Fish Culture: In Ponds and Other Inland Waters

When the propagation of bass was first undertaken, it was speedily discovered that it is impossible to express eggs and milt artificially from the ripe female and male. The handling of ripe bass produces a nervous condition which prevents their ejectment, and affects even a fish taken from the nest in the act of spawning. Fish-culturists were then driven to resort to pond-culture; that is, to prepare bodies of water in which the fish might naturally spawn and hatch their young. For carp culture, hatching-houses and expensive apparatus are unnecessary. The entire business may be conducted by pond-culture. A well appointed carp-cultural establishment has at least three kinds of ponds, each adapted for a particular phase of industry. Spawning ponds—shallow ponds in which the water is easily warmed by the sun and suitable for the spawning fish. Raising ponds—ponds usually of medium size, to which the fry are transferred and where they are retained, isolated from the larger fish, until they are a year or two old. Stock ponds—large ponds in which the fish are kept until they have reached a marketable size. Fish farming has received increased attention from all parts of the country as well as from all over the world. A low capital and labour intensive, fish culture is more profitable than agriculture giving more from the equal area of good land. The literature dealing with fish culture is much scattered and the concerned publications are not easily available to one and all. Besides, the interested has to refer to different books to acquire knowledge regarding the fish habits, spawning cycle, favourable environment, disease etc. This book strive to give comprehensive knowledge in compact form the breeding habits of various fishes including among others bass, carps, sun fish, cat-fish, trout etc. and also has a dedicated section on aquarium culture for gold fish, its maintenance and care. This section not only helps the hobbyist, but also the professionals interested in aquarium culture commercially. The book guides through with the requirements for fish culture, explains the spawning habits of different fishes, their requirement of food, water chemistry, etc., and is considerably helpful to commercial establishments, students, scientists and anybody interested in fish and its farming.