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Ornamental Fish Farming - Successful Small Scale Aqua business in India

Article · January 2003

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 Ornamental Fish Farming – Successful
Small Scale Aqua business in India
Abalika Ghosh1, B. K. Mahapatra2 and N.C. Datta3
1: Department of Industrial Fish and Fisheries, A.P.C. College, New Barrackpore, West Bengal
2: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam (Barapani), Meghalaya 793103
3: Fishery and Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata- 700019,

Ornamental fish keeping is becoming go from Kolkata followed by 8% from

popular as an easy and stress relieving Mumbai and 2% from Chennai. In the
hobby. About 7.2 million houses in the state of West Bengal there are more
USA and 3.2 million in the European than 2000 people involved in this trade
Union have an aquarium and the including ornamental fish breeders,
number is increasing day by day growers, seed and live food collectors,
through out the world. Ornamental fish traders and exporters (Fig. 1). About
farming is also growing to meet this 150 families are involved in ornamental
demand. The fact is that USA, Europe fish farming to maintain their
and Japan are the largest markets for livelihood. More than 500 families use
ornamental fish but more than 65% of it as an additional income generating No aerator and thermostat is used for
the exports come from Asia. It is business. outdoor rearing of common ornamental
encouraging news for developing fish
countries that more than 60% of the Small-scale farmers
total world trade goes to their
economies. Although India is still in a The distribution of the population, size
marginal position its trade is of the family, education and job status
developing rapidly. An estimate carried of 110 families of Howrah and South 24
out by Marine Products Export Parganas are given in table 1. Most of
Development Authority of India shows these families run small home units to
that there are one million fish earn additional monthly income of Rs.
hobbyists in India. The internal trade is 2500- 5000 (US$ 50-100). Generally the
estimated to be about U.S.$ 3.26 million men have other professions and they
and the export trade is in the vicinity of Small-scale farmers use round portable only look after the seed collection and
U.S.$ 0.38 million. The annual growth earthen pots for rearing of juveniles marketing. The women and children do
rate of this trade is 14%. the everyday care like water exchange,
A rich diversity of species and Some low-income suburban fisher feeding.
favorable climate, cheap labor and easy folk have successfully established
distribution make India, and West ornamental fish farming as a small-scale Fish Species
Bengal in particular, suitable for business. The general management
ornamental fish culture. With Kolkata practices followed by the small-scale Two categories of ornamental fish are
as a distribution and export center the ornamental fish farming of West Bengal being marketed - exotic ornamental fish
adjoining districts have become the are discussed. and native fish of India, which have
major ornamental fish-producing zones ornamental value for coloration or
of India. About 90% of Indian exports Main producing districts behavior. Exotic fish dominate the
domestic market. Already 288 exotic
Most of the ornamental fish farms are varieties have been recorded in Indian
located in North and South 24 market. More than 200 species of these
Parganas, Nadia, Hoogly, Howrah freshwater fish are bred in different
districts around Kolkata so it is easy parts of India and others still have to
for the farmers to market their fish. The be imported as fry1.
largest wholesale ornamental fish According to availability, demand,
market in India is located here. Most of and climatic conditions the ornamental
the fish are distributed to different fish farmers of West Bengal are mainly
states of India via train, bus or air. engaged in breeding and rearing of
Some are sent abroad also. common exotic live bearers and egg
Series of cement cisterns are made in the layers2. The egg layers lay sticky or
backyard for ornamental fish farming. non-sticky eggs on the glass wall or

