Detailed Explanation of Bighead Carp Breeding Methods and Technical Key Points
Bighead carp is what we call fathead fish in the market. Because its appearance closely resembles the silver carp, its body has many patterns, and its head is big and round, it is called bighead carp. Bighead carp is a typical freshwater fish, very common in all major freshwater lakes, very suitable for artificial breeding, and is one of the most commonly artificially bred species. However, bighead carp has particularly poor tolerance to low oxygen; even a slight lack of oxygen can cause death. So how should bighead carp be farmed? Let's take a look below!
1. Building the fish pond
The first step in farming bighead carp is to build the fish pond well. The pond should be built in a good environment, far away from residential areas, factories, and other busy and noisy zones. The pond area is determined according to your own breeding density and area, but it is best to make it as large as possible. At present, most growers' ponds are between 4-8 mu, and friends with rich breeding experience can raise more according to their own conditions to maximize their own economic benefits. The water depth of the pond must not be less than 2 m. Spread organic fertilizer on the bottom of the pond, which can effectively provide nutrients for bighead carp and promote the growth of bighead carp.
2. Stocking fry
After the pond is built, the next step is to begin stocking fry. Stocking is divided into two methods: monoculture and polyculture. Polyculture is mixing bighead carp with other species of fish for comprehensive farming. The advantage of this polyculture is that it can keep the ecosystem in the pond in a balanced state, allowing the various mixed species of fish to grow and develop normally and smoothly. Polyculture can not only earn the benefits of bighead carp farming, but also earn the economic benefits of other species, maximizing the economic benefits that fish farming can obtain. Monoculture, as the name implies, means farming only bighead carp alone. Relatively speaking, its economic benefits are not as high as polyculture, so now basically all use the polyculture method.
3. Daily management
Wild bighead carp mainly feed on zooplankton on the water surface in their natural growth environment, so when artificially farmed, bighead carp will also feed on zooplankton in the pond. But this is actually unfavorable to the growth of bighead carp, so during the farming process, the water must be changed frequently to keep the water clean and hygienic. You can also artificially create some edible zooplankton in the water for bighead carp to eat. Also, when artificially feeding feed normally, it must be done at fixed times, and the feed should be as diversified as possible. Do not use overly single feed. Changing the feed once every period can effectively meet the nutritional needs of bighead carp.
4. Overwintering management
How bighead carp overwinter and how to ensure the survival rate of bighead carp after overwintering are issues that many farmers need to pay attention to. This is because in the period just before winter and after winter begins, the temperature drops very quickly. The lower the temperature, the lower the activity frequency of bighead carp. If the temperature drops below 10 degrees, the body activity of bighead carp will begin to worsen, and they may even lose activity. Their food intake becomes very small or they stop eating altogether. Therefore, during overwintering, try to gather the fish together and increase the farming area so that the temperature is not so cold, or bring them to market before winter begins and then farm new fry again the next year.
The above is an introduction to bighead carp farming methods. Bighead carp is a fish that is extremely intolerant to low oxygen, so when farming, try to prepare an oxygenation device beside the pond. This prevents the pond from suddenly experiencing a lack of oxygen, so oxygen can be added to the pond in time and the survival rate of bighead carp can be ensured. If there is even a slight lack of oxygen in the pond, it will cause bighead carp to have difficulty breathing and they will die within a few hours, so I hope everyone can take this seriously.