How to manage fish ponds in winter? These six points are crucial

In winter, most parts of our country are relatively cold, which is a headache for fish farmers, because if management work is not done well, it can easily harm the fish. So, what are the winter fish pond management methods? These six points are very important!

1. Compact the pond embankment to prevent seepage

Artificially built pond embankments have many pores between the soil clods and are prone to seepage, which can cause the embankment to collapse, so the embankment must be thoroughly compacted. When the fish pond bottom is sandy soil, it should be covered with a 5—10 cm thick layer of silt to prevent seepage and retain water and nutrients.

2. Dry the fish pond and apply sufficient base fertilizer

After the fish pond is built, do not rush to fill it with water. First level the pond bottom, and it is best to rake it loose or plow it once, then dry the pond to promote the oxidation and decomposition of organic matter, loosen the bottom soil, and increase ground temperature and fertility. Mix manure and bone meal in a 10:1 ratio for fermentation. After the fish pond has been dried for 10—20 days, apply 150—250 kg per mu as base fertilizer. Also splash limewater to disinfect and neutralize the pond bottom. Then fill with water to a depth of about 30 cm, place 10—15 kg of rapeseed cake and 100—150 kg of pasture grass per mu, and soak in shallow water to accelerate rotting and decomposition. When the water quality becomes fertile, add new water to bring the depth to 100—120 cm, and then stock fish fingerlings. For newly dug fish ponds that are relatively acidic, it is not suitable to rush into fish farming. They should first be dried, then splashed with a mixture of manure, bone meal, and quicklime in a ratio of 3:1:1. Then plant Chinese milk vetch or ryegrass. When the grass grows to a certain height, apply 100—150 kg of quicklime per mu, fill with about 30 cm of water, and soak for 10—15 days. After the grass rots and decomposes and the peak oxygen consumption has passed, fish fingerlings can be stocked.

3. Stocking fish fingerlings

“Stock fish fingerlings in spring and fish get sick; stock fish fingerlings in winter and they grow by three fen.” Therefore, the best time to stock fish fingerlings is winter. When stocking fish fingerlings, they should be soaked and disinfected, using a 3% saltwater solution for 10 minutes or a 1 mg/kg trichlorfon solution for 3—5 minutes. The stocking principle should be mainly herbivorous fish, supplemented by filter-feeding and omnivorous fish, while also taking bottom-dwelling fish into account. The stocking quantity should be comprehensively considered based on water source conditions, aeration equipment, fingerling size, and farming technology. When stocking about 800—1000 large-size fingerlings per mu of water surface, the yield per mu can reach 400—500 kg. The mixing ratio can be: grass carp and bream 60%, silver carp and bighead carp 30%, and carp, crucian carp, and other fish 10%.

4. Apply topdressing skillfully and maintain fertile water

Applying topdressing should follow the principles of small amounts applied multiple times, combining organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer, and combining nitrogen fertilizer with phosphorus fertilizer. For every 1/15 of water surface, apply 100 kg of mixed compost such as organic fertilizer with superphosphate (50:1) or urea with superphosphate (1:1), and flexibly increase or decrease according to water quality, weather, water temperature, etc., keeping the pond water tea-brown, grass-green, or yellow-brown with a transparency of about 30 cm.

5. Splash quicklime to settle mud and clarify water

Newly dug fish ponds have turbid water, which affects fish respiration and the reproduction of plankton. For this, quicklime can be applied once every 15—20 days at 20—30 kg per mu, splashed after dissolving in water. It has a good effect of settling mud and clarifying water, and can also help prevent fish diseases.

6. Patrol the pond frequently

Improving the ecological environment of newly dug fish ponds takes a relatively long time. Workers should patrol the pond frequently and add water frequently. Especially in the early stage of farming when the water environment is poor, and in the later stage when the fish carrying capacity is large, during stuffy weather and continuous rainy days, fish are prone to surfacing or even pond-wide death, so problems should be discovered early and solved early.

Winter fish pond management work is extremely important work, often affecting the yield for the entire coming year, and is also the key to high and stable yields. Everyone must not neglect it.