Fishing business: we create a pond for fish breeding, sell finished products

Today everyone knows about the beneficial properties of fish as a gastronomic product. No meat can replace the totality of nutrients that it contains. Thanks to these properties, fish is always in demand among buyers and owners of catering establishments. That is why growing different varieties of fish at home deserves attention. Each of them has its own characteristics of living. Some fish can live and breed in pools and aquariums; for other varieties, you only need to rent a pond. Before starting fish farming at home, you need to decide on the type of fish that is most suitable for breeding.

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Technology of fish breeding in the pool

One popular way is to breed fish at home in a pool. Containers can have different geometric shapes and are made of wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass and concrete. The pool can be installed outdoors or in a utility room. The peculiarity of the technology is that the fish are densely populated in the container and fully fed with balanced feed. The advantages of breeding freshwater animals at home in special tanks include the ability to control temperature and hydrochemical conditions. Such a business will operate all year round, without interruption during the winter months.

Business has another advantage - complete automation of most processes. However, this aspect may have a negative impact on the final profit, since automation requires large amounts of energy. The processes of filtering and heating water are mandatory for a farm at home. This significantly increases the cost compared to the pond breeding option. Experts recommend growing expensive commercial varieties in swimming pools.

An example that is suitable for fish breeding at home is the small-sized compact module “Sturgeon”. It can be used to grow any commercial fish: trout, catfish, carp, sturgeon. To install it you will need an area of 25 sq.m. It is usually installed in a garage, shed or greenhouse. The manufacturer supplies, along with the equipment, detailed instructions for keeping, feeding and caring for fish. In a pool of this size at home, you can grow (per year):

5 tons of carp;
2 tons of sturgeon;
12 tons of catfish;
3 tons of trout.

The numbers, you see, are impressive. If you multiply them by the market price of these types of fish, then the income of the entrepreneur will have significant indicators. The cost of one pool is about 5 thousand dollars. Renting such containers is usually not provided. In addition to the equipment itself, it is necessary to purchase fry, this is another expense item, food, and take into account the consumed electricity in the cost price.

Business in growing fish in cages

Another way is to grow fish using cages. The whole procedure takes place on a river or reservoir, so calling it a breeding method at home can be very conditional. For smooth running of business, a reservoir lease is arranged. In Russia, all natural resources are owned by the state. However, renting a pond for a long time is quite possible. Cages are used for heat-loving fish: crucian carp, carp, carp. They are a net that hangs freely deep into the reservoir, similar to fishing equipment. Cages are made of latex or nylon in the form of a mesh, with a cell from 6.5 mm to 10 mm. A wooden frame is installed on the surface of the water. The fry are planted in such cages. After this, the farmer's main job is to feed the fish. There can be two options: provide additional food for fish from the surface and attract river invertebrates into cages.

The positive side of this method is that the fish is grown in conditions close to natural, and the capital investment to start a business is minimal. You will only need to rent a specially equipped reservoir for fish breeding, cages and a minimum of equipment. This type of business also has disadvantages. Firstly, it is a lot of labor, and secondly, it is impossible to control the microclimate in a natural reservoir. The slightest fluctuation in temperature, and all the livestock placed in cages may be lost. This method is not as widespread among farmers as growing fish in artificial ponds or pools.

We will talk in more detail about growing trout, carp and sturgeon fish in our next materials. Depending on the technology, it is necessary to select equipment. Growing various commercial fish as a business has its strengths and weaknesses. An entrepreneur will be able to choose the one that is most comparable to his capabilities, knowledge and desire to build a thriving business.

Types of fish for breeding

The ideal varieties of fish, which are often used in private business, as well as for industrial breeding, are:

trout;
carp;
perch;
crucian carp;
other species of the carp family.

It is advisable for every novice entrepreneur to choose a specific breed and stock up on relevant literature in order to learn how to breed, how to raise, and how to maintain this or that variety.

Beginning businessmen planning to breed several breeds of fish at the same time should know that they need to be combined in such a way that they naturally can get along with each other. For example, perches are predatory fish; they cannot be kept together with young fish, as they will simply eat newborn fish.