14 aquaculture Asia
Table 1: Family size, education and job status of 110 families Culture water
Population No. Education up to secondary Have other job In the municipal areas the farmers use
Men 150 60% 120 normal tap for farming. Before use it is
Women 180 40% 25 aerated for few days for de-
Boys 85 70% School education chlorination. Tube well water is also
Girls 60 60% School education used directly in the rural areas. The
average temperature of the rearing
Culture tank water in the area is 15- 28C and the pH
is slightly alkaline. Other parameters
Cement cisterns, all glass aquaria, are not so crucial. Most of the species
earthen ponds, even earthen pots are cultured prefer soft to medium hard
being used as culture tanks. The urban water.
and suburban landless farmers
generally use cement cistern in the Food and feeding
backyard or on the roof. Two or three
cement cistern are sufficient for a small Food, especially the first food of larvae
rearing unit (around 3m x 2m x 1m). The is vital for achieving good survival
Artificial breeding mops made up of nylon cisterns are built above ground level rates. The small-scale farmers cannot
thread is used to collect the sticky eggs for easy drainage. Indoors, all-glass afford different readymade pellet feed
from cisterns aquaria are preferred for breeding or brine shrimp larvae. However, they
purposes as heaters and aerators can have successfully substituted low cost
aquarium plants. Some parents show be used. Farmers with small earthen alternative live feeds. Green water,
parental care and some destroy their tanks can use them for rearing water fleas, Tubifex or sludge worm,
eggs so different breeding setups are juveniles with the food fish. Marginal mosquito larvae and chopped
needed. Live bearers release young in farmers even use large earthen pots of earthworm are used. Different
batches and are easy to breed. 1.5m diameter for rearing the larvae and homemade feed like whole-wheat bread,
Among the preferred fish, there are juveniles. vegetable peelings and rice are also
common exotic live bearers like guppy, fed. However, most farms depend on
Poecilia reticulata; molly, Poecilia Daphnia, tubificid worms and
latipinna; swordtail, Xiphophorus mosquito larvae. The farmers collect
helleri; platy, Xiphophorus maculatus Daphnia from the near by ponds by
and egg layers like gold fish, sieving through fine mesh in the early
Carrassius auratus; koi, Cyprinus morning. Tubicid warms and mosquito
carpio; tiger barb, Puntius tetrazona, larvae are generally collected from the
Siamese fighter, Betta splendens; sewage water channels. In fact there
serpae tetra, Hyphessobrycon serpae are quite a few people whose
and on-growing of some imported fish profession is to collect these live foods
like silver shark, Balatocheilus and sell them to the farmers.
melanopterus; angel, Pterophyllum Generally the farmers dispense the
scalare, red – tailed black shark, Labeo Aquaria are used for bath treatment of fish feed once daily, preferably in morning.
bicolor; red finned shark, Labeo with medicines The rate of feeding depends on
erythurus. Sometimes they are species, size and season. Overfeeding
collecting the fry of native ornamental Generally the area of the tank is more harmful than under feeding as
fish and selling them after rearing and depends on the type and size of the the excess feed destroy the water
domesticating them. The native candidate species. In the case of fresh quality.
ornamental fish include honey gourami, water tropical species, generally the
Colisa chuna; rosy barb, Puntius farmers consider that for each 1cm of
conchonius; zebra fish, Brachydanio fish length, 20cm2 of surface area is
rerio; glass fish, Chanda nama; sufficient.
Reticulate loach, Botia lohachata.
Presently only about 52 native fish
species from West Bengal have been Table 2: Easily available chemicals and medicines for health management
earmarked as aquarium fish3.
Farmers use their facilities to breed a Chemicals/ Medicines and dose Method of use Purpose
range of species shifting with the Common salt @ 15-30 gm/lt. Bath treatment for As disinfectant
season. 30 min
Methyline blue @ 2.5 gm/lt. Added in aquarium For water
water purification
Copper sulfate or Potassium Bath treatment for 1 As disinfectant
permanganate @ 0.5-1 gm/l min

