Mini sturgeon breeding farm. New business ideas

Is growing sturgeon at home. We will not advertise caviar, as this is a product that is a real storehouse of useful microelements, vitamins and minerals.

Its growing cycle is quite long. This article will focus on the production of fish, which is also in good demand in restaurants and supermarkets.

Production involves obtaining environmentally friendly products such as sturgeon meat. This breed of fish includes many varieties, among which the most popular are: beluga, sterlet, stellate sturgeon, Siberian and Russian sturgeon.

Although these inhabitants of the underwater depths have differences in appearance, this does not in any way affect the process of growing sturgeon at home - for all varieties it is approximately the same.

Many skeptics will immediately begin to doubt and ask a lot of questions. We immediately want to dispel all doubts and give a lot of arguments regarding the lesson

• The demand for products is quite high, and this is possible thanks to the large number of food supermarkets, fish shops and prestigious restaurants.
• does not require large expenses, which at the initial stage becomes a clear advantage.
• Relatively low competition makes it possible to sell goods at high prices, which increases Many people have not even heard of growing sturgeon at home, and this promises great prospects.
• Every day you need to devote only 3-4 hours of your time, and you can do it in parallel with other things.
• Breeding sturgeon fish does not require special knowledge and skills, and all this can be found on the Internet on thematic forums on the Internet.
• Sturgeon lives well at home and is not a picky fish. It is practically not susceptible to diseases and problems can only arise when feeding it low-quality food.
• and pays off in 6-9 months.

These arguments are quite enough to start breeding sturgeon.

Legal subtleties of business

Fish farming is best suited for these purposes, but it also has its own subtleties, so consultation with the tax office will never be superfluous. More details on how to choose the right OKVED can be found at the link - http://okvjed.ru/okved_razdel_b.html

Technology for breeding sturgeon at home

There is nothing complicated in this type of business, but you need to know certain subtleties of this matter. It is important to choose the right premises, equipment and food for fish.

Room for sturgeon

An area of ​​25-30 square meters is suitable for breeding fish of this breed. This can be either a private house or one large room in a city apartment.

The room must be heated. The water temperature in pools in winter should be no lower than 17 degrees Celsius, and in summer no higher than 24 degrees.

If it is difficult to find a suitable premises, then you can equip a heated polycarbonate greenhouse and install all the necessary equipment in it.

Fish farming equipment

Specialized equipment equipped with everything necessary can be purchased from manufacturing companies. Prices vary and depend on the volume of containers.

On average, a beginning entrepreneur will have to spend 10-15 thousand dollars, and not everyone has such funds. You can go the other way and make or buy containers yourself. Sturgeon will feel good even in non-specialized pools.

Minimum container size should be 1.5-2 meters in diameter and 0.8-1 meter deep. If you do the math, you can get about a ton of sturgeon from such a pool in a season, which you’ll agree is quite a lot.

All fish during the growing process are divided into categories, and for each of them there are certain minimum requirements. They are as follows:

• Sturgeon up to 300 grams - diameter up to 1.5 meters, depth 0.6-0.8 meters.
• Sturgeon from 300 grams to 2 kg – depth from 0.8 to 1.2 meters, diameter from 1.5 to 2.2 meters.
• Malek are rectangular containers with a depth and width of 0.5 meters and a length of up to 2 meters.

If you have a country house with a pond, then in the warm season, grow sturgeon in it. To do this, you must first prepare the bottom and water - plant the plants and add the necessary mollusks and worms.

In winter, to prevent the fish from freezing, it is necessary to move them into plastic pools, and when the weather warms up, release them back into their natural habitat.

The condition of water in containers must be carefully monitored and the following equipment is used for this:

• Filters and pumps.
• A compressor equipped with pipelines for supplying air and water.
• Automatic feeders and nets.

Purchasing fry for breeding

You can buy sturgeon fry in specialized fish farms. In order not to make a mistake, you need to find out in detail about the place where you are going to buy the fry.

It is best to ask experienced entrepreneurs or study specialized forums on this issue. Purchasing fry is a very important stage that must be approached very seriously. The profitability of the business in the future may depend on this.

Feeding sturgeon

Since this fish is quite unpretentious to food, there are several options. You can purchase products from foreign or domestic manufacturers, or make them yourself.

Adults are fed 4 times a day, young animals - 6 times. A lot depends on the quality of the feed, and if the product is poor, the fish will gain weight very slowly. Sturgeon feeds from the bottom, so the particles of the mixture should sink to the bottom and not soak in the water for about 30 minutes.

