collecting pituitary glands by drilling into the head
Storing fresh pituitary glands
Extracting gonadotropic hormones from pituitary glands.
How to give the hormonal injection to fish
Ripening eggs
9.2 Induced spawning and egg collection
Where should induced spawning take place
Stocking the breeding enclosure
Collecting fertilized eggs
Making simple collectors for sticky eggs
9.3 Egg incubation and hatching
How do fish eggs develop
Length of the incubation period
Choosing a device to incubate your eggs
Single enclosure incubators
Double enclosure incubators
Trough incubators
Bucket incubators
Plastic bottle incubators
Funnel incubators
Making a simple funnel incubator using plastic
Making a better quality funnel incubator using plastic and cloth
Removing bad eggs and rubbish from an incubator
How many eggs can you incubate in various devices
Regulating the water flow during incubation
9.4 Larval rearing
How do fish larvae develop
Requirements for successful larval rearing
Selecting a larval rearing device
Making a plastic and cloth funnel for larval reaning
Designing and using a fibreglass larval rearing device
Transferring larvae and early fry
9.5 How to plan a small hatchery
Introduction
Planning the hatchery layout
The hatchery water supply
Setting up the hatchery
10.0 Introduction
Selecting fish foods
10.1 Natural foods for fish
There are several kinds of natural foods
Which natural food do fish prefer
Checking on phytoplankton
Checking on zooplankton
Making your own plankton net
10.2 Supplementary feeds: qualitative aspects
Why use supplementary feeding
Selecting supplementary feeds
Presenting supplementary feeds
How fine should the feedstuffs be
10.3 Supplementary feeds: quantities to use
How much supplementary feed to use
How the daily feeding rate varies
How often should you feed your fish during the day
Checking on feed utilization
Determining and using the food conversion ratio
Stopping the feeding of your fish
10.4 How to distribute supplementary feed
When to feed your fish
Where to distribute feed
Measuring feedstuff quantities
Distributing feeds
Building a simple plastic demand feeder
10.5 Transport and storage of feedstuffs;
Transporting feedstuffs
Important factors during storage
Improving the storage of feedstuffs
Storing small quantities of fish feeds
How much storage space will you require
10.6 Processing feedstuffs
Feeding the right particle size
Mixing several feedstuffs together
Cooking or steaming feedstuffs
Forming the feed into a compact shape
Drying liquid and wet feedstuffs
Processing fresh blood
Processing fresh rumen contents
Building a simple solar dryer
Building an insulated solar dryer
Building an all-weather dryer
11.0 Introduction
11.1 How to harvest fish without
total draining
11.2 How to harvest all fish within
a draining pond
Designing your catch basin
Building your catch basin
Protecting your catch basin from siltation
11.3 How to harvest fish outside a draining pond
Simple and portable harvesting equipment
Permanent harvesting basins
Building a harvesting basin
Using one harvesting basin for several ponds
Improving your harvesting
12.0 Introduction
Grading or sorting your fish
12.1 How to sort and grade on a sorting table
Building a simple sorting table
Using the sorting table
12.2 How to grade fish with a
calibrated container
12.3 How to grade fish with nets
12.4 How to grade fish in
harvesting structures
12.5 How to grade in troughs,
basins or tanks
12.6 Floating grading cages
12.7 Box and mechanical graders
Making a simple grader
Using the grader
13.0 Introduction
Storing fish alive
13.1 Live fish storage in existing
farm structures
13.2 Live fish storage in
specialized structures
Storage basins or tanks
Designing storage ponds
14.0 Introduction
Changing water quality during transport
Selecting water for transport
Organizing live fish transport for best results
Lowering transport water temperature
Improving the water oxygen content during transport
How many fish to transport in a container
Choosing a transport method
14.1 Broodfish transport on the
farm
14.2 Transport of juvenile fish in
small containers
14.3 Hammock and pool for live fish
transport
14.4 Barrels and drums for live
fish transport
Using a standard oil drum for transport
Increasing the loading rate of an oil drum
