Money Sense Wealth is, how to build a fish pond PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013
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uilding a fishpond is more than just filling your dug with water as well as fish. You must know the different steps in building a proper fish pond to be able to earn money from it in the future. There are few things that you need to consider before starting to build a fish pond. Now, there are different types of ponds: • Plastic fish pond OR otherwise known as mobile fish pond • Wooden fish pond. • Concrete fish pond • River/Stream fish pond: This is practiced by constructing a barrier to control the population and movement of the fishes in a particular area of a natural river or stream. • Earthen pond: This kind of fish pond is said to be the most preferred type by some farmers because of the presence of some micro-organisms which aid the breeding of the fishes. It is also known as the oldest form of fish pond in Nigeria. It is dug to an extent beneath the surface of the earth, to allow the action of capillary water in the soil to take place, just like in the case of a well-water system but must not become too deep, must also have enough space. This system should be shallow, preferably in a location close to a natural form of water like river or stream. Now let’s get started! Conditions necessary for siting a fish pond Availability of water: Fishes are aquatic animals, as their life depends entirely on water. The water must be free from pollutants, colour, smell, and taste. The resources may be streams, rivers, boreholes or springs. Availability of Fingerlings: The fingerlings to be used must be the fast-growing type.
More so, they must have high feed convertibility. Ideally, the fingerlings must be ready to be harvested at about seven months from the time of hatching. Good vegetation: Light vegetation is ideal, preferably grassland. This will be easy to clear, sump and excavate before siting the fish pond. Topography: The land must be flat, but must allow the gentle flow of water from a higher region to a lower region. The area must not be prone to flooding, if so then construct embankment and other barriers early enough. Soil particles: The floor of the area must contain clay soil because this helps to retain water. Also the soil must be rich in order to for fingerlings to survive. Size and location: The size depends on the availability of funds, and the type of fish farming to be practiced. Therefore, for commercial fish farming, a large expanse of land is required. The location can be either in the lowland or upland.
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Availability of feeds: Fishes are usually supplied with supplementary feed especially during the day. This includes kitchen products, vegetables, as well as manure and fertilizers which should be supplied to enhance the growth of planktons. Location of the hatchery: The hatchery should not be too far from the fish pond. Fingerlings are very fragile and die off easily, hence when released from the hatchery, must be sent immediately into the pond. Availability of labour: The availability of labour should be considered. Fish pond should be in a place where labour supply is high, since the work is labour intensive, that is, clearing, stumping, excavation of the land, feeding of fish down to harvesting and processing activities. Establishment of a fish pond Before fish pond is established, certain operations must be carried out. They include the following:
Site selection, surveying of the land, clearing and stumping of site, construction of core trench, construction of spill way, impoundment of pond, pond fertilization, pond inoculation and liming. Construction of core trench: This involves the removal of soil. Soil can also be excavated.Position should be at right angle to the dam. There should be consolidated walls with stones and cement (concrete pond). Construction of spill way: Position this at one end of dam using wood and fire-meshed screen. Impoundment of fish pond: Filling of pond with water, done by opening the monk board of the reservoir.Water is released to flow and fill the pond. Pond Fertilization: Fertilization encourages the growth of micro-flora.By pouring organic fertilizers such as poultry droppings, cow dungs or use of inorganic ones like N.P.K or super phosphate or liming. This ac-
tion should be carried out 15 days before stocking pond with fish. Pond Inoculation: Introduction of proper plankton species into the pond.Obtain some water from a plankton-rich pond and pour into a newly fertilized pond. Liming: this is the addition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder to the sides and bottom of the pond to steal pores and prevent water loss.It encourages the growth of planktons. Stocking of a fish pond This is the introduction of fish into a fish pond. It also means the number of a particular species of fish, a fish pond can accommodate at a time. If only one species of fish is stocked, this is known as monoculture while more than one species is called polyculture. The following species of fish are ideal for fish pond stocking: The carp e.gcyprinuscarpio, cichlid e.g tilapia zilli, milk fish e.g red mullets (mugilcephalus) and the common cat fish (clariaslazera).
Money Tip
You can also make money selling someone else’s product
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hen you sign up as an affiliate / reseller for someone else’s product, you refer people to the “supplier site” and you get a cut each time someone who you referred makes a purchase. It really is that simple. You will agree that, this is probably the most doable of the ways to make money without money. You will only make money at affiliate programs if you can find a good supplier. One that’s honest about tracking of sales and one that will pay on time.
Quote
Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision – Peter Drucker
Get to open your own fish market
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o start a fish market business you will first need to have a love of fresh fish and seafood and a strong understanding of supply and demand. With a fish market customer asking you "What's fresh?" or "What do you recommend?" you have your work cut out for you when you open a fish market business. Knowledge, inventory, pricing and customer service will get your fish market off to a strong start, and obtaining and maintaining an excellent customer service rating will keep your fish market going long after you open the doors. First learn about the licenses and permits required to open a fish market business. The sale of fresh fish and seafood is monitored at the local, state and federal level. You will not only need
to obtain the usual federal tax identification number for your entity choice and business license with an occupancy and safety certificate; you will also need to obtain the licenses and permits specific to retail fresh fish and seafood sales. Your local health department will let you know what certificates it requires you to have before opening. Contact the health department for inspection and set up an appointment to review everything that needs to be done before opening. Learn about your available product supply. Fresh fish is a temperamental product. Lobsters and the other shellfish need to be kept alive to preserve their freshness. Scallops need to be available in the shell or shucked and cleaned. What variety of
fresh fish is available in your area combining freshwater and ocean waters? Seafood's freshness, storage, preparation and care are just as important as its price to your customer. Everything you can learn about your product and product sources will weigh heavy toward your fish market business success. Set up a tiered pricing plan. To make a success of your fish market business, you will want to have at least five to 10 of your local chefs as your best customers. They will want to receive pricing that is lower than your storefront pricing. Determining the two selling prices for each delivery of fish is essential for obtaining a steady income from your fish market business. Discounted sales to chefs can increase your bottom
line by volume if you price correctly. Set up your fish market business with aesthetics and inventory temperature control in mind. Your storefront and kitchen need to be built for ease of use, cleaning and efficiency. Lay out both areas with the product sales and preparation in mind. Storing fish at unsafe temperatures or in unclean tanks for any length of time will result in spoilage and seriously affect your bottom line. Establish a solid marketing plan. Local advertising for retail sales is going to bring in the majority of your customers, but creative marketing to restaurants may bring in the most sales by volume. A perfect balance between the two and a customer service plan are what a great fish market business needs.