The composition of high-quality feed of any modification should be as follows:

• Approximately 45-50 percent protein.
• About 25% crude fat.
• Fiber – 3-4 percent.
• Vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for fish.

Possible problems

This fish is easy to care for and does not require special conditions for breeding. But some nuances must be observed.

An important point when growing sturgeon is compliance with the diet. It is necessary to give food at the same time, otherwise the fish may refuse it!

The next thing that can lead to its death or slow growth is cold and polluted water. Its temperature should not fall below 17 degrees Celsius. It is necessary to purify and change water as it becomes contaminated.

Business plan for growing sturgeon at home

This point is most interesting for an entrepreneur. How much can he bring in a year? It was noted above that from one pool installed in an apartment you can get about a ton of fish.

For such a quantity of sturgeon, it is necessary to purchase approximately 2000 pieces of fry, costing 0.2 dollars. Feed for growing one ton will need to be purchased for 1000 dollars.

Other expenses include payments for water and electricity if you do not have your own well. They will amount about $500 for the entire cycle.

If you buy completely ready-made equipment, then a kit for breeding such a quantity of fish will cost $10,000. When making it yourself and purchasing individual elements (filters, feeders, compressors, nets, containers, etc.) you can invest 4-5 thousand dollars.

We calculate our investments and costs:

• Malek – $400.
• Feed – $1000.
• Water and electricity – $500.
• Swimming pool with equipment – ​​$5,000 or $10,000.

That is, you will have to invest $7,000 in this business if you manufacture the equipment yourself and $12,000 if you buy a ready-made kit.

Sturgeon can be sold in restaurants and hypermarkets for an average of $8 per kilogram. That is, from a ton we get $8000. It turns out that if you make the equipment yourself, you can recoup the investment in one year reach a net profit of $1000.

In the case of purchasing a ready-made kit, after two years of work, the income above the investment will be $2,000. In the future you can receive annually about $6,000 net profit.

To summarize, we can say that growing sturgeon at home is highly profitable. So far there is very little competition in this industry, but in a year or two the situation may change. Good luck with your business!

Growing sturgeon at home - video with step-by-step instructions:

Breeding sturgeon, if you are ready to create the necessary conditions for this royal fish, will give you the opportunity to eat homemade, and therefore high-quality and environmentally friendly food, as well as receive a regular income. The caviar and meat of this fish have been considered a delicacy for centuries and are in constant high demand. Of course, to create such a business will require certain investments and efforts. But this type of activity is characterized by good profitability, and the money spent will pay off relatively quickly.

Home breeding of Siberian and Russian sturgeons as a business

Sturgeon is a freshwater fish, one of the most ancient representatives of its species. It has an elongated body and an elongated head, pointed towards the oral cavity. There are Russian and Siberian sturgeons. There are some differences when growing them:

1. The Siberian sturgeon has good survival rate, which was noted at all stages of the biological cycle. This helps to minimize risks during artificial breeding.
2. During wintering, the Siberian sturgeon, unlike the Russian sturgeon, does not come to the surface of the water to obtain oxygen, so the fish can be kept in cages completely submerged under ice. Waste does not exceed 10.4%. Also during this period there is less loss of live weight than in the Russian species.
3. Siberian sturgeons have a slightly lower growth rate than Russian sturgeons - from 238 g (two-year-old fish) to 989 g (eight-year-old fish).

Breeding sturgeon is a difficult but profitable activity

The sturgeon family also includes sterlet, beluga and stellate sturgeon. All these fish have the ability to adapt to any living conditions, even if they change frequently. Thanks to this quality, sturgeon are successfully bred at home.

Photo gallery: fish of the sturgeon family

Russian sturgeon

Siberian sturgeon

Sterlet

Beluga

Stellate sturgeon

Fish farming allows you to make a good profit. The fishery is gaining popularity due to the following factors:

1. Sturgeon meat and caviar are popular products. And the level of competition in this area today is relatively low.
2. The business does not require large start-up investments.
3. You don't need to have any special knowledge. Today there is enough literature containing the necessary information. The necessary instructions can also be found on the Internet.
4. Breeding sturgeon does not take much time. It takes 3-4 hours a day to care for fish. The only exception is the sorting period. On these days you will have to devote 15–16 hours to work.
5. The business begins to pay off within 7–9 months.