Cyprinidae are an unpretentious breed; they will feed on cereals, grains, beans, consume larvae and eat feed, corn or peas with particular pleasure. Carp, a fairly unpretentious fish to keep, will cost much less on the market than, for example, trout. But it will be difficult for novice fish farmers to start their activities with the same trout, since it requires professional care.

Step-by-step plan for starting a business

To start breeding fish on a scale that will allow you to sell it at a good profit, you need to decide on some of the features of this business.

What type of fish, when farmed artificially, will give the greatest profit in a given region.
How the fish farm will be organized: artificial/natural reservoir, swimming pool, breeding conditions.
Providing high-quality fodder.
Production equipment.
Sales of products.

What kind of fish is profitable to breed?

Among the various types of fish, it is recommended to choose one that quickly gains weight, is unpretentious and resistant to diseases, and is also in demand among a wide range of the population.

Many experts advise newcomers to the fishing business to start with carp and trout, as these species develop well and are in stable demand.

Carp quickly adapt to new conditions, are unpretentious to food, and resistant to various diseases. Despite the low cost, the income after selling the fish is quite high. For example, the profitability of the well-known enterprise OJSC Biserovsky Fish Factory is 9-10%.

A business plan for trout breeding is labor-intensive and complex, since this fish is demanding and capricious in terms of keeping conditions. To grow it, you cannot do without an experienced, highly qualified specialist. But such advantages as an accessible breeding system, high prices for products, excellent taste of the product, and low maintenance requirements (compared to other salmonids) attract many businessmen.

Many farms breed silver carp. The advantages of this fish are that they can exist peacefully with their “brothers” - grass carp and carp. Silver carp quickly gains weight and can reach up to a meter in height and 30 kilograms in weight.

Tench is an undeservedly forgotten subject of Russian fish farming. The fish gets along well with carp and crucian carp and is characterized by excellent taste. The meat is slightly sweet, tender, and medium fat. Tench is resistant to many common diseases - dactylogyrus, rubella, various kinds of parasites. The fish thrives in reservoirs overgrown with algae and lacking oxygen.

Video on the topic:

Food for fry. (Excellent food for fry of different types of fish.)

What equipment to choose for a fish farm

Breeding fish in pools is the preferred method when it is impossible to arrange an artificial pond in natural landscapes. To do this, you need a “bowl” of a water pool, equipped with a filtration system and pumps. And mechanisms that distribute special feed for fish stocks. The organization of a fish farm in dams, natural or artificial reserves also has its own characteristics. A natural pond must be cleaned before releasing the fry in order to avoid its mass death.

Pond farming

To begin with, it should be noted that a pond for breeding fish must be quite large: length from 8 to 10 m, width from 6 to 4 m, depth from 2 to 3 m. The most unpretentious fish that can live in an artificial pond are carp and silver carp. An approximate business plan for pond fish farming in a household plot includes calculation of costs, income and expected profit. Cost calculation:

Pond equipment - about 10 thousand rubles (filters, aerators, pumps, etc.)
Purchase of 50 kg of carp/silver carp fry - about 7 thousand rubles
Feed – about 7 thousand rubles

The total costs will be about 30 thousand rubles. From 50 kg of fry you can grow 1,200 kg of fish per season. The wholesale cost of live carp is about 50 rubles. for 1 kg. Total income is about 60 thousand rubles. Thus, the profit of the first year will be approximately 30 thousand rubles. This is a very high profitability, and we can say that breeding fish in a pond as a business is a fairly profitable undertaking.

What documents are needed to open a business?

Conducting business activities is possible in the form of individual entrepreneurship or as a limited liability company. To register an individual entrepreneur you will need: a civil passport, an application for state registration, a receipt confirming payment of the fee, a scanned copy of the TIN certificate. To register an LLC, you will also need: an application, two copies of the charter and a decision on the founding of the enterprise, if the founder is a single person. Protocol of shareholders' meetings and agreement on the establishment of the company (if there are several founders). Then, a document confirming payment of the state duty. It is also possible to register a farming form of business, i.e. A peasant farm, which is registered in the same way as an LLC.

