Growing carp

This is a delicious fish - domesticated carp. The first carp were bred by the ancient Chinese. They resemble crucian carp in appearance. But carps are larger. They have a more elongated, cylindrical body. The back is thicker and wider. The lips of the carp are similar to the bream - they are large and thick. Scales - with a golden tint. A wide fin runs along the entire back. The tail is red and the lower fins are dark purple.

On average, young fish weigh 0.5-0.6 kg. but this is just the beginning, carp, which increases over the years, can reach 1 m in length and weigh 25 kg.

There are two types of carp - scaly and mirror. The latter are distinguished by large scales, covering only certain parts of the body.

Terms

Carp is unpretentious. Loves warmth. The water temperature favorable for growth is from 18 to 28-30 ° C. When the temperature drops, growth slows down. Oxygen concentration - from 5 mg / l. When oxygen drops to 2 mg / L, carp can die. The optimum acidity of water is pH 6.5-8.5. It is impossible for the pH to fall below 4-4.5 and rise above 10.5.

Nutrition

Carp is omnivorous. For carp to grow 1 kg per year, they must receive 4000-5000 kcal. Proteins should be no more than 35-60%, fats - 1%, carbohydrates - 25%. They need vitamins and minerals. Carp are fed with special feed mixtures of oilcake, meal, cereals, bone meal, etc.

Reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs at 3-6 years old, depending on the climate. For reproduction, mature females and males are acquired, which are placed in a pond of 5-10 sq. m. The depth of the pond is 30-50 cm. It is connected to the main pond by a groove and a damper with a grid is placed.

Raising

The easiest way is to buy fry from a fish farm. It is almost impossible to grow fry from caviar on your own. You can also buy one-year-old carp that are bred in:

• Ponds. If it is a natural body of water, it is enough to clean it and provide the fish with plant food. You can build an artificial pond - its depth should be from 1 m, area - 15-150 cubic meters. m.
• Pools. They are populated only after the formation of microflora. The water is periodically enriched with oxygen, pumped up and drained if necessary.

Wintering

In nature, carp hibernates. To prevent the fish from dying, the temperature must be kept at 0 ° C and the water must be ventilated. The second option is suitable for amateur breeding - wintering in indoor aquariums