Video: organizing a sturgeon farm

To create a farm, you need to purchase and install specialized equipment. You can do something with your own hands. And also choose and prepare the room properly.

Equipment

To breed sturgeon on a home farm you will need:

1. Automatic feed dispensers and feeders.

You can give food to fish manually, but these devices greatly facilitate the procedure and save a significant amount of time.

2. Pumps for pumping water.

During the selection process, look for models that can operate efficiently without being at the power limit. Otherwise, the pumps will not last long.

3. Oxygen generators (aerators) to provide fish with oxygen.
4. Pipes for creating a closed water supply circuit.
5. Sterilizers and filters for purifying the reservoir from contaminants, food residues and fish waste products.
6. Incubators for hatching larvae (if you do not buy fry).
7. Libra.
8. Containers for sturgeon.
9. Freezers.
10. Nets, buckets.

Arrangement of a pond or pool

A prerequisite is the presence of water supply, sewerage, uninterrupted supply of heating and electricity. It is advisable to purchase generators. They will come in handy in case of a power outage. There are two options for sturgeon breeding:

• in ponds;
• in swimming pools.

The basement of a house is suitable for breeding fish in a pool. But the room should be quite spacious, at least 30 square meters. meters.

Pool

For a novice entrepreneur, this option will be the most suitable (and profitable). Experts call this fish breeding technology RAS, which means “installation of a closed water supply.” In practice, this is expressed in the construction of one or more connected pools with recirculation, to which water purification systems are connected.

Sturgeon breeding pools can be placed in a spacious basement

First, you will need to purchase a plastic pool (preferably round) with a depth of 1 m and a diameter of 1.5–2 m. Using one such container you can produce up to 1 ton of products per year. As production increases, new pools need to be installed. When choosing them, focus on the weight of the fish:

• for individuals weighing up to 300 g, you will need a round pool with a depth of 0.8 m and a diameter of 1.5 m;
• for fish weighing from 300 g to 2 kg - a container 1.2 in depth and 2.2 in diameter;
• for larvae weighing 0.5–5 g - rectangular plastic trays 50 cm wide and deep, 2.2 m long.

It is allowed to use pools made of materials such as:

• metal with enameled surface;
• polypropylene;
• concrete covered with ceramic tiles.

You will need to create conditions as close as possible to the sturgeon’s natural habitat. It will be necessary to ensure the flow of purified, oxygen-enriched water into the pool, which will be partially pumped out and fed into filters to undergo several stages of purification (mechanical, biological), equalize the temperature, saturate with oxygen and eliminate bacteria. Thus, the liquid in the RAS system must be in constant circulation.

Important! In addition to standard lighting, rooms with swimming pools should have ultraviolet lamps, which are turned on once a day to disinfect air and water.

When breeding fish in pools, the water must be well saturated with oxygen. This is done by installing a compressor.

Sturgeons also require good lighting. It should be of medium intensity. Don't use too bright a light. But you shouldn’t keep fish in a dark room either.

Video: practical tips for arranging a closed water supply installation

Natural or artificial pond

Sturgeon are bred in ponds of natural and artificial origin. This allows you to save money on purchasing equipment. If you decide to build a pond on your backyard, you should consider a number of features:

1. The place should be well lit (about 5-7 hours a day in direct sunlight).

If natural ultraviolet radiation is not enough, you will have to install ultraviolet lamps for biological treatment.

2. A pit with internal slopes of the dams should be dug under the reservoir.
3. A layer of sand (15–20 cm) is poured onto the bottom, on top of which waterproofing is laid. A regular PVC or LDPE film is suitable for this purpose. Then the pit is filled with a layer of gravel (approximately 20 cm). Sturgeon prefer muddy bottoms.

To create favorable conditions for the growth of algae and other flora, you need to add organic (manure, wilted grass) and mineral fertilizers (ammonium sulfate at the rate of 2 kg per 100 sq. m or superphosphate at the rate of 15 kg per 100 sq. m).

4. After preparing the bottom, aquatic plants are planted. They are selected depending on the depth. At the very bottom it is necessary to plant tilla, pondweed, swampweed, and water buttercup. In the shallow water area (up to 40 cm deep) reeds and sedge should be placed. And among the above-water plants they choose orontium, water lilies, elodea, egg capsules, and duckweed.

On average, for one small pond (4 x 6 meters), it will be enough to plant 10 plants of each type so that they maintain biological balance and saturate the water with oxygen.

