What Are the Prospects for Ornamental Fish Farming? A Complete Guide to the Key Considerations

There are many kinds of ornamental fish, most of them very attractive in appearance. Keeping them in a fish tank at home can decorate the home environment and add a little business opportunity to an otherwise dull life. In recent years, the prices of ornamental fish sold on the market have also been rising, so what are the prospects for ornamental fish farming? What are the key considerations?

1. What are the prospects for ornamental fish farming?

A pure-bred golden arowana can sell for 80,000 yuan, and a pair of tricolor koi can sell for 400,000 yuan. This is no “tall tale”, but the current market situation in the international market and in the ornamental fish markets of some domestic cities.

At present, setting up an aquarium for ornamental fish at home has become a very fashionable thing. Because ornamental fish have special living habits and growing environments, they do not transmit diseases shared between humans and fish. Therefore, keeping ornamental fish is more feasible than keeping pets. The social groups that keep ornamental fish range from the elderly to children, covering all age groups, so it can be said to suit all ages, and its market potential is huge.

2. What are the key considerations for ornamental fish farming?

1. Adapt to temperature and water quality

After buying tropical fish and bringing them home, do not rush to put them into the tank. First soak the plastic bag holding the fish in the fish tank for ten to twenty minutes, then open it, and let the water in the tank flow into the bag several times so that it gradually mixes with the original water in the bag, allowing the fish to gradually adapt to the water temperature and water quality. If there is lighting, turn it off; in the dark the fish are quieter and less likely to be startled.

Tropical fish are best kept within the range of 24°C-28°C. In summer they can live normally at 32°C, but if the temperature changes too suddenly, tropical fish cannot adapt. Therefore, before buying fish, not only should you adjust the water temperature of your own aquarium, but you should also note that the difference between the water temperature at the aquarium shop and that of your fish tank should not be too large; generally, a difference within 4°C is acceptable. If the difference between the two water temperatures is too large, it is better not to buy for the time being and to make an extra trip to adjust the water temperature to basically the same level before buying.

2. Pay attention to the growth habits of different kinds of fish

If you plan to keep several different varieties of fish together in one tank, you must take into account the compatibility between different kinds of fish. Fierce fish and gentle fish cannot be kept together; fish with too many individual differences cannot be kept together (gentle species can be considered); fish with different water quality requirements cannot be kept together, and so on.

3. Feeding techniques

With ornamental fish tanks, the most important thing is to control feeding. It is best to feed once or twice a day, with the fish finishing the food within 3 to 5 minutes. Feed less on cloudy and rainy days, and do not feed at night. Fish need to consume more oxygen when digesting food. On cloudy and rainy days and at night, air pressure is lower, so the dissolved oxygen in the water is also low. Feeding fish at such times may lead to severe oxygen deficiency in the water and kill the fish. Most fish deaths occur at night, and severe oxygen deficiency in the water is one of the main reasons.

The bait must be clean. This is what beginners most easily overlook. Feeding unclean fish bait can very easily lead to fish diseases. It is recommended to buy brand-name frozen fresh food produced by professional companies, such as bloodworms and brine shrimp. Although live worms such as tubifex and water bloodworms are what tropical fish like best, live worms grow in polluted water environments and are also very likely to die and rot during temporary holding, so live food should be introduced with caution.

4. Keep the water clean

After tropical fish eat, they consume a large amount of oxygen and discharge a large amount of waste, polluting the water and breeding bacteria. In order to keep the water clean, a high-efficiency filter must be installed. If fish are kept in a bare tank, you should also use the daily removal of waste from the bottom of the tank as an opportunity to change one-tenth or slightly more of the old water, especially in summer, which must not be neglected. For an ecological tank with fish and aquatic plants kept together, it is enough to change 1/3 to 1/4 of the water once a week. The filter can use an aerating design, so that filtration and aeration can be carried out at the same time, both purifying the water and supplementing oxygen. However, planted tanks should not be aerated.