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Introduction
Catfish, tilapia fish, and maybe crap are some of the most farm fish around the world but when it comes to raising them right there are so many mistakes that have been made in regards to raising them.
One of the requirements of raising tilapia fish is a pond but not just any pond. Now you are asking “What Are the best ponds for raising tilapia fish?”
Around May 2021, I posted a question on my YouTube community tab asking what content they would like to see on my channel and the most common topic that popped up was farming tilapia.
In my quest for trying new things, I went out to source tilapia seedlings for me to try it out. On June 15, 2021, I got my first seedlings to raise in the backyard.
After over one month, while I have learned some lessons from this experience, I made some mistakes, which I know is part of the learning process and that is why I am sharing my experience with everyone thinking of starting a tilapia fish farm now or in the future.
One of the mistakes I learned or let me say one of the experiments I carried out was the type of pond I used in raising them.
When I sourced my tilapia seedlings after researching and reading various articles, I eventually got a reliable source to get my seedlings and I transported them to my farm (not the main farm but my backyard), I decided to use a plastic pond (1000L) to stock them.
I noticed after the first 24 hours, at least 2 fish will die every day. I might just go inside to rest and after like 3-4 hours when I check on them, some fish would have died. Then I concluded that one factor that was causing their death is the pond I was using and the space available wasn’t enough for them to survive except I add some extra instruments to the pond.
This prompted me to dig deep and do my research further on the best type of pond suitable for raising tilapia fish.
In this article, I will be sharing with you the best types of ponds to raise tilapia fish.
Best Ponds For Raising Tilapia Fish
1. Cage System
I have previously written an article on the different types of ponds for fish farming which explained more in detail what is best if you want to start a fish farm. But for this article, if you want to start a tilapia fish farm, the first best pond you can use to raise your fish is the cage system type of pond.
This pond is suitable because it is somehow similar to the fish being their natural habitat. If you’re in Lagos, Nigeria, the three most popular places where tilapia fish are being farmed are Epe, Ikorodu, and Badagry and that is because they are covered by water.
Practicing the cage system of tilapia farming will not require you to stress yourself when it comes to management or even spending extra cash buying equipment to fasten their growth.
2. Earthen Pond
Another type of pond that is suitable for raising tilapia fish is the earthen pond. If you are in a location where you do not have access to the Cage or Pen system pond, using an earthen pond is good for your tilapia seedlings.
Why an earthen pond? It is similar to a fish’s natural habitat. I have written a detailed article on the different types of ponds with their advantages and disadvantages.
If you raise your fish with an earthen pond, you are rest assured that your fish will grow rapidly without stress but the downside to using an earthen pond is that you can not manage your fish when there is an outbreak of diseases in the pond.
3. Concrete Pond
The third type of pond best for raising tilapia fish is a concrete pond. Although, unlike the first two types of ponds, if you are to use a concrete pond to raise your tilapia seedlings, then be ready to spend some extra money.
If you decide to use a concrete pond to raise your tilapia seedlings, you need to buy an aerator that will provide fresh air to the fish.
Another thing you need to consider when using a concrete pond is that you don’t have to overstock your pond. For example, if on a normal day you stock your pond with 1000 catfish fingerlings when you want to raise tilapia you have to stock not more than 200 – 300 tilapia seedlings to avoid overstocking.
This is one of the mistakes I made in my experimental stage of raising tilapia fish. I wasn’t aware of this information before stocking my seedlings earlier in June.
If you want to construct a concrete pond, you can reach out to me by filling the Contact Us form.
4. Tarpaulin Pond
Another type of pond that you can use to raise tilapia seedlings is a tarpaulin pond. A tarpaulin pond is a type of pond constructed with fiber liner and held with a galvanized pipe used for raising fish.
Just like using a concrete pond to tilapia fish, if you are going to be using a tarpaulin pond, you need to get one that has more space and also gives room for an aerator.
One of the advantages of using a tarpaulin pond to raise any type of fish (be it catfish, tilapia, or koi fish) is mobility.
Even if you are in a borrowed space, you can still use a tarpaulin pond for fish farming and when you are done, pack your things and leave.
If possible, when raising a tilapia fish in a tarpaulin pond and you have a good source of water, you can adopt the flow-through system of fish farming.
There are different sizes of tarpaulin ponds that you can purchase and use on your farm. To buy one, send a message through the Contact Us form.
Conclusion
When it comes to raising tilapia no matter where you are in the world, choosing the best type of pond to use will help your farming business succeed more than you could think of.
When there is no other way out, the 4 types of ponds mentioned above will give you the best result.
So when you ever think of starting a tilapia fish farm and you are worried about choosing the right pond to raise them, this article will be a guide for you. Don’t make the mistakes I made so you don’t lose your money while you can easily avoid it.