The Fish Fond

The Phelex Foundation funded the Fish Pond program in partnership with the village in 1997. The fish pond is an intensive culture pattern, characterized by fresh water, concentrated input, proficient breeding and high production. It can also gain high production even in mountain area with low-temperature waters and poor growth environment. Meanwhile, it is a technical work needing professional knowledge and techniques. Before the program started I was appointed to attend the aquaculture training in large waters, make on-the-spot investigation into aquaculture fields on Pingluo Lake, Sandong Water and Qingjiang River and learn aquatic breeding techniques, and held the post of technician for the fish pond program later.

In early Mar., we purchased 11000 carp fries, 430 kg , and 20000 American speckled and fork-tailed trout fingerlings , 200 kg . In May we bought back 2500 trout. On the second day of fry purchase we invited the technician in the breeding field to guide us how to disinfect fish fries and tell us the breeding requirements and daily management. We also established comprehensive note-taking data, and systems and rules.

There isn't any problem on the surface, i.e. “ disinfections every 7 days, changing net every half an month, feeding 3 to 5 times a day, separating boxes if fish crowded”. However, it contains plenty of knowledge and may meet lots of unexpected problems in practical operation. At the beginning the fish fries have not been eating since input. I was worried very much because of inexperience. I asked for guidance from different sectors, studied very carefully and experimented repeatedly. In the end I found the problem was incorrect feeding method, feeding can only be carried out at fixed time, fixed position and fixed quantity. Besides, we must tame fish fries patiently.

It will spread very rapidly once fish are ill in highly crowded boxes. Therefore, the disinfections are extremely important and also very dangerous to the pond fishing. On 4 Apr. 1999, we thought little 200 trout and 100 carp died just a little while when we disinfected the whole fishing field. We looked into the reasons urgently by careful analysis and reading materials and found the following results:

• The water volume occupied by fish was supposed to be subtracted from the total water volume but not so that the dosage was over-high.

• The dosage is related to washing time and water temperature but we didn't notice the time and temperature.

I deeply realized that we must treat pond fishing with scientific attitude after the above lesson. Now I am very good at pond fishing and found some rules through repeated practices:

• Fish growth is significantly related to water temperature. Generally speaking, the fish start to eat at a water temperature of 5 o -8 o and grow at a water temperature of 12 o -14 o , and reach the growth peak at a water temperature of 25 o -30 o . Higher the water temperature is, more the fish eat and faster the fish grow.

• The prevention of fish diseases should follow the rules “Prevention if no illness, treatment as early as possible when illness, main prevention, and combination prevention and treatment.” In the spring the fish suffer from infectious diseases easily at a water temperature of 8 o -15 o and in the summer the fish are easily affected by bacterial grill rot at higher water temperature. It's the best time for the fish washing disinfections at a water temperature of 15 o or so.

We advanced our fishing techniques by keeping learning and researching. Now the fish are growing well, the total production in a pond can reach 1.2 tons in one month at thriving seasons.

Not only do we put scientific knowledge into practice and recognize the importance of science and technology in the program but also needy children are aided by the program proceeds.

                                                              “The fish Pond” program director: Xianzhang Wang