5. To prevent stagnation and blooming of water in the pond, it is necessary to install a pump filtration system by placing the pump in the deepest part of the pond and connecting it to the filters via hoses.

After arranging the reservoir, the fry can be released.

Video: DIY ultraviolet lamp for a pond

Conditions for landing and growth of fry

Raising fry at the initial stage of business at home is quite problematic. It is much easier to buy them at fish farms that specialize in sturgeon breeding. Buy fry weighing at least 5 g and launch them into a pond in warm weather. The most suitable time is late spring or summer.

Fry can be raised from eggs, but it is much easier to buy them

Sturgeon can live at a temperature of +2°C..+ 27°C. But for active growth, fish require indicators of +18°С…+22°С. Such conditions ensure early maturation of sturgeon.

Females begin to spawn at the age of 6 years, whereas in the wild this occurs only at 12–15 years of the sturgeon’s life.

Important! There should be no more than 60 kg of fish per 1 square meter of reservoir.

Fish care

Care involves regular feeding, cleaning the reservoir and sorting of grown individuals and fry.

Water condition monitoring

If you use tap water to fill your pool, install a carbon filter to prevent chlorine from entering. Change the water once every 3 days. But this should be no more than 15% of the liquid of the total volume.

You cannot completely change the water in the pool!

For the full development of sturgeon, the chemical composition of water (level of carbon dioxide, oxygen, pH, density of fertilizers) is important. An analysis of the chemical composition of water can be ordered from the SES, Vodokanal or from a private independent water analysis laboratory.

Table: optimal water composition for sturgeon breeding

Indicators exceeding those indicated indicate that the reservoir is polluted, which can negatively affect the life of the sturgeon. Therefore, carefully monitor the condition of the filters and wash them regularly, add the necessary chemical and biological additives.

Feeding

Sturgeons are undemanding when it comes to food. But despite this, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to compiling their diet. After all, the increase in weight and health of fish depends on the quality of food. Sturgeons can be given live food:

• larvae of various insects;
• bloodworm;
• shellfish and worms.

Special balanced feeds have also been developed for fish. They are available in granular form. For example, one of the popular manufacturers of such products is Aller AQUA. The company produces food for different categories of fish. For larvae - starting mixtures that contain immunostimulants. Young animals can be given Aller Thalassa, Aller Performa and Aller Futura MP. Aller Metabolika, Aller Trident and Aller Bronze have been developed for adult sturgeon. The manufacturer also produces food for individuals that are raised for caviar - Aller Sturqeon REP.

For sturgeon you can purchase special granulated food

Adult fish weighing 500 g and above are fed 4 times, fry - 6 times a day, adhering to the same time intervals. The food must contain the following elements:

• 25% crude fat;
• 50% crude protein;
• 3% fiber;
• phosphorus;
• lysine.

Sturgeon eat at the same time every day; any deviations from the schedule can cause them stress.

Keep in mind that the sturgeon takes food from the bottom of the reservoir. Therefore, choose heavy food that will not float on the surface, but will sink down. Food must be resistant to moisture and not disintegrate for at least 30 minutes.

Sturgeons develop unevenly: strong individuals push weaker fish away from food and therefore grow faster. Therefore, transplant the grown fish into a separate container every month.

Possible problems and their solutions

No type of business is without difficulties. Sturgeon farming is no exception. Thus, over the course of a year, 10% of the fry consistently die. This is a natural process, and there are no methods to influence it.

Another problem could be an accident or power failure. As a result, the lighting regime is disrupted, which causes the growth of fish to slow down. Installing an autonomous generator will help avoid such consequences.

Problems can also arise due to failure of cleaning systems and other equipment. If you understand the structure of these simple mechanisms in advance, you will be able to save on repairs.

Video: cleaning the filter yourself

Inappropriate conditions for keeping fish can cause them to develop the following diseases:

1. Damage by adenoviruses. The fish shows apathy, loses weight, and death occurs in 50% of cases.
2. Iridovirus infection. Sturgeons refuse food, begin to accumulate at the bottom of the reservoir, and lose body weight. There is hemorrhage from the back and abdominal cavity. Death occurs in 95% of cases.
3. Infection with the herpes virus is asymptomatic until the fish dies. The mortality rate is 97%.
4. Flexibacteriosis appears as light spots near the fins and on the abdominal cavity. The mortality rate does not exceed 13%.
5. Bacterial hemorrhagic septicemia. Sick individuals experience a lack of appetite and pinpoint hemorrhages on the body. Fish swims on the surface. The death rate reaches 70%.
6. Saprolegniosis. The disease is expressed in the formation of a white coating in the tail area. The mortality rate reaches 50%.

