Sturgeon farming at home as a business: expert advice

Sturgeon breeding in at home It's a fairly profitable business, as many people crave black caviar and are willing to pay a premium for a quality product. But to make a good living from sturgeon farming, you need to create a truly high-quality product, and to do that, you need to properly care for the fish. Let's take a closer look at the nuances of this business.

Advantages and features of sturgeon breeding

Sturgeon farming is in high demand among entrepreneurs because it's relatively easy to start from scratch with the necessary capital. The return on investment is also quite high, and the risk of going into the red is minimal.

So, here are the main advantages of sturgeon farming as a business:

1. Since sturgeon caviar and meat are expensive and in high demand, your business will be guaranteed to break even. However, you'll have to invest heavily upfront—sturgeon farming equipment costs upwards of 200,000 rubles.
2. Sturgeon are fairly easy to care for, as they are undemanding in terms of habitat and tolerate temperature fluctuations well. The key is to follow the basic rules, which we'll cover a bit later.
3. There shouldn't be any problems with food either. You can buy ready-made food in specialized stores that contains all the necessary nutrients for sturgeon.

Feed for sturgeon breeding

Preparing sturgeon food yourself is quite difficult, as it must contain all the nutrients beneficial for these fish, namely:

• protein;
• fiber;
• phosphorus;
• crude fat;
• other useful microelements.

It's much more cost-effective to buy a ready-made mixture. There are many different mixtures on the market from domestic and international manufacturers, so you can easily choose the one that suits your budget and quality.

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It's important to feed your fish regularly. Fry should be fed six times a day, and adults four times a day. It's best to space feedings evenly. It's a good idea to give the food a pleasant, lasting scent, as this attracts sturgeon.

Sturgeon breeding in a private home

Breeding Keeping sturgeon at home will be even easier if you have a private home. You can build a pond on your property, create a suitable habitat, and avoid spending extra money on specialized equipment.

So, first, you'll need to create an artificial pond. It's best to hire a professional for this. Before adding the fry, the pond needs to be cleaned and limed: sprinkle a layer of lime on the bottom of the pond, dilute it with plenty of water, and then rinse.

You can't release fry into the "naked"​"A pond containing only water. It's essential to create a habitat suitable for sturgeon by adding algae, various fertilizers, reeds, worms, and mollusks. If flies or other insects are introduced before the fry are introduced, there's no need to remove them.

Once the pond is ready, the fry can be transferred there. This is best done in the summer, preferably at night. Once the fry have grown, they should be transferred to a spawning pond, also created artificially. When purchasing sturgeon for breeding, always pay attention to their condition, as if one fish is infected, it can infect the others.

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Sturgeon and sterlet are very heat-loving fish, so if you plan to breed sturgeon in a pond, you must ensure the water is heated during the colder months. If heating is not possible for some reason, you can move the sturgeon to a pool for the winter.

Equipment for sturgeon farming

So, suitable conditions for raising sturgeon for commercial sale can be created in either an apartment or a private home. We've already discussed how to create suitable conditions for stocking fry in a private home; now let's discuss the apartment option in more detail.

More specifically, about the equipment you'll need to breed sturgeon at home:

1. A space of at least 30 square meters must be provided. This space must have electricity, running water, and sewerage, and preferably independent generators.
2. Tanks for sturgeon. These can be built by hand or ordered from specialized companies.
3. Automatic feeders. This isn't a must-have item, as fish can be fed manually, but as your business grows, these feeders can save a lot of time.
4. Pumps. They are absolutely necessary for pumping water.
5. Oxygen generators will supply oxygen to your fish. There are several types of oxygen generators. You can determine which one is right for you by reading the specifications.
6. Filters. The water in which sterlet and sturgeon live must be clean, so filters are essential. Failure to install filters will result in a buildup of debris and, consequently, bacteria, which can lead to a surge in various infections.
7. Incubators that are used for the maturation of eggs.
8. Pipes for creating a closed water supply system.

These are the largest and most important purchases you'll need to spend money on. You'll also need to buy additional fish containers, scales, buckets, and so on, but these items won't be as expensive.

Conditions for planting and growing fry

Once all the equipment is purchased and ready for use, you can begin raising the fry. First, of course, you'll need to purchase them. There are specialized fish farms. You'll need to purchase a batch of fry from one of these locations. Approach this task with great care, as the health of the fry you introduce into your pool or pond will determine the final product you'll receive, and therefore your income.

The fry can be placed in a prepared container immediately after purchase. Both fry and adult sturgeon require little care, which is a big plus for beginners. Here are a few key requirements:

• the pool or pond should always have the right temperature;
• It is important to feed the fry on time;
• fry and grown individuals should be kept in different pools;
• Always keep the water clean.

Fish care

Continuing the theme of sturgeon care in at home for beginners, it's worth once again focusing on water temperature. In cold seasons, the water temperature should be 17-18 degrees Celsius, while in summer, the temperature can fluctuate between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. If the water is cold, it will inevitably affect the sturgeon's health.

A filter and sterilizers will help control the water's condition, so your intervention is unnecessary. Feeding is also simple. Again, fry need to be fed six times a day, while adults need four. Food comes in different sizes, and this is also worth considering: fry prefer smaller pieces, while adults will prefer larger pieces.

Possible problems and their solutions

No matter how ideal a fish fry farming business may seem, there are drawbacks. The main problem you might encounter right at the start is fry death. Frequently, fry die not because of poor conditions or external factors, but simply because it's a natural process. Statistics show that about 10% of fry die each year, and there's nothing you can do about it. Another common problem is power outages. To avoid this, it's worth installing a standalone generator.

The next problem is equipment failure. This is a fairly common problem in all industries, so it's difficult to prevent.

Sturgeon farming business

Sturgeon farming as a business is a very profitable idea. Although you'll need to invest 200,000 rubles initially in equipment, the business will soon begin to pay for itself. You'll also need to constantly spend money on feed and electricity, which amounts to about 150,000 rubles for the entire fish farming cycle.

At the beginning of the cycle, you will also need to buy fry, which will cost approximately another 20 thousand. In total, your starting capital will be 370 thousand, but after just one full fish farming cycle, you will be able to cover your expenses and make your first profit.

The most profitable way to sell sturgeon is wholesale, for example to restaurants. This guarantees a stable profit and allows you to sell the product at a favorable price. Sturgeon prices are quite high, so you'll earn approximately 500 rubles in profit per kilogram of fish. Sturgeon farming can generate approximately 400,000 rubles in net profit per year.

To learn more about this topic, we recommend that you watch the video below.