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By approaching the formation of the pond correctly, studying the water parameters and preparing everything for the launch of the fry, the owner will be able to grow the fish to the optimal size. Careful care and cleaning of an artificial reservoir will allow you to increase the amount of fish for sale, and therefore increase the volume of profit received.

At the moment, many experts in the field of fish farming consider the fishing business to be a rather promising area. Therefore, by creating conditions for its development, it is possible to solve the problem of providing the state with fish and help fish farms in such a difficult task as growing various fish species.

Previously, it was popular to breed fish in artificial reservoirs, but in this case, poachers prevented the growth and development of young and older individuals, which is why fish farmers began to engage in organized reproduction and cultivation of fish on mini farms and at home. But in order for fish breeding to be successful, a novice fish farmer needs to study the breeding instructions and adhere to all the prescribed rules. Without what will home fish farming not bring the desired results?

Home fish farming from scratch

The most important resource for growing any type of fish is water. The growth, development and health of young animals will depend on its quality.

Step one. Creation of an artificial reservoir.

Before you start creating a pond, you need to devote time to a complete analysis of the water, studying all the indicators and quality standards necessary for populating the reservoir with new residents.

For this purpose, it is best to contact Epidemiological Surveillance and ask specialists to conduct the necessary analyzes of the aquatic environment and give advice on improving it, if necessary. If the water quality does not meet standards, do not despair. It is enough to aerate and clean the pond and everything will return to normal.

Step two. Determining the quality of water resources.

The water in a fish pond must have the following characteristics:

Optimal salt ratio;
Regular and irregular temperature conditions;
The total number of microorganisms living in it and PH;
General transparency;
The presence of minerals necessary for future fish;
Color qualities;
The ratio of gases dissolved in water;

If all these characteristics meet the stated standards, then it will be possible to grow fish without any problems.

Step three. Launching the fry.

Before you release the fry into the pond, you need to know what temperature conditions are suitable for the breed of fish you have chosen. There are fish that are more suited to cold water, and there are fish species that will only feel comfortable in warm water.

Cold-loving species include grass carp, carp, catfish, crucian carp, sterlet, silver carp, trout, peled and salmon. Heat-loving fish need to ensure the water temperature is not lower than twenty degrees, and for those who prefer cool waters, from ten to twenty degrees. Wintering in a reservoir will also be determined by the species of fish.

Step four. Stages of growing fish.

In order to properly build your mini fish farm, you need to know that when growing fish, the stages of breeding are taken into account. First, the fish spawn, then the fry appear, followed by the wintering stage, the next stage of growth, and experienced fish farmers consider the feeding stage to be the last step.

Taking them into account, it is possible to clearly distinguish between these periods and create the necessary scheme for the growth and development of young animals and grown individuals. For each of these stages, it is best to equip your own pond or use plastic pools.

In a pool or spawning pond, fish farmers hatch fry from the eggs. The hatched fry are transplanted into a pond where they will grow. Upon reaching a certain age, they are placed in a nursery pond, where they will gain weight. When the generation gets stronger and there is no longer any need to worry about its health, it is transferred to a feeding pond, and for wintering a special wintering pond with conditions appropriate for fish is used.

In order for fish to grow and develop well, the water in the reservoir must be clean and enriched with oxygen. Also, it should not contain hydrogen sulfide and methane. To avoid their occurrence, the pond must be created in an appropriate area, which can be determined using a geodetic map. Also, the reservoir must have appropriate vegetation that will saturate the water with substances beneficial to fish.

Step five. Feeding.

Not only water plays an important role in growing fish, but also the use of appropriate feed additives. In order to grow healthy fish, it is necessary to use feed mixtures appropriate for each breed. They consist of fats, fiber, legumes, grains, proteins, minerals and vitamins that fish need. The secret of success is simple: in order for the fish to grow well, fish farmers fertilize the reservoirs and mineralize them.