No treatment has been developed for these diseases. Prevention is compliance with the regime for keeping sturgeons.

For sale, individuals are usually taken that have reached a weight of 500–600 g. Strong individuals grow to the desired size within six months, while weak sturgeons require up to 9 months. Sturgeon can be sold to restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, fish stores, and markets.

Creating your own website, which will contain information about your products and prices, will help increase sales.

It is recommended to start a business by growing 1 ton of sturgeon per year. This is the optimal amount that one person can handle. To do this, you need to purchase 1800 fry, the cost of one is 2-3 dollars. To ensure 1 kg of fish growth, you will need 1–1.5 kg of feed. It can be purchased at a price of 1.2 dollars per 1 kg. The cost of equipment depends on the volume of products grown. To obtain 1 ton of fish it will take approximately 3 thousand dollars. To determine your profit, you also need to take into account the costs of water and electricity.

Considering that the average market price for sturgeon meat is approximately $15 per 1 kg, the income from each kilogram will be about $5.

When raising sturgeon for caviar, the investment pays off longer. But at the same time, the profit will be higher. Female sturgeon produce eggs every 2–3 years for 17–18 years.

To turn sturgeon farming into a profitable business, you need to organize your business responsibly. Prepare the reservoir and create the necessary conditions. Regularly clean filters, change water and check that equipment is working properly. Monitor the condition of the fish and the chemical composition of the water. Use good food for sturgeon, because skimping on its quality can provoke the development of diseases. An attentive owner has every opportunity to get an excellent result.

The method of artificially growing fish in reservoirs has been known since ancient times. In the 20th century, fish farming in artificial reservoirs acquired an industrial scale. Interest in this type of business has only intensified in the 21st century. Private fisheries and farms are opening more and more everywhere. Recently, the RAS method of fish breeding has become popular. Let's find out what this method is, its advantages and all the nuances of this business.

Growing fish in open waters

Traditional method of growing fish in artificial or natural reservoirs and pools. Known since ancient times. The advantages of such a business are low cost. All expenses include the purchase of fry, food and organizational expenses. There are many more disadvantages to such a business. Growing fish depends on external factors, weather conditions, average temperature, pond condition, and so on. Also, it is worth specially noting that fish in ponds grow as they want, depending on the natural cycle, and such fish acquire a marketable form no earlier than their natural term. In essence, fish farming in ponds is Russian roulette.

Of course, these disadvantages are offset by the profit that is obtained from the sale of finished products, but you should forget about scaling such a business and its modernization. You will not be able, for example, in the conditions of the middle zone, to grow sturgeon, trout, salmon and other valuable fish species in such a reservoir. You are limited to those types of fish that can grow in the conditions of your strip - usually lake fish, less often river fish, since for river fish you will have to install an additional system of flow and filtration of water, which is much more difficult to organize in the remote conditions of your lake.

Growing fish on RAS farms

In the last few years, thanks to modern advances in technology and science, it has become possible to grow fish in automatic fish farms. One of the popular forms of such farms is RAS farm.

RAS is an autonomous closed water supply installation for growing fish. The RAS farm is a closed system of pool modules, where biological and chemical processes are controlled and controlled using automation and a water purification and preparation system. Since the system is closed, it does not require constant water supply from the outside. Every day it consumes fresh water in a volume of 5-10% of the total volume of water in the installation.

In RAS installations it is possible to grow exotic fish species, river fish, salmon, sturgeon. A wide range of settings allows you to adapt the system for growing any breed of fish or aquatic organisms (organisms living in an aquatic environment). And additional modules included in the system allow you to create a complete cycle - from caviar to caviar.

Advantages of RAS systems over other systems

System compactness allows you to place the RAS in various areas in heated hangar-type rooms, which makes the system completely independent. At the same time, a high stocking density is achieved in RAS, which cannot be achieved in open systems.

Ability to regulate the growth rate of fish. All fish are cold-blooded, which means their growth rate depends on the average water temperature. Thus, increasing the temperature from 20 to 30°C allows the growth rate of fish to double. For example, growing sturgeon to a marketable state at a constant temperature of 24ºC is achieved in 1 year.

