How much do crucian carp fry cost? A detailed guide to high-quality, high-yield farming methods

Crucian carp grows slowly and reaches sexual maturity in about two years, but its reproductive capacity is very strong, and it can reproduce in both flowing and still water, making it suitable for large-scale farming. So how much do crucian carp fry cost? How should they be farmed for high quality and high yield?

1. How much do crucian carp fry cost?

The average price of crucian carp fry is about 11-12 yuan/kg, though sometimes due to changes in market demand it can also drop to about 7 yuan/kg.

Of course, you can also raise the fry yourself. During fry rearing, as the fish grow, the fry in the pond often become too dense, which is not good for the growth and management of the fry, so they need to be divided into separate ponds for rearing in good time. Usually, after 7 to 10 days of larval rearing, use a water-flower (fry) net cage or bucket box to carefully and slowly lift out the fry, and after counting for several hours, move them to a pre-prepared fry pond for rearing. The rearing method is the same as above.

2. How should crucian carp be farmed for high quality and high yield?

1. Understand the growth habits of crucian carp

(1) Fond of grass and fond of gathering

Because the area around aquatic plants has abundant food, sufficient oxygen and strong cover, the clumps of weeds and the areas between cattails and reeds become places where crucian carp gather in groups to play, feed and hide. Crucian carp is gentle and timid, afraid of being disturbed, and at the slightest sign of movement it immediately dives into deep water or hides in the grass.

(2) Omnivorous feeding habits

From insects to algae, from meaty food to plant-based bait, there is nothing crucian carp will not eat. But because the seasons differ and the water varies from cold to warm, their feeding habits also have different emphases. In general, when the weather is cold and the water temperature is low, they like to eat meaty bait such as earthworms and bloodworms, and when the weather is hot and the water temperature is high, they love various plant-based baits such as dough.

2. Set up a dedicated pond

A pond mainly used for raising crucian carp should not be too large; generally about 2 mu is suitable, and it should not exceed 4 mu; the pond bottom should be relatively hard, generally with a silt thickness within 10 cm. If it exceeds 10 cm, the silt must be cleared to facilitate catching crucian carp; the pond ridge should be solid and not leak water, and sturdy and reliable fish-blocking grates should be installed at the inlet and outlet. The fish-blocking grate should be 50 cm above the highest water level of the pond.

At the same time, before stocking fish fry, the pond should be treated with chemicals to kill pathogens and harmful organisms in the pond. Ponds with sufficient water sources can be drained for dry pond cleaning, using quicklime or bleaching powder made into a slurry or sprinkled over the whole pond. Ponds that cannot be drained can be cleaned with water still in them, and fish can be stocked one week after pond cleaning.

3. Stocking density

From the perspective of farming economic benefits, if the stocking number exceeds 2000 fish/mu, although a relatively high yield can be obtained, the commercial fish grown are small in size, the selling price is low, and the benefits are not ideal. If the stocking amount is less than 1000 fish/mu, although the commercial fish are larger, the total yield is not high and sales income is low. Stocking 1400 fish of 30 g each per mu or 1200 fish of 50 g each per mu, with an appropriate amount of silver carp, bighead carp and summer grass carp, with the total number of accompanying fish not exceeding 600, can produce a net yield of more than 500 kg of crucian carp and about 200 kg of other fish, giving ideal results.

4. Daily management

(1) Water quality

Where conditions permit, new water needs to be added frequently to the pond to keep the water environment clean. Each water exchange should be 1/4 to 1/3 of the total pond water volume. The pond water level should be continuously adjusted as the fish grow and the seasons change. During high-temperature periods and seasons when fish feed actively, the water should be deep to increase the space for fish activity.

(2) Feeding

During the juvenile stage, feed 3-5 times a day, and during the adult stage, feed 2-3 times a day. Crucian carp is poor at competing for food, so feeding must be done carefully. One feeding should last at least 15-30 minutes, and the feed should be placed on a fixed feeding platform, or a spot with relatively hard soil at the pond bottom should be chosen as a fixed feeding point, to prevent the feed from sinking into the mud and being wasted.