July-September 2003 (Vol. VIII No. 3) 15

 Health management the carrying capacity, candidate dwelling. As less manpower is needed,
species and infrastructure. The the women or the elders can run small
In ornamental fish farming, proper marginal farmers who breed or rear the home units. With slightly more
water quality maintenance is the fish have to sell them earlier due to the sophisticated equipment such as
primary preventive measures as they lack of proper equipment and get less heaters, aerators and power filters, and
are very sensitive to temperature and profit. On the other hand better-off practices such as selective breeding,
pH. The common health hazards of the farmers rear the fish to an optimum size stock manipulation and proper feeding,
ornamental fish are white spot, mouth and get more profit. large units can be maintained in urban
fungus, tail and fin rot. The farmers use The average cost and return of a areas also.
some easily available and economic minimal breeding and rearing unit of
chemicals and medicines as preventive live bearers is in Table 3. References
measures. These are in Table 2.
Outlook 1. Mahapatra, B.K., Dutta, A., Basu, A., Dey, U.K., and
Marketing Sengupta, K.K., 1999. Observation on the spawning
and rearing of Angel fish, Pterophyllum
Ornamental fish farming can be a scalare(Lichenstein). In: M. Sinha, Dhirendra Kumar
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal is promising alternative for many people. and P. K. Kathia (eds.), Eco- friendly Management of
Resources for Doubling Fish Production Strategies
the main distribution centre. From here It requires little space and less initial for 21st century. Proceedings of the National Seminar,
the fish are sent to different states of investment than most other forms of December 22 and 23, 1999, Inland Fish. Soc. of India,
Barrackpore; 102-106.
India by air or road. A fair amount is aquaculture. At the first stage of 2. Mahapatra, B.K., Ghosh, A. and Datta, N.C. 2000.
also exported. Two parallel marketing starting of an ornamental fish farm, Breeding and rearing of ornamental fishes, Guppy,
Poecilia reticulata, Peter and Gold fish, Carassius
procedures exist for exotic and native very sophisticated or complicated auratus (Linnaeus) for prospective entrepreneurship
fish. In the case of exotic species, more equipment is not necessary. Only a development. Green Technology. Vol.3. PP 26-33.
than 99% is consumed by the domestic clear understanding of habits and 3. Ghosh, A., Mahapatra, B.K. and Datta, N.C.2000.
Ornamental fish farming- an additional income
market and a few species like gold fish biology of the fishes basic needs is generating programme for women folk with a note on
and angelfish are exported. On the required so it can be practiced even in its constraints and prospects, the Fifth Indian
Fisheries Forum, Asian Fisheries Society, January
other hand, 90% native ornamental urban areas with little alteration of 17-20, 2000. Central Institute of Freshwater
species are collected and reared to backyard or even the roof of a Aquaculture (ICAR), Bhubaneswer.
meet export demand. The amount of
marine ornamental fish trade is Table 3: Average cost and return of a breeding and rearing unit of live bearers
negligible in this area.
The marketing process is generally Capital cost (Rs.)
being done through the following 2 glass aquarium (2.5 x 2 x 1) m each with @1400.00 2,800.00
channels: lids and fittings
• Firstly, the producers directly sell 3 cement cistern (5 x 3 x 2) m @1200.00 3,600.00
the ornamental fish directly to the 3 aerator @200.00 600.00
wholesalers, but the amount is very Other equipments like hand net, buckets, 1000.00
negligible pipes
• Secondly, there are some big middle 8000.00
tired men who buy large volumes of Culture cost (Rs.)
fish at very low prices from the 200 hundreds female @1.00 200.00
producers, rearing the fish for 2-3 50 male @3.00 150.00
months before selling at the Feed for one year 3,600.00
wholesale markets again for Others 1,000.00
increased profit. 4,950.00
• Lastly from the wholesale markets, Total cost (Rs.) 12950.00
retailers and others purchase the Production
ornamental fish. Monthly production of 5,000young
For export, the Marine Products Export Yearly production of 60,000 young
40% male = 24,000 60% female = 36,000
Development Authority has 20
Sale
registered exporters. They either have
24,000 male @1.25 30,000.00
their own farm or collect the fish from
36,000 female @0.30 10,800.00
different areas for export. The USA,
Total sale 40,800.00
Japan and Singapore are the main
Annual profit = (40,800.00 - 12,950.00) = 27,850.00
markets.
Monthly profit = Rs. 2,320.83
Economics

An ornamental fish production unit

may be of three types – a breeding
unit, rearing unit or combined breeding
and rearing unit. The profit depends on

16 aquaculture Asia

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