Fish Farming in Tarpaulin Pond | 5 Important Considerations For Tarpaulin Fish Ponds For Profitable Farming Leave a comment

Fish farming in tarpaulin ponds is no doubt a lucrative venture, with an ever growing market within Nigeria and a greatly untapped market internationally.

I’ve been in the business of raising fish for about five years, and I’d like to use this article to share some tips on how to run a profitable fish farm with mobile collapsible tarpaulin fish ponds that won’t break the bank.

In all honesty, if you want to run a fish farm that makes a lot of money, you need to be able to think things through and make smart choices that can help you save money. It starts with choosing the fish pond, which is what this article is about.

Different kinds of fish ponds have changed over the years (probably hundreds of years), with each new type being better than the last.
The main attraction used to be the earthen pond, but it had problems that needed to be fixed.

It was easy to get flooded by rain or river water (for those sited at river banks). Also, poachers and thieves took advantage of the fact that earthen ponds are hard to put in safe places.

When concrete ponds came along, they became a popular way to raise fish. But again, there were still some problems with concrete ponds. This is how things have changed over time, and now we are in the age of tarpaulin ponds, which make up more than 80% of the ponds on my farm (have been making the switch from concrete to tarpaulin ponds since the year 2016).

 If you want to buy or use a portable tarpaulin fish pond for your fish, I think it’s a good idea, but here are some tips (some 6 mistakes you should avoid)

5 Important Considerations For Profitable Fish Farming in Tarpaulin Pond

1.  Insist on “reinforced tarpaulin”.

Before you decide to use a mobile tarpaulin fish pond on your farm, this is the most important thing you need to think about.
Different kinds of tarpaulin have been on the market for a long time.

There are normal ones that are used to make tents (like semi-permanent church, fellowship, and other event centres), ones that are used to make canopies (that people rent for traditional weddings), and even ones that are used to make parking lots.

They are all different and are used for different things. The “reinforced tarpaulin” is used for a fish pond. When the other kind of tarpaulin is used to make fish ponds, they usually fall apart in two or three months, or even sooner.

Simply put, don’t buy it if it’s not a reinforced tarp.

To buy a reinforced tarpaulin fish pond , click here

2. Buy the tarpaulin for the fish pond and put it up yourself (it is way cheaper this way).

Now, this may sound like a little more work, but the money you’ll save in the end is worth it.

I’m a DIY person, so I’ve never bought a tarpaulin fish pond from a vendor who had to bring themselves, the tarps, and the galvanised pipes (or wood, bamboo, or other materials that can be used for the tarpaulin fish pond framework) all the way to my location to set everything up. There is no reason to spend so much money and make so many plans.

From what I’ve heard from people who have tried to buy from these vendors in the past, if you buy the tarps and set them up yourself, you can save about N10,000 to N15,000 per pond.

We suggest buying the tarpaulins online at htsfarms.ng and getting a local welder or carpenter to help you set them up.

3. If you are buying in bulk, buy more and try to get a discount.

It is a good idea to ask for a discount when buying five or more fish pond tarpaulins. From what I’ve seen, Benuwatts almost always gave me and the other people in my cooperative some kind of discount or bonus when we bought in bulk.

If you really want to raise fish, you will need more than one tarpaulin pond. Why not buy them all at once and try to get a discount? Even if it’s only 1% off, it’s still something.

4. Smaller can be better

For example, if you want to raise 1,000 catfish to adulthood and need a tarpaulin fish pond, you can choose one that can hold 1,000 table-size fish.

But it’s always best to start out with two or even three ponds so you can sort your fish by size.

If not, the shootouts, which grow quickly and become bigger than the other fish, will start to eat them.

So, instead of buying one big tarpaulin that can hold 1,000 fish, you should buy two or three smaller ones so you can move the fingerlings and juveniles into the other tarpaulin ponds as they grow.

Remember that the fish will grow bigger and weigh more if they have more room to swim around.

5. Buy from a reputable company

In our other article, “Disadvantage of Mobile Tarpaulin Fish Pond,” we tried to talk about this point in more depth. You can just look it up .

Since late 2016, a lot of people have been flooding the market with fake tarpaulin ponds. As a result, there have been a lot of complaints about mobile tarpaulin ponds (hence the disadvantage).

Several people have complained that the tarpaulin ponds they bought from different sellers fell apart after about two months.

I knew about mobile tarpaulin ponds ever since Benuwatts Tarpaulin Ponds started making them in 2012. But, as is common in Nigeria, any good product is quickly copied and sold by desperate, unruly, or just naive people.

If you really want to use and enjoy a mobile tarpaulin pond, do yourself a favour and stay away from fakes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which tarpaulin is best for fish pond?

Shristi Polytarp HDPE Tarpaulins.
SRF Tarpaulins.
Nylon Tarpaulins.
Cotton Tarpaulins.

Which type of pond is best for fish farming?

The most natural type of pond for raising fish is an earthen pond. In natural ponds, fish like to eat worms and other natural foods. A pond made of dirt helps fish grow faster. In an earthen pond, it is easy to take care of the water system.

What is the minimum size of a fish pond?

Ponds should be as big as the space will allow, but they should still be easy to take care of. A 6 m by 4 m pond is a good size to start with. After you’ve had a good time with a smaller pond, you can build a bigger one.

Is PVC tarpaulin waterproof?

This fabric is very strong and will last a long time. It won’t get wet because water will just roll off of it. This makes it rainproof. Windproof: This fabric will keep the wind from hurting you. Non-breathable: This tarpaulin doesn’t let air pass through it.

What makes fish to grow faster in pond?

To get the lowest FCR, use the best feed you can. The fish that eat CP feed grow the fastest and have the lowest FCR. It is high-quality feed that doesn’t make the water dirty. You also need to make sure you feed your fish the right size food based on their average body weight.