How Big Can Native Crucian Carp Grow? An Analysis of the Maximum Adult Size

The native crucian carp is a common edible fish in daily life, with high nutritional value and good taste, and is very popular among people. So how big can a native crucian carp grow?

1. How big can a native crucian carp grow?

How big a native crucian carp can grow depends on the growing environment; some only grow two liang (100 g) a year, while others can exceed one jin (500 g). For example, those raised in ponds can grow 150-200 g a year, while those raised in small lakes and reservoirs with abundant natural food and relatively fertile water can grow more than 250 g a year. Under normal circumstances, it takes about three years to grow from fry to 150 g.

2. What do native crucian carp eat to grow fast?

1. Natural food

The crucian carp has diverse and broad feeding habits, eating both animal and plant-based food. At different growth stages, the crucian carp's feeding habits differ somewhat. Animal-based food mainly includes bryozoans, rotifers, cladocerans, copepods and shrimps, while plant-based food includes Spirogyra, seeds and leaves of higher plants and diatoms. When the body length is 1-5 cm, the variety of food increases; besides plankton, there are also fragments of young shoots and tender leaves of higher plants. When the body length reaches 10-15 cm, the amount of higher plants eaten increases noticeably, and when the body length is above 15 cm, it mostly feeds on benthic animals.

2. Artificial feed

The crucian carp is especially suitable for being raised in fertile water, because it can feed on various phytoplankton, animal and plant-based feed and organic debris. If the farmer does not have a livestock and poultry farm set up at the pond head, then about every 10-15 days, 200-300 kg of fermented organic fertilizer, or 2.5 kg of urea and 5 kg of superphosphate, needs to be applied per mu. In addition, artificial feed with a protein content above 33% needs to be fed. The crucian carp has no stomach and eats little each time, so feed needs to be given multiple times a day to meet its nutritional needs and ensure normal growth. This is the key factor for achieving a bountiful harvest in artificial crucian carp farming.

There are also four fixed principles for feeding crucian carp, and the number of feedings differs from month to month. From April to May, feed 5 times a day; from June to September, feed 8 times a day; in October, feed 4 times a day; in other months, feed 2-3 times a day. In summer and autumn, when temperatures are higher, the crucian carp grows faster and has a strong appetite, and the amount of feed given is about 6% of body weight; in winter and spring, when temperatures are lower, the amount of feed given is about 3% of body weight.