Care Of Carp Ponds

The care of carp ponds resembles in many respects common agricultural practice used in the management of arable fields and pastures. Such ponds are from time to time left dry and fallow in summer or in winter. In summer the pond bed is ploughed up, fertilized and used for the cultivation of various specialized plants, such as clover and lucerne. These areas are then often flooded in the autumn and the plants in decaying enrich the water.

Throughout the carp breeders' aim is to achieve the highest possible fish production. Thus by appropriate fertilization they increase the amount of small water organisms, which then become the carp food. From time to time the ponds are cultivated with the assistance of heavy machinery, which breaks up the hard, overgrown edges and increases the productive area of the pond. In summer also the fishermen cut down rushes and other offshore vegetation by using special purpose-built boats.

In winter a range of machinery is installed in the ponds to prevent the formation of ice and to guarantee a continuous supply of oxygen in the water. During the autumn fish harvest, the pond managers first of all let the water out and at the same time prevent the fish from escaping by constructing a compact fencing near the water outlet. Then the carp, which have become concentrated in the deepest part of the pond, are caught in nets. The fish are then sorted, placed in wooden tanks and transported by lorries to storage tanks.

Carp cousin: Goldfish