Sturgeon breeding as business examples of farms. Home mini-farm for breeding sturgeon: creating a profitable business. What species to choose for growing

Solving the issue of food security of the world's population is one of the most important tasks of the 21st century. Therefore, a novice entrepreneur who decides to create a business for the production and sale of food products will almost 100% win.

Growing sturgeon at home is not only a great alternative to traditional livestock industries (pigs, cattle and poultry). This is also a unique opportunity to get high-quality, environmentally friendly, unparalleled in its taste fish products. (sturgeon meat), "royal" delicacy black caviar and unique sturgeon skin. An extensive group of fish under the general name "sturgeon" includes such breeds: Siberian sturgeon, beluga, Russian sturgeon, sterlet, stellate sturgeon and some others.

And although the listed breeds differ from each other anatomically and physiologically, they are similar in terms of the main indicators for a fish farmer: all sturgeons are not very picky about food, and most importantly, they all feel great in fresh water.

Features of the sturgeon business

When considering whether it is worth starting this particular business, you need to consider that sturgeon breeding at home has a number of features:

1. High demand for fish products and a wide area for the sale of sturgeon (restaurants, specialized fish stores, hypermarkets, pet stores, etc.).
2. Relatively low competition(not everyone will be engaged in this business, and many simply have not heard of this type of activity).
3. Does not require fabulous investments. To start a business, a novice fish farmer-entrepreneur will not need a large amount of money at all.
4. It is not necessary to have special knowledge on the topic. Start farming sturgeons possible, with a minimum knowledge of fish. Everything comes with experience, as well as from numerous literature and the Internet.
5. Business doesn't take long. Sturgeons daily should take 3-4 hours. The exceptions are sorting days, which take place monthly and take almost the whole day (15-16 hours).
6. Sturgeon fine take root at home. They do not impose special requirements for feeding, lighting and maintenance.
7. The sturgeon is practically not susceptible to any infectious and non-contagious diseases (with the exception of gastric disorders that occur when low-quality feed is fed to the fish).
8. The business will begin to pay for itself within 7-9 months.

Well, do you still have doubts about the feasibility and prospects of home sturgeon breeding?

room

Having finally established his intention to start breeding sturgeons, the entrepreneur must first of all find a suitable premises for this purpose. If in the near future it is not planned to create a large fish-breeding holding, then an apartment or a private house will be suitable for accommodating fish "reservoirs".

The area for sturgeon cultivation in pools is recommended to be at least 30 m². The room must have: water supply, uninterrupted power supply (in case of power surges, you need to have one constantly running generator and one autonomous), heating, ventilation and a sewer system.

It should also be taken into account that sturgeons are rather shy and stress-resistant fish. Therefore, it is not recommended to place pools near highways, public places (stadiums, markets). In addition, all sturgeons are bottom dwellers that do not need excessive lighting.

Tanks for sturgeon breeding

There are two main ways to grow sturgeon at home: in pools and in ponds. Let's consider both of these options.

Pools. For the first time, a novice businessman can purchase an ordinary plastic pool. The dimensions of such a container are: diameter 1.5-2 m, and depth - up to 1 m. The yield of live products (per year) from such a small pool is approximately 1 ton. If you have certain skills, you can make a pool for fish yourself. This will reduce the cost of future production, but will require additional time. As production expands, additional pools will need to be purchased (or constructed). In this case, it is necessary to take into account the sizes of containers for various fish categories:

• for fish weighing up to 300 g - round-shaped pools, having a depth of approximately 0.8 m and a diameter of 1.5 m;
• for fish weighing from 300 g to 2 kg - round-shaped pools having a depth of 1.2 m and a diameter of 2.2 m;
• sorting containers (a larva with a mass of 0.5-5 g lives in them; sturgeon is sorted here) - rectangular trays with a depth and width of 50 cm and a length of 2.2 m.

