Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Provide plenty of oxygen for your stock through a reliable aquaculture equipment supplier

Fish and other aquatic organisms need oxygenated water to thrive and stay healthy. Using a filtration system in conjunction with other aquaculture supplies, such as aeration system or a series of fountains, gives your stock an increased oxygen supply.

I recommend: Advanced Aquaculture Systems is an aquaculture equipment supplier. This company offers personalized support to help you purchase a filtration system that meets your farms specialized needs. L.S. Enterprises and the University of Florida offer detailed information, including diagrams, to help you decide on the types of filtration suitable for your aquaculture operation.

Use aquaculture technology to monitor and test water quality

A major consideration for fish farmers is ensuring that their stock lives in the best conditions possible. This is especially true if you are raising fish for human consumption. Using commercial aquaculture equipment to monitor and test the water allows you to keep tabs on the water quality in which your stock lives.

I recommend: Easy Meters has a varied selection of aquaculture equipment and supplies for testing and monitoring water quality. This company offers online downloads of user manuals and suggestion brochures for its products. Aquatic Eco-Systems sells aquaculture supplies, including ambient Ozone monitors. This company offers online chat, email and telephone customer service and technical support.

Medicate fish using approved aquaculture supplies and methods

When your stock gets ill, treating them can be difficult. The government periodically changes regulations concerning the use of medicines fish farmers can use to treat their stock. Keeping up to date on the latest aquaculture technology concerning medications and knowing the current regulations ensures that you won't lose money due to treating sick fish with an unacceptable medication. When you medicate your stock, the medicine is usually more effective if you provide ample aeration. In some cases, you will have to turn off filters or remove filter media to prevent medicine from filtering out of the water.

I recommend: Doctors Foster and Smith and Fish.com both sell medications, including medicated food, to treat and prevent aquatic illness. Doctors Foster and Smith has an online article database that includes articles on identifying and treating some common aquatic illnesses, including parasite infections. Aquaculture Knowledge Environment has articles concerning the most current trends and rules governing the use of medications in the aquaculture industry.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you purchase supplies and equipment from more multiple aquaculture suppliers, check the product specifications to ensure that the products you purchase are compatible with the system you already have in place.

Guide to Aquaculture Equipment and Supplies

Find aquaculture suppliers for your fish farming needs

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate aquaculture supplies that guarantee good water control for your fish

Use the latest in aquaculture technology to maintain good quality water for your fish. Test your pond or lake often for temperature control, and to manage the waste.

I recommend: The Myron L Company offers aquaculture technology in the form of electronic testers to make sure the water environment is ideal for fish. Industrial Test Systems, Inc. also offers a number of water testers to help make sure your fish thrive in the pond.

Buy fish farm equipment to keep the pond or lake healthy, so it keeps your fish healthy

Fish farming equipment needs to circulate and filter the water, which in turn provides the oxygen fish need to live. You can choose an aquaculture equipment supplier that provides total systems. Or, you can choose to buy fish farming equipment from several individual companies. Do whatever is best for your bottom line.

I recommend: Integrated Aqua Systems, Inc., Campbell Scientific, Inc. and Ryan Herco Products Corporation all offer a wide range of pumps and aeration devices you need to move the water in your fish farming operation.

Invest in fish farm equipment to haul your fish

Whether you bring hatchlings in to your fish farm or haul outgrown fish for sale, you need some way to move live fish. Whether you invest in a large truck with specialized tanks, or slide a small tank into the back of your pickup depends on the size of your operation.

I recommend: MFSE Inc. offers handcrafted fish tanks with many built-in safety features. Aquaneering Inc. also offers a number of fish tanks customized to your trucking needs.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The U.S. Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is actively promoting aquaculture. Thus, there is demand for aquaculture suppliers to provide products to the growing fish farming industry. You might look into becoming a fish farming equipment sales rep to supplement your income.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use filtration equipment for aquaculture to keep inhabitants healthy

Healthy pond inhabitants need plenty of oxygen and clean water to stay healthy. Using appropriate filters and aerators, you increase the chance of your stock staying healthy. If your stock gets sick, profits will decrease due to the cost of treating the illness and not being able to sell the stock.