Possibility of growing exotic aquatic organisms. Thus, it is not uncommon for some species of sea sharks to be bred in RAS, which are then sold to owners of “cool” aquariums.

Saving on feed. There is a so-called feed coefficient - the amount of food required to fatten 1 kg of fish. When breeding fish in ponds and using the cage method, the coefficient reaches 3 units. That is, to grow 1 kg of fish, you need to spend 3 kg of feed. This is due to the cyclical nature of the seasons. During the warm season, the fish gains weight; during the cold season, the fish does not feed and loses up to 50% of its gained weight. In RAS installations, the feed coefficient is equal to or less than 1. Since there are no seasons in closed systems.

By-products. The RAS system produces a lot of by-products, including waste products. So, in Israel, where RAS are very popular, fish droppings are considered the best organic fertilizer. Also, the installation produces quite a lot of warm carbon dioxide, which can be released into the atmosphere or sent to greenhouses with plants, for which such an atmosphere is an excellent growth accelerator and many greenhouse owners buy CO2 specifically. By adding a greenhouse to your fish farm, you can develop a subsidiary farm.

Minimum water consumption. Of course, you say, water in reservoirs is free. But, this is for 1 season, every season you will have to purify this water, because it tends to silt. And every season you will need at least 600-700 cubic meters of clean water per 1 kg of marketable fish. In a RAS installation, 1 kg of marketable fish requires up to 500 liters of water. The rest of the water is purified and reused.

High yield. Since the RAS system allows you to control all parameters of water and air, ideal growth conditions can be created for each breed of fish, and automatic feeding contributes to this.

Average yields by system:

• Cage method - up to 500 kg per hectare.
• Pond farming - up to 1 ton per hectare.
• RAS farm - up to 100 tons per hectare.

At the same time, the compactness of the system allows you to place mini-RAS in various rooms, literally in the attics and basements of residential buildings.

Cost of RAS farms, profit, business plan

The cost of a turnkey RAS, the economy version (for an area of ​​about 150 m²) is 35 thousand euros. This installation allows you to produce up to 5 tons of fish per year. The installation consumption is about 4 kW/h. The installation can be maintained by 1 person.

Expenses per year - electricity, up to 250 thousand rubles, wages 240 thousand rubles per year, additional expenses (including the purchase of feed) 200 thousand rubles. The cost of 5,000 fry, for example, sturgeon, will be 25-30 thousand rubles.

Total annual expense is about 1 million rubles.

It is expected that a valuable species of fish will be grown in the RAS. From the example above, we choose sturgeon, although the RAS can be configured for any breed of fish. The wholesale price of commercial sturgeon is 700-1000 rubles per fish.

Thus, 5 tons of finished sturgeon can be sold for 3.5 million rubles. This will allow you not only to pay for the RAS installation, but also to make a small profit immediately after the first season. At the same time, the system can be scaled up and production expanded without stopping the process of year-round sturgeon cultivation.

Video - how to open a sturgeon farm

To start a business such as sturgeon breeding, a mini-farm is best suited. Sturgeon caviar and meat are in stable demand, and competition is still low. Sturgeon is unpretentious; you don’t need a lot of special knowledge to grow it.

Species of sturgeon

What subtleties are hidden in sturgeon breeding? A mini-farm can become a profitable enterprise, since sturgeon is listed in the Red Book and is not caught in natural reservoirs. This shortage, coupled with the popularity of meat and caviar, creates good conditions for business.

Fast-maturing sturgeon breeds are used for breeding:

• Siberian;
• Amur;
• white;
• sterlet;
• bester.

Beluga, thorn, and stellate sturgeon can be bred in fish farms, but they grow and mature slowly.

Products for sale

What products does sturgeon farming provide? The mini-farm will not produce eggs for the first 6-8 years. To ensure that the costs of keeping the fish are covered, farms sell sturgeon meat. It could be:

• live fish;
• smoked fish;
• canned sturgeon;
• soup sets;
• liver;
• viziga.

Additional production will be required to produce smoked fish and canned food. But processed products will also cost more. The ultimate goal of the farm is to obtain caviar.

Prospects

How promising is sturgeon breeding? A mini-farm can pay for itself in 2-3 years after starting work. You will have to spend about three thousand dollars to purchase equipment. For food and utilities - 500 dollars, about 1000 to buy quality fry. In general, the initial cost will cost approximately 5 thousand dollars.