But whatever the pool is, it is necessary to carefully monitor its cleanliness, regular change of water and its cleaning, as well as maintain a certain temperature of the air in the room and the water in the pool. Sturgeon feels great at temperatures from + 2 to + 27 ° C, but the best temperature the regime for intensive growth and reproduction of fish ranges from + 17 to + 22 ° C. At this temperature, sturgeon females begin to throw caviar already from the age of 6 (in wildlife, the process begins at 12-15 years of fish life).

In addition to the pool for this type of sturgeon breeding, you need to additionally purchase filters, a pump, a compressor, automatic feeders (optional, you can feed manually), pipelines for air and water, nets, etc.

Ponds. If a businessman has an artificial or natural pond on his personal plot, then you can breed sturgeons in it. In this case, it will be possible to significantly save on the purchase of equipment.

Before use, an artificial pond must be prepared. To start from it completely drain the water, clean and sprinkle the bottom of the pond with lime. Then the lime is washed off and the pond is filled with water.

After cleaning, it is necessary to settle all kinds of mollusks, worms in an artificial reservoir; plant algae and other freshwater plants in the pond. All manipulations must be carried out 1.5-2 months before the intended landing of the fry in the pond. It is best to run the fry into the pond during the warm season (late spring or summer).

It is worth thinking about the wintering of sturgeon. So that the fish simply does not freeze, it is better to send it to the pools for the winter, and with the onset of heat, return it to the pond again.

Fish feeding

Sturgeons are not very picky about food. But we should not forget that the rate of increase in the live weight of sturgeons and their health in general directly depend on how high-quality food the fish eat. In feeding sturgeons, the following options are possible:

1. Feeding with foreign feeds with a high feed coefficient (FC);
2. Feeding with domestic, "local" feed;
3. Feeding self-prepared food.

Feed adult fish need 4 times a day, and fry - 6 times a day at the same time intervals. It is very important to follow the feeding schedule: if the sturgeon does not eat at the same time, he may even refuse to feed (this is a stressful situation).

High-quality food for sturgeons must include: crude protein (approximately 45-50%), crude fat (20-25%), fiber (3%), lysine, phosphorus and other macro and micronutrients.

When choosing food for fish, one should not forget that the sturgeon is a benthic inhabitant that feeds exclusively from the bottom of the reservoir. This means that the food must be heavy enough not to float on the surface of the water, but to sink to the bottom. The food should be quite fragrant, as the sturgeon is guided mostly by the sense of smell. The proposed food should not fall apart in the water for at least 30 minutes, since all sturgeons are real gourmets who love long meals.

Care and breeding of fry

Sturgeon is a fish unpretentious to the conditions of detention. The main care for sturgeons is to observe the feeding regimen; maintaining cleanliness in the pool (pond); timely sorting of fry and grown fish.

If water is supplied to the pools from the mains, then it is necessary to prevent the entry of residual chlorine into the pool. This can be done with an inexpensive carbon filter. The pool water is not 100% replaced in one go. Not more often than 1 time in 3 days there is a change of a small part of the water (12-15% of the total volume of water in the pool).

The fish are carefully checked every month. The grown sturgeons are transplanted into another pool, and the fry are left to grow up.

It will not be easy for a novice businessman to start breeding fry at home. Firstly, an adult sturgeon (even under ideal conditions) begins to spawn no earlier than at the age of 6. And secondly, without knowing all the subtleties of caring for fish, you can get a high percentage of mortality among fry. Therefore, at the initial stage, it is better to purchase fry in specialized large fish farms.

Profitability

And now the main question that most of all interests any businessman: what income will the business bring? Is it profitable to grow sturgeon at home?

