Koi fish farming business is extremely easy, popular, and profitable. Koi is a popular fish for people from traditional time because it’s really tasty and nutritious. Once upon a time koi fish is found normally a great deal within the canal, small rivers, and natural freshwater lakes at inundation land of India and Indian Sub-continent.
Koi fish is that the hottest and attractive fish among the all fish of India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, and other Asian countries. This fish is additionally very precious nowadays. Koi fish is additionally referred to as Anabas testudineus, koi mach, climbing perch, etc. it’s an area fish breed of South-Asia.
These fish are often found in small rivers, canals,s, and swamps. Koi fish is generally a freshwater fish. Nowadays commercial koi fish farming business is extremely popular. Now koi fish is farmed in various ways like in tank, concrete tank, tarpaulin tank, and using Biofloc aquaculture technique.
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Benefits of Koi Fish Farming
Koi fish farming is extremely easy and profitable. The most benefits of cultivating koi fish commercially are listed below.
The demand for koi fish is extremely high. As a result, its market price is relatively higher always. Koi fish is able to survive in an adverse environment and the death-rate is comparatively low. It can be cultivated in greater density commercially. This fish species can be cultivated in a small pond or cage perfectly. Koi fish become adult and suitable or purchasable comparatively briefly time, within 3-4 months. Economically profitable and maybe cultivated multiple times per annum.
Koi fishes are affected less than other fish breeds. It can be cultivated relatively in small-cap. According to the formula, pellet for koi fish are often made in own house. Koi fish is especially insectivorous and for this reason, these fishes are often farmed by providing insects, toad minnow, snail, etc.
Koi Fish Farming Method
There is about no difference between and Indian koi and exogenous koi breeds. But there are some black spots within the backside of the body of exogenous koi breeds and their body is flat than Indian koi. This fish is extremely fast-growing and may be cultivated in both small ponds and cages.
However, cultivating in ponds is more profitable. At present, for commercial koi fish farming business, we use exogenous koi breeds like Thai koi breeds, Vietnamese Koi breeds, Kohaku, Showa Sanshoku, etc. Here we describe here the Thai koi fish farming method for beginners.
1. Make a Business Plan
To start the koi fish farming business first you have to make a perfect and well-defined business plan. A perfect business plan consists of a business model, an operational model, and the last is a financial projection of the business or project. In your business plan, there must be at least three years of business projection included. There should be included in the farm’s plan, project management expenses, and probable sources of finance, target market, marketing technique, and cost-benefit analysis.
2. Site Selection
Success or failure of any aquaculture project largely depends on the right selection of the site for it. In choosing a site for an earthen pond construction several factors other than the physical aspect of the site are to be considered.
The factors are environmental, economic, and socio-economical. These three factors include soil quality, water quality, sources of water, sunshine place, road and transportation, target market, and others.
So for a commercial koi fish farming business, you have to consider all these factors, through small scale rural farms or large vertically-integrated commercial systems are usually seen to farm koi in normal pond or tank.
After site selection, you need to construct an earthen pond for the koi fish farming project commercially. But if you want you can construct a tank as we use in Biofloc system.
3. Pond Selection and Management
If you have a pond and want to farm in your own pond then you have to prepare the pond carefully and make it suitable for koi fish farming business commercially.
It would be better if the pond situated in the outdoors and sunshine place. Clean the bush of pond shore. Cut the branches if there any big trees within the shore and ensure 5-8 hours sunlight a day. The especially small pond is extremely suitable for thai koi fish farming. The right size of the pond is 0.20 acre to 0.25 Acre.
The small-sized pond is easily maintained. 5-6 feet depth pond is considered ideal for commercial koi fish farming. Remove the water from the pond and make it dry properly so that there may not predator fish in the pond. Then you have to remove the excess clay from the pond because this clay creates harmful gas. As Sand keeps the water clean and the environment of the pond fresh, so you can use some sand for minimizing the quantity of clay.