For each age of fish, it is necessary to use their own feed additives, just as to boost immunity, they use therapeutic-stress food to help the fish cope with the disease and gain immunity to it. That’s basically all that fish farmers who decide to grow fish at home need to know.

Breeding fish at home as a business

For growing fish, the most important thing is water; without it, it is simply impossible to breed any of the fish species. It is for this reason that before deciding to grow fish at home, it is necessary to build a suitable artificial reservoir for it.

For this purpose, you can rent a state reservoir, but it is better to abandon this idea. Because it will take you a lot of time to obtain various permits and approvals, and in addition to all this, your “fishing place” will also be threatened by poachers trying to catch as much fish as possible in your reservoir. For this reason, it is best to forget about renting a pond from government agencies. Moreover, the cost of a business based on state lease will be very expensive for you.

Another option is to create an artificial pond on your country or summer cottage. Creating an artificial reservoir will also not be cheap, but it will still require significantly less material and stress from you, and you will also be one hundred percent confident in the reliability of your business.

If you want to breed fish for which fresh water is suitable, then you can use a polycarbonate greenhouse with a plastic pool installed in it. It is also necessary to purchase compressor and filtering equipment, which will cost three thousand dollars. If you can create such equipment yourself, you will significantly reduce the cost of equipment for the pond. But before you start creating or purchasing it, you need to find out exactly what equipment and materials you will need.

Pond equipment

Water purification in a reservoir should be done using a gravity filter. Installing it is quite simple and it will not take much of your time. It costs about five thousand rubles. It is used not only for water purification, but also allows you to remove microorganisms that cause water blooms and the appearance of mud.

In order to saturate the water with oxygen, compressor equipment is used. Its cost can reach ten thousand rubles. In order to prevent the water in the reservoir from blooming, sterilizers with ultraviolet diodes are used. To pump water out of a reservoir, you need to purchase a hydraulic pump (about five thousand rubles). You can also make it by assembling it yourself from tubes. In this case, the reservoir will be filled with water from underground sources and springs. Feeders can be purchased at stores that sell fishing tackle. Also, do not forget about drainage equipment.

Costs and technology of fish farming

The benefits of fish farming are obvious. On the market, let’s take sturgeon, for example, a kilogram costs about two hundred rubles. By buying fry or breeding them yourself, you can get up to a ton of fish per year, which is about one and a half thousand kilograms, which means three hundred thousand rubles.

By spending one hundred and fifty thousand on your fishing business, you can work off the costs in a year and still make a profit. The main thing is to find sales points and then you don’t have to worry about profits.

Of course, only those people who understand all the risks and are ready to take them can engage in fish farming, because this type of business is quite competitive. And if you are not ready to fight and breed really high-quality and selected fish, it is better not to start it.

And now, finally, you have made a firm decision to create your own fishery. What documents will you need? Since you will be starting a business, you will need to register your business. This will also require additional costs. Also, to grow fish you will need a license, which will need to be issued. And when you receive the first “harvest”, you will still have to undergo product quality control and obtain special permission from the relevant structures.

What is the best fish to choose for breeding?

While it is easy to calculate the costs of creating an artificial reservoir, the costs of purchasing and growing fish are very difficult. It is for this reason that it is necessary to draw up a clear business plan.

The most unpretentious fish to eat and keep is carp. It is also affordable. When purchasing a ton of carp fry, you will need to spend about a thousand dollars. Moreover, this fish breed will not begin to reproduce immediately, but only after three years. In addition, during the cold season, carp grow twice as slow.

In industrial terms, all varieties of sturgeon are considered the most profitable fish species. An adult sturgeon weighs on average five hundred grams. A kilogram of sturgeon sold wholesale will cost approximately ten dollars. In your artificial pond, you can grow about a ton of such fish in six months. And this means that this business can really be called profitable.

Growing fish at home on a mini-farm: how to organize it correctly?

If you follow all the tips described above, then growing fish in your pond or pool is not a problem. This is exactly what farmer Mikhail Atamanov does, growing sterlet and trout on his farm in Yaroslavl. Over the course of a year, he grows and sells up to ten tons of fish and does not intend to stop there. According to him, such a business brings him not only tangible profit, but also pleasure.