To get 1 ton of fish for sale, you need to purchase approximately 1800 pieces of fry. The minimum cost of 1 fry is 12 rubles. We will spend 19,800 rubles on all fry. Feed for the entire growing period must be purchased in the amount of approximately 70,000 thousand rubles. 10,000 and 18,000 thousand rubles will be spent on water and electricity. respectively. It turns out that in order to grow 1 ton of marketable fish, it will be necessary to spend about 120 thousand rubles on its cultivation. That is, the cost of fish (1 kg) is approximately 120 rubles. Sturgeon can sell to a restaurant, etc. for 500 rubles / kg. Consequently, the net profit comes out to about 380 rubles. from 1 kg. And per year the profit is up to 380 thousand rubles

Thus, breeding sturgeon at home can become a real Klondike for a novice businessman. Once again, we recall the main stages for creating this business:

• selection, purchase and preparation of containers for future fish (pool or pond);
• purchase of the necessary equipment and feed;
• coordinating the opening of a business with veterinarians and a sanitary and epidemiological station;
• purchase of fish fry;
• careful care of the fish and timely cleaning in the pools;
• obtaining marketable products in the form of 500-gram or more sturgeon (it is from this weight that fish can be sold to restaurants and other points of sale).

And, of course, the irrepressible desire of a businessman to get the results of his work and great patience. After all, to paraphrase a well-known proverb: you can’t pull a sturgeon out of a pond without difficulty!

Recently, the most popular business areas are breeding fish, animals in the countryside or at home.

There are entrepreneurs who are developing a business of breeding quails, piglets and other animals. But their profitability is not as high as that of such a type of activity as breeding sturgeon at home.

Even in moments of crisis, when some types of businesses suffer losses and enterprises are forced to stop their activities, there is a demand for such a delicacy as sturgeon fish and their meat, and there may even be a shortage.

Pools for growing sturgeon can be bought in different sizes, as far as your room allows, you can put several containers of different diameters up to 2.5 meters.

In order for water to flow from the well to the pool, you need a pump if you are doing business in the country. Or you can connect the pool to the plumbing system if there is a central water supply.

An important element in the cultivation of sturgeon is the compressor.

It is necessary to saturate the water with oxygen, without which the fish will not be able to live.

It is desirable that there is also a spare compressor, in the event of a breakdown of the first, the second unit will come into play.

It takes a lot of time to feed the fish, so you can purchase an automatic feeder to save it.

This is justified in cases where you do not have enough time or a large number of fish. You need to feed sturgeon about 6 times a day.

You need a generator so that in the event of an accident with electricity, the process of growing sturgeon does not stop. It is desirable that the total power of the generator be equal to the sum of the power of all the mechanisms used and a small margin.

When organizing the process of growing and breeding sturgeon, pipes, taps, various fittings and fittings may also be needed.

All the necessary devices require certain financial investments, but if everything is properly organized, then the process of breeding sturgeon fish can pay off in a year of work.

Water temperature and room for sturgeon breeding

But in winter you can’t do without heating the water, otherwise there may be unfavorable conditions for breeding fish, and it can often get sick.

In general, it is possible to breed sturgeon fish in an apartment where there is water supply and sewerage.

In a private house, you can breed sturgeon in any room where there is heating.

A small farm can also be equipped in a greenhouse, bringing the necessary lines for heating air and water.

When calculating the required area of ​​​​the premises, it is necessary to take into account how many pools there will be, based on the fact that one pool needs an area of ​​\u200b\u200bapproximately 11 square meters.

As feed for sturgeon fish, a special compound feed for such fish species is used. How much food is needed per day depends on the age and weight of the fish, feeding is about 4-6 times a day.

With automatic feeding, fish are fed more often.

Payback of the sturgeon breeding business

A significant part of the costs is food. For 1000 fry, in order to grow them for sale, you need to purchase feed for 30,000 rubles. Approximately 20,000 rubles a year will be spent on electricity, it depends on the size of the sturgeon farm.

Excluding the cost of equipment, the costs for one period of growing fry will be; for the purchase of fry - 21,000 rubles, for food - 30,000 rubles, for electricity - 21,000 rubles. The total cost will be 72,000 rubles.

If we estimate the profit from the sale of 1,000 sturgeons weighing 500 grams at 600 rubles per kilogram, then we get a profit of about 300,000 rubles. We subtract expenses from the profit, we get 228,000 rubles of net income.