4. Using Lime and Fertilizer
After making the pond dry you should use lime at the speed of 1 kg per 0.01 Acre. Use 5kg dung per 0.01 Acre after applying lime. After using organic enter water into the pond. And then spray 200g urea and 200g TSP per 0.01 Acre by mixing with water.
Release the minnow of koi after 5-7 days of applying organic and chemical fertilizer. If it became impossible to form the pond dry then confirm that the pond is free from all kinds of cannibalistic fish and other animals. For this reason, using rotenon is extremely effective.
After removing aquatic weeds and cannibalistic fishes from the pond use 1kg lime per 0.01 Acre and after 3-5 days of that use 5kg dung, 200g urea, and 200g TSP per 0.01 Acre. 5-7 days after applying the fertilizer to the pond release minnow when the color of the water is going to be slightly green.
5. Feed Management
Thai koi is one of the fastest-growing fishes. For this reason, make sure the sufficient supply of feed. Feed management for koi fish farming business commercially is very much needed. For the desired growth of koi fish, the farmer must have the efficiency of feed management.
This is often the first feed management system and mainly for stupid farmers. During this system snail, minnow, tripe or fishmeal, rice dust, cake, etc. are often used. Using a minimum of one of the above-mentioned feed and using others occasionally can bring good results. A top-quality rough feed is often made for fish by mixing 25% fishmeal, 30 rice dust, 25% cake, 20% roughage together.
6. Commercial Feed
For regular and commercial koi fish farming the farmer needs to ensure a sufficient supply of top-quality pellet feed to urge expected production. This pelleted feed should contain 30-35% protein. If this feed isn’t available then lobster and shrimp feed also can be used for koi fish. The formula for creating pillet for koi fish are described below.
| Age of Koi Breeds (Days) | Feed (Kgs) |
| 0-15 | 0.40 |
| 16-30 | 0.60 |
| 31-45 | 0.85 |
| 46-60 | 1.00 |
| 61-75 | 1.20 |
| 76-90 | 1.30 |
| 91-105 | 1.35 |
| 106-120 | 1.40 |
7. Feed Applying Rate
Commercial koi fish farming needs a high rate of using feed for the first few days and reduce this rate gradually. Use approximately 10% feed initially month consistent with the weight of fish, 6% in the second month, 4% in the third month, and three in the fourth month. Give the entire feed twice each day to the fish. Food providing rates for 4 months of 1000 koi fish is listed within the following table.
| Ingredients | Percentage | Protein |
| Fishmeal | 25% | 13.75% |
| Bone And Meat Meal | 8% | 3.5% |
| Blood Meal | 7% | 4.9% |
| Mustered Cake | 20% | 6.6% |
| Rice Dust | 17% | 2.1% |
| Wheat Chaff | 10% | 1.7% |
| Others | 13% | 2.0% |
8. Farm Management
If there are excessive moss, gas and therefore the water becomes foul-smelling thanks to using excessive feed and fertilizer (especially rough feed) then use a drug named golden back or lime mixing with water after every 15 days which is known as water treatment. If any diseases occur within the fish then meet the veterinarian as soon as possible.
9. Harvesting and Marketing
If koi fish are farmed within the above-mentioned methods then it’ll be suitable for harvesting and sale within 3-4 months. While collecting purchasable each fish weighs about 40-80 grams. For selling, purposes collect fish at dawn. Koi is a very clever fish and it can hide in clay very fast so to collect all fish from the pond, it would better dry the pond collect fishes, and sell quickly.
10. Keep a Note
The commercial project must require a note or record of all activities. So to be a successful koi fish farmer you have to record everything. It will help you to find out the causes of success or failure in your project.
Some Special Tips
Quality of water is extremely important for koi fish farming. Always keep a moderate rate of pH within the water. Koi fish has no interest in phytoplankton. So, you are strongly advised to remove the phytoplankton bloom from the water. Use net in order that they can’t go outside from the pond in the rainy season. If any disease occurs within the pond then meet the doctor as soon as possible. Always provide a healthy feed. Use top quality minnow.
