How to Farm Gourami Fish Using a Tarp Pond

How to Farm Gourami Fish Using a Tarp Pond? Gourami fish farming offers a highly promising agribusiness opportunity. With the growing culinary industry, demand for gourami continues to rise. It would be a missed opportunity not to tap into this market.

Many people are interested in the gourami fish business but often face technical challenges. One common issue is the need for a large pond with a minimum depth of 80 cm. Additionally, the water must flow throughout the year, making this type of farming more difficult than other fish farming methods. This is especially true for those with limited land and minimal equipment.

But is it possible to farm gourami fish without meeting these requirements? Absolutely! You just need to prepare a pond made from a tarp, and there’s no need for year-round flowing water. The tarp pond method was first implemented by Soimun from Purbalingga. He has practiced this technique for over three years and now owns 12 tarp ponds, each measuring 8×6 meters. His hatch rate is impressive, reaching 98%.

What Are the Advantages of Farming Gourami Fish with a Tarp?

Using this technique offers many benefits. Apart from saving land, here are some other advantages:

1. Flexibility in Location: You can build tarp ponds anywhere, without the complexity of conventional ponds.
2. Easy Maintenance: Tarp ponds are much easier to clean and can be moved if needed.
3. Quality Control: Managing fish quality and controlling water circulation becomes simpler.
4. Lower Mortality Rate: Gourami fish raised in tarp ponds have a lower mortality rate.
5. Faster Growth: Fish grow more quickly because they are easier to monitor.
6. Disease Management: It’s easier to handle disease outbreaks in gourami fish.
7. Better-Tasting Fish: Gourami fish harvested from tarp ponds don’t have the muddy taste often found in fish from traditional ponds.
8. Cost-Effective: Building a tarp pond is much cheaper.

Where Do You Get Water If Not Using a Flowing Supply?

Soimun relies on rainwater and groundwater for his tarp ponds. This method has proven to save up to 70% of the water typically required for traditional ponds. Moreover, gourami farming using tarp ponds isn’t affected by seasonal changes; fish can thrive even in extreme weather conditions.

How to Breed Gourami Fish Using a Tarp Pond

Breeding gourami fish in tarp ponds follows the same principles as conventional methods. The male-to-female ratio should be 1:3. For instance, if you have six male fish, you need eighteen females. You will need a tarp pond measuring 2×4 meters for breeding, and you should have six such ponds, totaling 48 square meters of space.

Additionally, you should prepare a separate tarp pond for larvae. With the number of fish being bred, you will need at least six more ponds, each 23 square meters. These ponds can accommodate around 2,500 larvae until they grow to the size of a gourd seed. Separating the larvae allows you to maximize your efforts by selling the fish fry. There is a high demand for gourami fry, so it would be a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity. You can start making a profit even before the fish are fully grown.

That’s a brief guide on how to farm gourami fish using a tarp pond. I hope you find it helpful!