The cost of equipment for starting work on growing fry will be approximately 260,000 rubles. This means that for the first year of doing business, the invested costs will almost fully pay for themselves. And already from the second cycle of growing sturgeon, from each batch of 1,000 fry, a profit of 200,000 rubles will arise.

Large entrepreneurs reach a stable profit after two years of work. Also, in the 6th year of life, female sturgeon may have caviar. Caviar can be sold already for about $1,000.

If you plan to open not mini-farms for breeding sturgeon, but a large fish farm for the production of sturgeon, then you will also need a solid building, you need to build or rent it. Also, with a large volume of production, it will be necessary to hire staff who will be paid a salary.

Realization of sturgeon fish

Fresh sturgeon can be sold in the markets, in fish shops, and taken to a restaurant, where about 65 kg of fish is usually required per month.

For restaurants for cooking dishes with sturgeon, the ideal option would be a sturgeon weighing 500 grams.

We can confidently say that the sturgeon breeding business is profitable, and in four years you can already organize a large farm with a large annual turnover.

It is worth starting this type of business with a mini-farm of 1000 fry.

Today, no one is surprised by this type of business as breeding ornamental fish for aquariums. But many do not even realize that at home you can create a real fish farm. Don't be surprised, as this is quite feasible. The most ideal option is sturgeon breeding. In addition to delicious fish, high quality caviar will also be on the table. In addition, it is she who is a real symbol of prosperity. So, where to start growing sturgeon?

Business Benefits

Sturgeons include not only Siberian and Russian sturgeon, but also sterlet, beluga, stellate sturgeon. If you decide to start your own business in this area, then do not worry - it is not so difficult as it might seem at first glance. You can carry out your plans even in your own apartment. This is precisely the first advantage of this type of activity. Among the other advantages, it is worth highlighting the following:

1. Caviar and fish meat are very valuable food products on the market. The demand for these products is growing daily.
2. Sturgeons are a family whose representatives perfectly tolerate any temperature changes and are not demanding on the conditions of detention.
3. In order for the fish to receive enough nutrition, special knowledge or large financial costs are not required.
4. A small start-up capital is required to start a business.

As you can see, sturgeon breeding at home as a business has many advantages.

Where is the best place to grow fish?

You can breed sturgeons both in a city apartment and in a country house. This will not affect the quality of the final product in any way, of course, if you do everything right. In order for sturgeon breeding at home to proceed without problems, you should prepare a room of 30 m². It should be spacious and free.

The room where you will grow fish should be well heated. This is especially true in winter. At this time of the year, sturgeons need to create normal conditions for normal growth. The water temperature should not fall below 17°C, and in warm weather this figure should be 20-24°C. If you do not have such a room, then do not rush to get upset. For growing sturgeon, you can use polycarbonate greenhouses. They can accommodate a swimming pool and heating equipment.

Where will the fry live?

You can purchase all the necessary equipment from the manufacturer. However, keep in mind that this can cost you a decent amount. But the equipment will be completely ready for use. In addition, it will be installed by specialists. If breeding sturgeon at home is peculiar, then you can go a slightly different way.

Equipment for growing fish can be made independently. After all, sturgeons can reproduce perfectly and live in non-specialized containers. For the manufacture of equipment, you will need a small pool of plastic with a depth of no more than one meter and a diameter of 2 to 3 meters. If the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room allows, then you can use a larger container. In such a pool, you can grow about a ton of fish per year. In this case, you will do everything yourself. This will save on hiring employees and on additional costs.

How to equip the pool

Growing sturgeon at home is not such a difficult task. If you approach the arrangement of the pool correctly, then such a business will bring a decent income. Aeration, special filters and compressors must be installed in the pool. You will also need a pump. After all, the pool will need to be cleaned. In order for sturgeon breeding to be successful, it is necessary to install an automatic feeder. Of course, you can do without it. However, the main advantage of such equipment is that you can free yourself a little time. If you decide to save money, then you will have to feed the fish manually.