Business related to the sale of food products has always been considered extremely profitable. Eco-friendly products produced at home are always especially valued. One of the options for such a business is fish farming.

Fish is a universal product that suits almost everyone, so the demand for it is very high. On store shelves, in addition to products from farm reservoirs, you can often find fish grown at home. This type of business is suitable for both residents of small settlements and entrepreneurs from large cities.

Fish farming requires preliminary preparation and obtaining the necessary knowledge. It is not enough to simply find a place to raise fish, buy fry for breeding and wait for them to gain weight.

For the business to be truly profitable, it is advisable at the very beginning to study the experience of colleagues, visit fish farms, and become familiar with the conditions for breeding fish of different species.

Valuable advice and experience from colleagues can greatly help at the initial stage.

In addition to knowledge, at the initial stage financial investments will be required to equip the reservoir, purchase the necessary equipment, cover operating and other costs.

Types of fish suitable as pond decoration

When choosing a fish to grow in a country pond, decide on its purpose: fishing or decorative decoration of the reservoir. The following types of fish are suitable for aesthetic pleasure:

Koi carp are very popular due to their coloring from bright red to black, and it is impossible to predict the color of future young animals. These fish have an excellent appetite and grow quickly. They spend most of their time at the bottom of the reservoir, searching for food in the mud. Very trusting, they can swim right up to your hands, hoping for additional feeding;

Ornamental Koi carp

goldfish are very unpretentious; they do not need a deep reservoir. To begin with, you can purchase a couple of individuals and they will quickly fill the reservoir with numerous offspring. In addition, goldfish are unpretentious when it comes to food. Their decorativeness is not even negotiable;
It is almost impossible to breed cold-water trout in an artificial reservoir, so they are also used for decorative purposes. Basically, river trout or very elegant rainbow trout are purchased for decoration. This fish feeds on small aquatic life, but will not refuse artificial feeding.

Advice. When the water temperature in the reservoir drops below +5 degrees, the fish falls asleep and is not interested in food. Feeding begins in the spring, when the inhabitants of the pond emerge from hibernation.

Fish diseases

Fish, like all living beings, are capable of contracting the disease in any living conditions.

In a business such as fish farming in artificial reservoirs, it is necessary to carefully monitor its health. To control the disease, fish must be caught every two weeks and their appearance (gills and rays) examined. If suddenly problems are identified, you should, under the guidance of a specialist, use medicines and vitamins to stop the disease throughout the entire reservoir, since the confined space contributes to the epidemic.

The most popular diseases among fish:

Aeromonosis (rubella) - dropsy occurs, the skin becomes inflamed and bruises appear, the eyes pop out of their sockets.
Gill rot - This disease occurs when the water in the pond is too hot and there is a large amount of dirt. The fish exhibits blanching of the gill tissue with uneven death at the edges. The fish loses its appetite and becomes inactive.
Ichthyophthiriasis - White tubercles appear all over the body of the fish. Almost all species are affected.
Discocotylus - The tissue of the gills is damaged. A difficult disease to tolerate for young individuals.
Fish dactylogyrosis is mainly a summer disease that affects young pond fish. The fish becomes inactive and swims high below the surface of the water. The fish's eyes become sunken, the gills become pale, and the body is emaciated.

Sales Features

Here you may encounter certain problems: competition, decreased demand, difficult relationships with retail outlets. 10% of stores have aquariums equipped for the sale of live fish. Typically, stores pay after sales. Consequently, payments are received after 7-30 days - this can lead to accounts payable.

In general, it is not recommended for a novice fish farmer to immediately start building a big business; it is worth first establishing an uninterrupted sale of fish. And, of course, you shouldn’t expect big profits right away.

Financial calculations

Project costs

Attachments

registration of documents, rental of a reservoir - 1.3 million rubles per year (purchase - 220 thousand rubles);
own transport – 1 million rubles;
improvement of the reservoir - 0.5 million rubles;
purchase of equipment – 0.5 million rubles.

