There are a lot of people that have told me that they wanted to go into the Catfish farming business but their greatest challenge is that they don’t have the space to construct concrete fish ponds or that they don’t want to alter the land structure of the property they are on because they don’t own it. Fear, not my friends, you can actually start your very own catfish farming business using a plastic tank, and this is no joke because that is how I started. You can actually read my article on “How to Start Catfish Farming Business as Alternative Source of Income in Nigeria”. In the article, I explained how I started my own fish farming business using an old water tank I just replaced.
Getting Your Plastic Tank
We are lucky to have plastic tanks that are designed, treated and constructed specifically for the fish farming business, but sometimes the above-customised plastic tanks may cost way above your budget to acquire. If that is your case, you don’t need to worry. You can buy used water tanks that are not leaking at the base or lower sides, cut off the top cover, wash it thoroughly and you have your very own plastic tank. That was exactly what I did.
Installation and Piping Work
It is very important that your water tank is placed on a hard, flat surface which can withstand the pressure of the fish tank when it is filled with water. This is why a concrete surface base is preferred. A rough surface that is prone to depression of the tank in some areas when it is filled with water might cost damage and eventual leakage of the fish tank and that’s not what we want.
After getting the fish tank placed on a good surface, the next thing to do is to channel the pipe into and out of it. The pipe that goes into the tank is to send water from your water reservoir, they may not be directly connected to the body of the fish tank in some cases, but they are attached to walls or platforms which have openings that dispose of water into the fish tank.
The pipe that goes out of the tank will be attached to the base area of the tank and its job is to discharge wastewater from the fish tank to preferable a gutter. It is very important for you to discharge your wastewater regularly, as it helps to improve the well-being of the fish in the fish pond.
Stocking your Fish Pond
You should endeavour to buy fingerlings from a reputable seller that is known to sell good fish breeds that grow well. You may not understand the importance of this point until you grow your fish to 5 months but the fish still looks like 3 months old fish.
The next important thing to note when stocking your fish pond is to avoid overstocking your fish pond. Overstocking your pond can cause your pond to suffer a lot of casualties and disjointed growth of the fishes in the pond. This is not good for business at all, as it can result in a lot of losses and a lack of customer patronage.
The Protection of Your Fish Pond
Depending on the location of your fish pond it may be prone to different types of attacks by predictors and you should find a way of protecting your fish against such attacks. You can build net covers to protect them against birds and other reptiles that may want to attach them.
Conclusion
There is really no big deal in carrying out catfish farming using plastic water tanks, just follow the steps mentioned in this article and you will be home and dry.
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