Choose your pump and compressor carefully. Pay special attention to the fact that such equipment should not give out the full maximum during operation. Before buying, calculate how much power you need. Based on this, choose the equipment. Otherwise, all equipment will become unusable very quickly, and it will have to be replaced with a new one.

We buy fry

Sturgeon breeding begins with the acquisition of fry. Recently, a lot of fish farms have appeared that are engaged in the cultivation of various types of fish. You can buy fry there. However, do not buy the first ones that catch your eye. The sturgeon family is quite large. This allows you to acquire the kind of fish that will be unpretentious in care.

The opinion of experts will also be useful. They will tell you how to distinguish low-quality fry. The purchase of young animals should be approached with all responsibility. After all, the success of your business depends on it. Remember that low-quality fry will grow slowly. It is possible that they will often get sick.

Choosing the right food

Breeding sturgeon at home is a simple process if you follow all the rules. The choice of food requires special attention. There are several features in this issue. Remember that sturgeon representatives feed exclusively from the bottom. Therefore, buy only food that sinks in water, and does not float on the surface. It is also worth considering the fact that sturgeons have a well-developed sense of smell. It is this feeling that they are guided by when choosing food. Therefore, the product with which you are going to feed the fish should have a pleasant aroma for them.

Feed must not be destroyed by water. This is another rule that must be observed, since sturgeons do not swallow food whole, but absorb it gradually. The food must withstand moisture for at least 30 minutes. Breeding sturgeons at home for many may seem quite difficult. But actually it is not. The food for this species of fish should be soft, so the sturgeons will eat it faster. If you want the fry to quickly turn into big fish, then their food should not only be tasty, but also high in calories. When choosing food, consider the size of the sturgeons. If the fish are small, then the pieces of food should be small.

Sturgeon feed composition

Food for these fish can be completely different. But experts recommend using products that contain phosphorus, lysine, fats, protein, and fiber. This is the most useful food for sturgeons.

How to breed fish in a pond

Growing sturgeon in a private house or apartment has some disadvantages. For example, a limited area, maintaining a certain temperature regime, and more. It is much easier to grow fish in you can use a ready-made one. If it doesn't exist, then you'll have to create it. The old pond must be cleaned before the fry are released. If you create a reservoir yourself, then you should carry out liming. To do this, place a small layer of lime on the bottom, and then pour enough water and rinse. A similar procedure should be carried out about a few weeks before the start of the fry.

The bottom of the pond is best done in the shape of a bowl. Of course, we should not forget about the corresponding fauna and flora. In the reservoir there should be worms, a variety of green fertilizers, reeds, algae. If desired, you can place shellfish in the pond. Ordinary insects will also be useful, which will serve as additional food. It is better to run fry into the pond in the summer.

Finally

As you can see, sturgeon breeding in a pond is a profitable business. You do not need to occupy a separate room, buy expensive equipment. The only thing that is required is to choose the right food. In general, the cultivation of sturgeon brings a good income.

The method of artificial cultivation of fish in reservoirs has been known since ancient times. In the 20th century, the growth of fish in artificial reservoirs has gained industrial proportions. Interest in this type of business in the 21st century has only intensified. More and more, private fish farms and farms are opening up everywhere. Recently, the method of breeding fish by the RAS method has become popular. Let's find out what this method is, its advantages and all the nuances of this business.

Growing fish in open water

The traditional method of rearing fish in artificial or natural ponds and pools. Known since ancient times. The advantage of such a business is low cost. All expenses - the purchase of fry, feed and organizational expenses. There are many more disadvantages to this type of business. Growing fish depends on external factors, weather conditions, average temperature, pond conditions, and so on. Also, it is worth noting that the fish in the ponds grows as it wants, depending on the natural cycle and the presentation, such fish, acquires no earlier than the natural period. In fact, breeding fish in ponds is Russian roulette.

