Group’s gamble with ornamental fish pays off

Deep in Bahati Sub County in Nakuru, we meet a group of women busy cleaning their fish ponds.

The group, Kianyumeki Irrigation and Fisheries have become masters of aquaculture, within little time.

“We started this thing as a hobby but now we are serious and making money from it. We have learnt valuable lessons from it and we are always willing to share with new comers,” says Anastancia Njoki Kamoche the chairperson of the group.

.

Keep Reading

• Central fish boom as processing plants remain idle
• 'How soldier flies have boosted my fish output'
• Fish farmers boost production with aquaculture
• Kirinyaga farmers turn to ornamental fish farming

The group of 15, focus on rearing ornamental fish.Why?

Because it has a ready market and fetches good money compared to tilapia, says Madam Kamoche. The high market demand courtesy of a booming hotel industry attracted the group into the venture. To meet the demand, most of the ornamental fish in Nakuru is imported from the West according to the group chair.

“There is a growing domestic demand for ornamental fish which we learnt about during training by fisheries officers and that local entrepreneurs seems not to have taken up the idea,” says Kamoche. They have secured orders in hotels and supermarkets in Nakuru and its environs. Prices of ornamental fish are determined by its inches, the longer the fish, the higher the prices. An inch is sold at Sh60. The group sells a piece between Sh600 and Sh1, 000.

How they started

Kamoche says the group came together in 2013 to rear tilapia fish but after undertaking a training, they settled on ornamental fish farming.

“Look at our ‘maridadi’ fish, they beautify the pond and are also commercially viable,” says Kamoche.

To start off, they bought happa nets measuring 2 by 5 metres with a capacity of 200 fish.

Afterwards, they set the happa net in a conducive place. An ideal ground is one that has adequate supply of water, preferably located in an environment that is neither too hot nor too cold (23 degrees to 28 degrees temperature is recommended).  The group further bought broodstock (male and female fish for breeding) from a certified breeder in Nakuru, and placed it in a pond.

Growing demand

They were fed on fish pellets for six months, they spawned on stretchers placed in the pond. Stretchers are important for holding of eggs after spawning (laying of eggs).

“We bought a male and female fish from a certified fingerling supplier in Nakuru, placed it in a pond where the female laid eggs and were fertilised then later hatched into fish,” says.

Their first harvest earned them at Sh80,000,and with time profits keep getting better as the market grows.

“We started keeping Ornamental fish as a trial and error project but it earned us good money,” says the chairperson.

So what do you need to start an ornamental fish project?

One, is availability of adequate clean fresh water and locality should be away from predators. Because of their beauty, the fish attract numerous predators.

“These fish cannot be kept in same fish pond with others like tilapia because they feed on them,” says Veronica Theuri, a group member.

The fish also do better in environment with at least 23 to 28 degree celcius.

For quality fish, farmers are advised to contact established producers like National Aquaculture Research Development Training Centre in Sagana. 

After hatching, ornamental fish are fed on fish pellets, which are grinded into smaller particles for better digestion.

“We measure feeding of ornamental fish with size of the mouth. The smaller the size, the smaller particles of the pellets,” she explains.

Cleaning of the happa net is done regularly. Water should be changed once in a month to avoid breeding of diseases.

“Contamination of water is common, because they feed and excrete inside the water,” says Theuri.

Why ornamental

The beauty of this fish is that they require less labour and is cheap to maintain. In addition, there is ready market for ornamental fish.

The fish are ready for sale after every two months cycle as compared to tilapia that takes between six and eight months to mature. She explains that there is its high demand in supermarkets, hotels, churches, offices and individual homes, a market they are yet to satisfy. In future, the group plans to start making their own aquarium boxes for sale.

“ It is good business. An aquarium box measuring 1 by ½ square feet is sold at Sh10, 000,” she explains

.

Trending Now

• How to handle chicken before slaughter
• Chilli Value addition ideas to venture
• New cane price leaves sour taste in farmers' mouths
• Why farmers are ditching maize for fodder crops
• Effective parasite control in your herd

.

Similar Articles

How to handle chicken before slaughter

Birds should be caught at night or lights should be dimmed to keep the birds calm during the catching process.

Livestock

By Dr Othieno Joseph

1 hour ago