German Mirror Carp Price and Breeding Methods Explained in Detail
The German Mirror Carp is a breed introduced from the former West Germany, also known as Sanhua Carp, Sandao Scale, Iron-back Fish, etc. It features fast growth, omnivorous feeding habits, tolerance to low temperatures, strong adaptability, easy rearing, and a high catch rate. Its growth rate is 20-30% faster than common carp, and its meat quality is superior to common carp. It is very popular among consumers, and its market price is higher than common carp. Let's take a look at the price and breeding methods of the German Mirror Carp!
How much does German Mirror Carp cost per jin?
The market price of German Mirror Carp is about 8-10 yuan per jin, generally slightly higher than common carp. The German Mirror Carp has been approved by China's National Aquatic Improved Variety Approval Committee as an excellent aquaculture breed suitable for promotion. Under reasonable stocking density and optimal feeding conditions, its growth rate is very fast. In the Heilongjiang region (production period 120 days), it can be raised to fingerlings weighing 150 grams in the same year, and 2-year-old market fish can reach over 1 kilogram. Under the same conditions, its growth rate far exceeds that of other carp.
What varieties of German Mirror Carp are there?
1. German Mirror Carp: The German Mirror Carp is an excellent carp breed introduced from Germany in the 1980s. After more than 20 years of selective breeding, it has become one of China's main carp aquaculture varieties, featuring fast growth, omnivorous feeding habits, tolerance to low temperatures, and easy rearing.
2. Songpu Mirror Carp: The Songpu Mirror Carp is a new breed obtained after 3 generations of mixed selection breeding based on the F4 selection line of the German Mirror Carp. It has a well-proportioned body, a higher and thicker back, fast growth, strong cold resistance, high reproductive capacity, and an essentially scale-free body surface.
3. Scattered-scale Mirror Carp: The Scattered-scale Mirror Carp is a scale-less carp, a German Mirror Carp selection line developed by the Heilongjiang Fisheries Research Institute through more than 20 years of systematic breeding from varieties introduced from the former West Germany, suitable for aquaculture in most regions of China.
Breeding Methods for German Mirror Carp
1. Pond aquaculture: German Mirror Carp can be raised through two methods: primary stocking and supplementary stocking. For primary pond stocking, 3000-5000 fish per mu are stocked and fed artificial feed with a crude protein content of 28-32%. For supplementary pond stocking, the fingerling stocking amount accounts for 5-10% of the total stocking amount.
2. Cage aquaculture: German Mirror Carp cage aquaculture can use floating or fixed cages, usually monoculture, but can also be combined with a certain proportion of silver carp, bighead carp, and Plagiognathops microlepis, but controlled at 3-5% of the total stocking amount. Fingerlings of 50-150 grams are stocked at 30-100 fish per square meter.
3. Rice field aquaculture: For German Mirror Carp rice field aquaculture, select fields with abundant water sources, fresh and pollution-free water quality, convenient drainage, no water leakage, and good water retention. Stock summer fingerlings of 3-4 cm or fingerlings of about 100 grams, with a stocking density of 30-100 fish per mu.
Breeding Methods for German Mirror Carp
1. Pond conditions: German Mirror Carp aquaculture ponds should preferably be 5-20 mu in area, over 2 m deep, with fresh, pollution-free water quality, equipped with aerators. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the pond 10 days before stocking, apply 200-300 kg of decomposed fermented manure per mu, and fill with water to a depth of 0.8-1 m.
2. Fingerling stocking
① Nursery pond: Stock from mid-May to early June, stocking 1.6-3 cm fry or summer fingerlings, with a silver carp to bighead carp stocking ratio of 1-3:1. At harvest, all fingerlings reach a pond-exit size of 100 grams.
② Grow-out pond: Stock from mid-April to early May, stocking spring fingerlings of about 100 grams or large-size spring fingerlings of 200-250 grams, with a silver carp to bighead carp stocking ratio of 1-3:1. At harvest, the pond-exit size is 750 grams.
3. Feed selection: German Mirror Carp aquaculture uses artificial compound pellet feed. Fingerling feed requires a crude protein content of 30-35%, and grow-out fish feed requires a crude protein content of 28-30%. The feed crushing fineness should be above 40 mesh.
4. Feeding and domestication: German Mirror Carp adopt the domesticated feeding method. Build a 3-4 m long walkway in each pond as a feeding platform. Domestication begins immediately after spring fingerlings are stocked into the pond, and summer fingerlings begin domestication when they grow to 4-5 cm. Generally, domestication is successful in 5-7 days.
5. Feed feeding: The daily feeding frequency for German Mirror Carp is generally 2-3 times in May-June, 4 times in July-August, and 3 times in September. Each feeding session lasts 20-30 minutes, and the amount fed each time should be such that the fish are about 80% full, i.e., until most fish swim away.
6. Water quality regulation: After German Mirror Carp fingerlings are stocked, add new water once every 7-10 days, adding 20-30 cm each time until the water depth reaches 2-2.5 m by July. On sunny summer days, turn on the aerator for 1-2 hours at noon, and splash quicklime water once every 15-20 days.
7. Fish disease prevention and treatment: Before stocking German Mirror Carp fingerlings, soak the fish bodies in 3-5% salt water for 10-20 minutes. Splash sterilizing drugs such as bleaching powder and rich chlorine across the entire pond once a month. At the same time, regularly inspect the fish bodies and treat any fish diseases promptly when discovered.