Of course, these disadvantages are covered by the profit that comes from the sale of finished products, but you should forget about scaling up such a business and its modernization. You will not be able, for example, in the conditions of the middle lane, 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 it is a lake fish, less often a river fish, since for river fish you will have to arrange an additional system of water flow and filtration, which is much more difficult to organize in the remoteness of your lake.

Growing fish on RAS farms

In the past 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 a self-contained recirculating water supply system for fish rearing. RAS-farm is a closed system of pools-modules, where biological and chemical processes are controlled and controlled using automation and water treatment and treatment systems. Since the system is closed, it does not require a constant supply of water from outside. It consumes fresh water in the amount of 5-10% of the total volume of water in the installation per day.

In RAS installations, it is possible to grow exotic species of fish, river, salmon, sturgeon. A wide range of settings allows you to adapt the system to the cultivation of any breed of fish or aquatic organisms (organisms living in the 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 placing RAS on various areas in heated hangar-type rooms, which makes the system completely independent. At the same time, a high landing density is achieved in RAS, which cannot be achieved in open systems.

The ability to control the growth rate of fish. All fish are cold-blooded, which means that their growth rate depends on the average water temperature. For example, increasing the temperature from 20 to 30°C doubles the growth rate of the fish. For example, the cultivation of sturgeon to a commercial appearance at a constant temperature of 24ºC is achieved in 1 year.

Possibility of cultivation of exotic hydrobionts. So, not infrequently, some types of sea sharks are bred in RAS, which are then sold to owners of "cool" aquariums.

Feed savings. There is a so-called feed coefficient - the amount of food that is required for fattening fish per 1 kg. When breeding fish in ponds and 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 cycle of the seasons. During the warm season, the fish gain weight, in the cold season, the fish does not feed and loses up to 50% of the weight gained. In RAS installations, the feed factor 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 manure is considered the best organic fertilizer. Also, the plant produces quite a lot of warm carbon dioxide, which can be emitted 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 attaching a greenhouse to a fish farm, you can develop a subsidiary farm.

Minimum water consumption. Of course, you say, water is free in reservoirs. 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, up to 500 liters of water are required for 1 kg of marketable fish. The rest of the water is purified and reused.

High yield. Since the RAS system allows you to control all water and air parameters, you can create ideal growth conditions for each fish breed, 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.

RAS farm cost, profit, business plan

The cost of RAS "turnkey" economy option (for an area of ​​about 150 m²) - 35 thousand euros. This plant allows to produce up to 5 tons of fish per year. Consumption of the installation is about 4 kW/h. The installation can be operated by 1 person.

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

In total, the annual expense is about 1 million rubles.

It is assumed that a valuable breed of fish will be grown in the RAS. From the example above, we choose the sturgeon, although the RAS can be set to any fish species. 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 not only to recoup the RAS installation, but also to get a small profit immediately after the first season. At the same time, the system can be scaled and expanded production, without stopping the process of year-round sturgeon cultivation.

Video - how to open a sturgeon farm

Today, sturgeon caviar does not need advertising in order to find stable markets. This is a storehouse of useful vitamins and minerals for the human body. Prices for it are consistently high, which makes it possible for entrepreneurs who are engaged in fish farming to receive a steady income. We will devote this article to growing sturgeon at home.

• How to start breeding sturgeons at home?
• Technology of breeding fish for caviar
• How to earn faster?
• What equipment to choose for a sturgeon farm?

In general, the process of growing sturgeon requires deep knowledge of technology, good equipment, and the desire to devote most of the time to this business. Recently, innovative technologies have been invented that make the work of the farmer easier, but their implementation requires large investments. Here the decision is made directly by the entrepreneur.

How to start breeding sturgeon at home?

Since usually initially it is not about organizing a full-fledged sturgeon farm, one container of water is enough. The depth of such a pool is usually about 1 meter, and the diameter is from 1.5 to 2.5 meters. An entrepreneur has the opportunity to maintain such a pool on his own, and about 1 ton of sturgeon can be grown in it per year. In addition to the tank itself, you need to purchase a pump, filter and compressor. They are necessary to provide aeration and filtration in the pool. To reduce labor costs for caring for fish, you can purchase an automatic feeder. The water temperature should be maintained at + 18-20 degrees.