I recommend: AZPonds.com sells individual aquaculture supplies for filtration and aeration. This company also sells complete filtration kits. You can find detailed information, including diagrams, to help you pick the best filter for your pond. They offer free shipping on many supplies. Hemphill's Garden & Aquatic Center has informative articles about pond filtration and trained customer service representatives to help you pick the best filtration system for your needs. In addition, this company sells filtration systems at wholesale prices.

Make feeding your stock easier with aquaculture feed equipment

Fish that eat quality food on a predictable schedule grow at predictable rates. This enables you to forecast growth and adjust availability for your customers accordingly. You can find numerous commercial aquaculture equipment options to make feeding easier.

I recommend: The Pond Warehouse is a family owned aquaculture supply company that has a full section on its website dedicated to tips on how to properly care for pond inhabitants. This company sells a full line of pond care products, including automatic feeders. Aquatic Eco-Systems offers a varied selection of pond feeders, including belt feeders. This company offers wholesale prices and discounted shipping options.

Use aquaculture technology to monitor and forecast pond production

Aquaculture technology allows you to keep an eye on your ponds, even when you aren't near them. Many programs also feature a forecast option that allows you get an idea of your farm's future production. Some of these programs alert you by phone, text or email when the ponds need immediate attention, such as a spike in nitrogen or a sudden temperature change.

I recommend: AquaFarm.com and Aquanate are aquaculture suppliers of software. AquaFarm.com has a full use trial version of the AquaFarm aquaculture software program available for instant download, so you can decide if the program works for you before you purchase it. This program includes an aquaculture design program. Aquanate has a monthly subscription program that includes monitoring software and fish tracking software. It customizes the software to meet your needs to ensure that you get an all-inclusive package.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When purchasing aquaculture equipment and supplies, consider purchasing livewells to isolate sick fish during treatment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Filtration system

Proper filtration ensures proper oxygenation of water and helps protect water quality. Some filtration systems culture microorganisms to perform specific filtration tasks such as removing ammonia.

I recommend: Advanced Aquaculture Systems has detailed descriptions of many types of filtration systems. At L. S. Enterprises, you can discover the advantages of biological filtration systems.

Aquatic illness

A variety of aquatic illnesses can affect fish farms and ponds. Medications are widely available, but what medicines are acceptable for commercial use is constantly changing, so make sure you don't lose money by using unacceptable treatments. Most medicines work best in a highly oxygenated environment. Always consult a veterinarian knowledgeable in aquaculture for any illness with which you are not familiar.

I recommend: Foster and Smith offer a variety of medications to treat common aquatic illnesses.

Aquaculture meters

There are many different types of aquaculture meters. Simple meters may test pH and temperature. Complex photometers and chemical analyzers take precise measurements of every aspect of water quality.

I recommend: Check out Easy Meters for more information on a wide variety of available aquaculture meters.

Fish tanks

Even if you keep fish exclusively in a pond, there will be times when you need to transport fish. You may also need a smaller tank to confine individual fish for treatment due to illness.

I recommend: The First Tank Guide provides information on setting up aquariums.

Fish feeders

Choosing the right feeding equipment is essential to fish health and growth. There are many fish feeders to suit various needs. Some have automatic timers. Belt feeders slowly dispense feed.

I recommend: Aquatic Eco-Systems offers many different types of fish feeders and equipment.

Aquaculture software

Aquaculture software can help manage large amounts of data. It can even send you alerts when your pond needs attention.

I recommend: AquaFarm is a planning and overall management software for aquaculture. Aquanate is a web-based program that provides tools that help you manage daily activities such as feeding, as well as figuring costs.