How expensive is sturgeon farming (mini-farm)? The price of the equipment can be reduced if you make the part yourself or order it from a small company.

The average income from the sale of one sturgeon is $6. Accordingly, a small farm can bring in 3.5 thousand dollars a year, and this is at the initial stage, excluding caviar production.

The natural decline of fry can be up to 30%; this is the norm for keeping in captivity. In their natural habitat, only about three percent of the fry survive and grow to adulthood.

By the age of six months, a sturgeon can gain weight of half a kilogram. At this age, fish can already be delivered to restaurants, as it is ideal for making portioned dishes. Fry of the same age grow unevenly. Dominant fish receive more food and gain the desired weight faster.

The first production cycle is completed when even the weakest fry reach the required weight. This happens after about 8-9 months. After this, you can receive your first income and purchase a new batch of fry.

The mini-farm will be controlled by the SES. Water samples are taken twice a year, and sturgeon will also be tested. You will need to provide documentation for the fry and food. At the initial stage, the business will require serious investments, the payback period will be quite long. The entrepreneur will begin to receive serious profits after the fish reach maturity.

RAS

How to organize sturgeon breeding (mini-farm)? A business plan starts with costs. What will it take to start a business?

1. Equipment.
2. Room.
3. Reservoirs.
4. Malek.
5. Feed.

You can organize a farm in your own backyard, but then you will have to build the main and auxiliary premises. Breeding sturgeon (mini-farm) at home in small areas is impossible, since equipment and pools take up a lot of space.

Sturgeon loves running, clean water. It is difficult to organize suitable conditions in a natural reservoir, so RAS would be more convenient.

RAS is a closed water supply installation, fish farming modules for growing fish. The RAS consists of:

• tanks;
• filters for water purification and compressor;
• oxygen generator;
• UV lamps for water disinfection;
• heaters;
• pipelines;
• sensors

The water in the RAS system is in constant motion. It is filtered and enriched with oxygen, after which it is returned back to the tanks. Some of the contaminated water is drained into the sewer, some evaporates, so it is necessary to constantly replenish its volume.

Nutrition

A very important point in growing fish is nutrition. You need to choose food carefully, because the health and growth rate of the fish largely depends on it. The food should not become soggy and dissolve in the water, since sturgeon live and feed in the lower layers of water. High-quality food granules do not lose their shape for more than half an hour. Pay attention to the composition of the food: it must contain all the substances necessary for fish.

Fry and adult fish require different granules. Every 10 days, the sturgeon are sorted by size and fed in different containers. At first you need to buy special food, but over time you can learn to make it yourself.

Buying fry

It is from the fry that sturgeon breeding begins (mini-farm). The cost of one fry is 2 euros. Once the equipment is installed and the food is prepared, it is time to buy the fry. It is quite difficult to breed sturgeon on your own, so in the first few years you will have to buy them from large farms.

The weight of the fry for sale is 5 grams. The further growth of the fish depends on the quality of the fry, so you need to be careful when purchasing. Babies need to be fed 6 times a day, six-month-old fish - 4 times a day.

Adult fish and fry do not tolerate transportation well. Temperature control and additional oxygen enrichment will be required.

Getting offspring

Typically, fry are purchased from large fish farms, but breeding sturgeon on a mini-farm is also possible. In nature, sturgeon begin to reproduce at the age of ten (in captivity this period is reduced), but the reproductive age lasts a long time - up to 18 years.

You can purchase adult females, then you won’t have to wait so long for eggs, but such individuals will also be expensive. In captivity, thanks to favorable conditions, offspring can be obtained within six years. In order to stimulate the desire of fish to reproduce, you will need a spacious reservoir.

To raise fry, you need special knowledge and an incubator. The eggs are artificially fertilized and placed in special containers, where they are washed with water and saturated with oxygen. A week later, larvae emerge from the eggs. In a month they will turn into fry. If you organize the cultivation of fry, you can not only save on purchases, but also sell them to other small farms.

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Food products will always be in demand, so a properly organized business in this area will generate significant income. Breeding sturgeon for sale in retail and restaurant chains can be organized not only on large farms, but also at home.

Such a business does not require large financial expenses at the initial stage, so almost every resident of our country, even a beginner, can organize it.

Like any type of business, breeding sturgeon at home has its advantages and disadvantages. The positive qualities include the following points in running this business.