Inhabit pools at the rate of 1 sq.m. area per 60 kg of live fish. A feature of growing sturgeon at home is the difficulty in obtaining fry. For breeding purposes on a small scale, they are usually purchased. They feed sturgeons at the bottom of the reservoir. This satisfies the conditions of their nutrition in the natural environment. You can buy food at first, and eventually learn how to cook it yourself. It must contain the exact proportions of proteins, fats, lysine and phosphorus. The fry that are launched into the pool weigh no more than 5 grams. They grow unevenly. About 20% of the herd gain weight rapidly, due to which in the future they "win back" most of the food for themselves.

Such a small reservoir is suitable for growing sturgeon for sale as a fish delicacy. Sturgeons are grown before they reach 500-600 grams and are sold to wholesalers for sale or to restaurants.

Technology of breeding fish for caviar

Breeding sturgeon for caviar is a longer and more laborious process. In nature, the female begins to spawn only at the age of 15. In conditions created by man, this happens for 5-7 years. Pools for growing fish for caviar will need at least six. They are installed in a separate building or a heated greenhouse. Sometimes a basement is used for this purpose. Since under natural conditions the sturgeon lives at the bottom, it does not need bright lighting at all.

Experts say that to start a business you need no more than $ 4,000. Many entrepreneurs are attracted by this amount of investment. But, unfortunately, not many linger in this business. Sturgeon breeding, for the purpose of breeding caviar, scares businessmen with its long-term. If you start with the specified amount and develop the business on your own, then you can reach full payback only after 10 years. But after this time, the farmer can count on 30% of the net profit from the amount of initial costs. Another feature of the business is that black caviar produced on sturgeon farms never falls under the prohibitions of the law.

How to earn faster?

There is a practice of acquiring grown fish or adults. It allows you to reduce the payback time, but also requires large investments in the acquisition of the herd. An adult fish costs about 5 thousand rubles per kilogram, and a three-year-old young fish costs 1 thousand rubles. To form a herd that brings 1 ton of caviar, you will need to invest 100 million rubles. In addition, there is a danger of fish dying during transportation, and no one can say for sure how it will take root in new conditions.

What equipment to choose for a sturgeon farm?

One of the new technologies that helps to organize the cultivation of sturgeon in a relatively short time is the use of RAS (recirculating water supply installations). There are many types of such equipment. It differs in the design of the pools and their number, and is intended for growing fish on granulated feed. Usually the round shape of the pools is used. Before entering the pool, the water is purified in several stages. It creates a circular motion. The main principle of operation of the installation is based on the following processes:

• mechanical cleaning
• Biological treatment
• Maintaining the temperature
• Oxygen saturation
• Disinfection.

They can be interchanged or combined. A prerequisite is their placement in a heated room. Sturgeon farms using RAS are easily automated. This reduces the labor intensity of the sturgeon breeding process, but does not deprive the fish farmer of the obligation to regularly monitor the herd.

The advantages of equipment with closed water supply installations include:

• Possibility of creating intensive water exchange, oxygenation and powerful filtration. Thanks to this, a dense landing of fish is possible.
• Saving production space, as the pools are located quite compactly.
• Possibility of constant visual control.
• Automation of care and feeding processes.
• Elimination of the influence of unfavorable natural factors on sturgeon.
• Minimize the causes that contribute to the occurrence of diseases in fish.
• Significant savings in water and feed, which reduces the cost of production.

Compliance with technology and sanitary standards on the farm allows the entrepreneur to grow an environmentally friendly product and confirm this with the relevant documents.

The sturgeon breeding business is a promising area in Russia, despite the high risks and long payback period. If there is a clean reservoir and experienced fish farmers, it can be organized in open ponds. Market players claim that it is with these components that it is most difficult now, therefore they prefer to organize closed sturgeon farms.