Current expenses

purchase of fry - 3 thousand rubles per month;
advertising and marketing – 10 thousand rubles per month;
wages and taxes – 200 thousand rubles per month;
additional expenses – 20 thousand rubles per month;
feed – 10 thousand rubles per month.

Income from sales and profit making

A fisheries business plan that brings in 10 tons of fish per year, if sold at 120 rubles per kg, will give a profit of about 400 thousand rubles. We need to add revenue from additional income - fish processing, paid fishing, fish holding.

Profitability and payback period

The profitability of the business is 30-40% per year, the payback period is approximately 2 years. Having your own pond will reduce costs and significantly speed up the time to reach a net profit.

Breeding carp or trout is not an easy business; before you start implementing it, you should study the literature and learn the intricacies of the matter, using the experience of others. In this way, many mistakes will be avoided. First of all, as in any other area of farming, you need to understand and want to do this particular business.

Business plan

Before starting any business, you must draw up and work out a business plan. And fish farming according to a business plan will be even more successful.

First you need to prepare a place or room in which fish will be raised. You need to choose and decide whether to buy a place or rent it. A reservoir can be rented from the state, but this requires a lot of paperwork and a long wait for permission. And state leasing can be suspended at any time on the initiative of that same state.

You can buy a plot of land and dig an artificial reservoir on it, design it according to the physiological needs of the fish. It won't cost a lot of money, but it will pay off in a couple of years.

Another option is to dig a pond and arrange it according to all the rules on your existing plot of a summer house or the country house of a close relative. In this case, the costs will go only to preparing the reservoir:

For excavation work, hired workers with special equipment or just a shovel will be required, depending on the size of the reservoir required. If the size of the plot allows, you can expand over time.
The most important condition for any artificial pond is a regular supply of clean water. Therefore, any site must have water supply in winter and summer.
In order to deliver grown fish to the buyer or go for the necessary materials and feed, a cargo transport with dimensions corresponding to the size of future deliveries is required.
Fish eat quite a lot, and in order for it to be healthy and look appetizing, it must be fed with the best food. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase large volumes of feed in advance.
And of course you need the fish itself, or rather its fry, which are bought at special fry farms. Breeding fish in artificial reservoirs as a business can suffer if you buy low-quality fry. Therefore, it is necessary to approach the purchase of the most important component in the fishing business consciously and not spare money.
Heating equipment. The procedure for growing fish in natural conditions is complicated in that it is necessary to artificially ensure the temperature regime in the fish’s habitat.
One person cannot oversee the entire business, so it is necessary to hire at least one worker to help grow fish, preferably someone who knows a lot about it. As the business grows, more workers may be needed later.
Also, do not forget about regular veterinarian checks of fish for parasites and various diseases. The water in the reservoir also needs to be checked for cleanliness.
Taxation regime for fish farming in artificial reservoirs. Since fish farming is considered an agricultural activity, a tax is applied to it according to a unified system in the amount of 6% of income minus expenses. The unified agricultural tax is applicable to fisheries only if the income from the sale of fish is at least 70%, and the enterprise has no more than 300 employees. This tax is paid in advance every six months.

But it is necessary to take into account all costs so that the cost of fish for sale is not higher than an acceptable price for an ordinary buyer. The product must be available and in demand, then the payback will not be long in coming.

Fish breeding equipment for sale in aquariums

Equipment for industrial breeding depends on the type of aquarium fish. But first, you can purchase universal equipment. Let's list the most necessary things:

Aquarium 200-250 liters, price about 10,000 rubles.
A compressor for this volume, the price is about 2000 rubles.
Filter, cost about 1 thousand rubles.
Fluorescent lamp, 500 rubles.
Thermostat for heating water, 500 rub.
Thermometer for control, 100 rub.
Automatic feeder, for automatic feeding of fish, about 1200 rubles.

In order to start a business for breeding aquarium fish, you can use a separate room in an ordinary city apartment. It is better to darken the room and regulate the illumination using artificial lighting.

It is important to know! For a better microclimate, you need to keep the aquarium further away from the central heating radiators.