• Low level of competition.
• Work from home.
• High profitability.
• Good and stable demand.

Of the shortcomings, the most noticeable are:

• Sensitivity of fry to water quality.
• Possible morbidity and mortality of the fry.
• Constant monitoring of compliance with conditions of detention is required.
• It is very difficult to purchase high-quality fry for breeding.

Despite these disadvantages, many entrepreneurs decide to organize this business at home.

Sturgeon is very sensitive to water quality, so all rules and requirements must be followed

Organizing a pond at home

To organize a pond at home, it is enough to purchase a plastic pool with a diameter of 3 meters. The optimal depth of the container should be 1 meter. More experienced businessmen can dig a pond.

If you have a spacious room, you can install several of these containers.

The distance between the pools must be sufficient for a person to move freely between them to service the tanks. The premises must be connected to electricity, water supply and sewerage.

Feed selection

To run a successful business in this area, it is recommended to use highly nutritious food specifically designed for growing sturgeon fish. Only with proper feeding will the fish give a good increase in live weight. The main characteristics of food for sturgeon should be as follows:

• Have an attractive odor to fish.
• Immediately sink to the bottom.
• The time for complete dissolution in water is at least 30 minutes.

Also, for each age of fish, the size of food granules should be selected as accurately as possible; food for sturgeon fry should be selected especially carefully.

Sturgeon food should have a pleasant smell and immediately sink to the bottom

Buying fry

You should purchase fry only from large fish farming enterprises. To achieve rapid weight gain, as well as to minimize the likelihood of death of small fish, it is not recommended to break this rule.

If among them there are large sturgeon breeding farms, then you can safely purchase fry for growing at home. To minimize risks, you should not purchase a large number of fry for the first cycle of fish farming.

In order to get an idea of ​​the profitability of a business, it is enough to buy no more than 500 pieces. This amount will be enough to effectively place fish in 2 - 3 containers intended for home sturgeon breeding.

Fry are purchased only from verified fish farms

Organizing a container for fry

Small fish not only need to select suitable food, but also organize a separate container. In such a container, the fry will grow until they can be transplanted into a larger tank.

In order to conveniently care for small fish, it is enough to purchase a plastic pool with a diameter of 1.5 and a depth of 0.7 meters. It is also necessary to ensure optimal temperature conditions and lighting of the tank for good growth of the younger generation.

You can make a RAS for fish or order a ready-made version.

Temperature

The rate of increase in live weight of the fish will depend on maintaining the required level of water temperature. The minimum value of this parameter is +16 degrees.

At temperatures of +27 and above, the sturgeon stops feeding, which is why it is so important to maintain the required level at all stages of growing this breed of fish. The optimal water temperature for growing sturgeon is 18 - 20 degrees.

The temperature in the tank should be around 18-20 degrees

Features of home sturgeon breeding

In artificial conditions, sturgeon grows a little faster than in the wild, due to the absence of food shortages and the maintenance of the required temperature parameters. Growing sturgeon at home from fry to commercial-weight fish takes, on average, 1.5 years. By this time, the sturgeon weighs about 2 kilograms and can be sold in wholesale quantities to specialized stores.

In one standard tank for growing sturgeon, up to 200 kg of excellent quality fish of this breed can be produced during one cycle.

The price of sturgeon will always be high, so to fully return the money spent on purchasing equipment, one cycle of growing this fish is enough.

The initial cost of purchasing equipment will be about 200 thousand rubles. The cost of fry of acceptable quality starts from 25 rubles. for 1 piece, so for one cycle you will need to spend about 20 thousand rubles on purchasing small fish.

Business payback - 1.5 years

The purchase of feed and payment of utilities for the entire full cycle of fish farming will cost the entrepreneur approximately 150 thousand rubles. The total costs for one year and a half cycle will be 370 thousand rubles.

Sturgeon from a home mini-farm is usually sold in wholesale quantities. When selling previously purchased fry for the amount of 20 thousand rubles. it will be possible to get about 700 thousand rubles. The profit for 1.5 years of growing sturgeon will be 330 thousand rubles., but from this amount you will also need to pay income tax and all contributions to the Pension Fund and compulsory medical insurance.

After gaining first experience, you can easily scale your business and earn significantly greater profits over a set period of time.

Breeding sturgeon at home is a very profitable type of business, but this will only remain so until everyone who wants to start a home food production takes up the cultivation of this fish, so you should not put off opening a home fish farm for a long time.