Using the improved oil-drum transporter
14.5 Specialized transport tanks
Making a wooden tank with two compartments
Connecting the agitalors/aerators to a power supply
Using the two-compartment tank
Making a simple transporter from a plastic barrel
Using the barrel transporter
Using a specialized transporter tank
Oxygenating water with compressed air or oxygen
Using a compressed air or oxygen system
14.6 Sealed plastic bags
Plastic bags suitable for fish transport
Making plastic bags from a plastic sleeve
Using plastic bags to transport fish
Handling sealed plastic bags on arrival
Determining the loading capacity of plastic bags
Calculating loading capacity
Using loading capacity tables
15.0 Introduction
Main causes of disease in farm fish
How does disease caused by living organisms develop in fish ponds
Preventing diseases through good management
15.1 Common chemicals and their use on the fish farm
Buying and storing chemicals
Determining the strength of chemicals and their solutions
Calculating the amount of chemical to be used
Measuring chemicals
Determining water volumes
Using stock and working solutions
Preparing stock and working solutions
Storing and dispensing stock and working solutions
Some common chemicals for fish farmers
How does the toxicity of these chemicals vary
Using these chemicals to treat fish
15.2 Prevention of diseases through disinfection
Disinfecting equipment on fish farms
Disinfecting tanks
Disinfecting earthen ponds
Disinfecting fish eggs
Disinfecting broodstock
Disinfecting juvenile fish before stocking
15.3 Fish diseases and possible cures
Disease symptoms in fish
Identifying the cause of disease
Which living organisms cause diseases in fish
The most common external fish parasites
Locating these external parasites on the fish
Looking for and identifying external fish parasites
Using chemicals to treat your fish
Organizing a treatment
Pretesting a treatment
Choosing chemicals to control external parasites
Choosing treatment
16.0 Introduction
Different needs for monitoring and record keeping
Fish stocks and useful indices for monitoring
16.1 Monitoring for subsistence fish farmers
Daily tasks
Tasks at weekly or longer intervals
16.2 Monitoring for commercial and semi-commercial fish farmers
Daily tasks
Tasks at weekly or longer intervals
Monitoring fish stocks
16.3 Simple economics for commercial farmers
The factors of production
Several kinds of production costs
Fixed factors of production have a useful life
The depreciation costs
The interest costs
Calculating profit
16.4 Record keeping and accounting for subsistence farmers
Keeping day-to-day records efficiently
Checking on your fish farm management at the end of the year
16.5 Record keeping and accounting for semi-commercial farmers
Keeping day-to-day records
Checking on your fish farm management at the end of the year
16.6 Record keeping for commercial fish farmers
Several types of records to be kept
How to record data on commercial fish stocks
Recording data on feed distribution and pond liming/fertifization
Recording data on pond water quality
Maintaining daily accounts on a commercial farm
Annual balance sheet for commercial farmers
Recording loan repayment
Recording payment for labour
Recording and monitoring fish feed stocks
Managing stocks of other materials
Recording data for the integrated production of meat birds
Recording data for the integrated production of egg-laying chickens
Recording data for the integrated production of pigs
16.7 Performance evaluation for commercial fish farmers
Calculating annual depreciation costs
Calculating net profit of fish farming
Calculating the annual value of your fixed assets
Calculating the net worth
Calculating the cost and profit of a specific part of production
Average profit from fish produced on your farm
Average annual production and food conversion ratios
Estimating the breakeven output for your fish farm
16.8 Fish marketing for commercial farmers
Selling more table fish at better prices
Diversifying your fish production
Marketing fresh fish of good quality
Preventing rapid deterioration of fish quality
Using ice to preserve fish quality
Processing fish to preserve its quality
Storing processed fish
Using fish wastes efficiently
16.9 How to increase profits from commercial fish farming
