Mini-farm for breeding trout: equipment and technologies

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Trout farming can be a great start-up for young entrepreneurs. Such a business will be quite interesting and will bring a stable profit. Growing fish of valuable species is one of the branches of agriculture that has a high profitability. The breeding process itself is characterized by a relatively small financial investment, a minimum breeding area and a high-quality end product, which is of particular value. In this article, we will look at methods for breeding trout, how much trout grows and what conditions will be optimal for it.

What is trout farmed for?

Representatives of the Salmon family have a high gastronomic value. Therefore, trout breeding on mini-farms is one of the most relevant types of fish farms. Such fish can often be found on the menu of restaurants. In addition, it is great forpreservation, smoking and other popular cooking methods.

If we consider trout breeding on mini-farms, we can note a number of advantages of this type of business. Trout, among other species that are grown by fish farms, stands out for its unpretentious care. She feels great both in natural reservoirs and in RAS conditions. The fish has good taste. It is noteworthy that not only the fillet is valued, but also its caviar. Trout has virtually no small bones, making it safe to eat.

Cultivation of trout on mini-farms is also attractive because this species of fish is omnivorous. This facilitates the acquisition of the necessary feed. In addition, it is unpretentious to the environment. Trout fish feel great both in s alty sea water and in fresh river water.

What do you need to get started?

Cultivation of trout is not a very complicated process, and the demand for fish will bring a guaranteed profit. In order to start your own business in this industry, you need to acquire everything you need in advance. There are several items on the must-have list. First of all, it is a container or a reservoir where trout will be bred. Secondly, this is a quality young stock. Here it is worth considering that growing trout fry on your own is a rather complicated and expensive process. Therefore, it is best to purchase young stock from large fish farms. The third item on the list will be control equipment and life support systems. Hereincludes systems for filtering and circulating water, heating, automatic feeders. The last thing you need for a successful start is high-quality feed mixtures. You can make them yourself or purchase them in specialized stores.

What types of trout are farmed at home?

In the natural environment, individuals of the same species can differ significantly from each other. They can be different in color shade, size and body shape. Such differences are due to the habitat, the size of the reservoir, the chemical composition of the water and the various properties of the climate. It is noteworthy that in order to attribute certain individuals to a particular species, it is necessary to pay attention to those signs that do not change under the influence of any factors. These features include the shape and size of the scales, fins and tail. For breeding trout on a mini-farm, as a rule, two main types are used - these are rainbow and brook.

These two types of trout are able to live in both fresh and s alt water. In the natural environment, they are most often found in mountain rivers. The main advantage of breeding these species is the ability to use almost any water, the availability of feed mixtures and equipment. As for the choice between these two species, it can be made based on the study of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of trout.

Brook trout

This fish, as its name suggests, is found in streams and smallrivers in mountainous areas. Its distinguishing feature is its elongated narrow body and head with a slight mound. The body is decorated with dots of brown, scarlet and black colors. This color performs a camouflage function. Thanks to him, the trout merges with the rocky bottom and vegetation. This species is predatory. Trout eat various insects and fry.

Adult is capable of reaching a weight of up to 350 grams and a size of up to 40 centimeters. An important point in breeding trout in RAS is the observance of the temperature regime. Brook trout are most active in late autumn, when the water temperature in the rivers drops to 4-7 degrees Celsius. If, for example, you heat the water in the tank to 23 degrees and above, then this will certainly destroy all the young livestock. For normal growth and development of brook trout, regular renewal of water in the tank is necessary. A constant flow of cool, oxygen-enriched fluid and regular tank cleaning will provide farmers with he althy fish.

Rainbow trout farming

This type of trout lives in the mountain and taiga rivers of Russia. Her body is wide and flat. The distinguishing feature is the color. The body of the rainbow trout has many orange spots. Its nutrition is identical to the brook type of trout, with the exception of cereals, which it consumes during their maturation. At home, individuals of this species can grow up to eighty centimeters in size and weigh up to 12 kilograms. Unlike the brook trout, the rainbow trout tolerates the increase well.water temperature, but at the same time can stop eating. The most acceptable conditions for this fish will be a pond with a stream connected to it or an artesian well. Accordingly, treatment facilities for a reservoir will be more expensive than for RAS. In addition, it is necessary to equip the pond with installations for the regular circulation of water and its saturation with oxygen.

What to feed trout?

In order to get a good profit from the fish farm, you need to know the fact that the quality and taste characteristics of the fillet directly depend on what the fish eats. In this regard, experts recommend not to save on feed. Trout should be fed a balanced diet rich in protein. It is best to use extruded feed. It is noteworthy that the flesh acquires a beautiful scarlet shade under the influence of carotenoids - krill-based additives. If you feed trout with ordinary cheap compound feed, you can get pale white fillets at the exit. Such a product will be extremely difficult to sell.

For the normal development of trout, it needs to consume feed in the amount of 10 percent of its body weight. It is important that 10% is the upper limit, which is not recommended to be exceeded. This can lead to slower fish growth. An adult needs to be fed up to four times a day, and young animals up to 7 times.

What is the best breed?

Trout can be farmed both in RAS and in ponds fed by cold streams andsprings. However, not in all regions the normal development of this fish in the pond is possible. Trout do not tolerate hot weather. If the reservoir in the summer is very hot, then this will certainly lead to the death of the livestock. Therefore, breeding under RAS conditions is more preferable. In swimming pools, the temperature and quality of the water is easier to control.