Breeding sterlet at home: recommendations for beginners

In this material:

• Description of the business idea, its relevance and advantages
• Fish farming technology
• Organizational plan Registration of activities
• Where to grow sturgeon: possible options
• What equipment will you need?
• Buying fry
• Feeding the fish
• Getting offspring
• Service staff

In modern times, any activity and production strives to quickly adapt to current market conditions due to the constantly occurring changes in them. Thus, as part of import substitution, some enterprises took advantage of the current situation and, in the course of their activities, were able to successfully master domestic fish production, which gave them the opportunity to subsequently receive a stable profit. For some entrepreneurs, growing premium fish, such as sturgeon, has become attractive. For this endeavor to be successful, you should first familiarize yourself with all its intricacies. A well-drafted business plan for sturgeon breeding will help you open your own business and regularly earn a solid income, despite the economic crisis in the country.

Description of the business idea, its relevance and advantages

More recently, imported products have decisively displaced domestically produced analogues from market shelves. In the current conditions of the global economy, there is an opportunity to organize a business from scratch, which in the future will become prosperous. To open a fish farm, it is not necessary to apply to a bank for a loan and search for industrial workshops with a large area. The idea can be implemented in a small nursery located on the territory of a private house. With proper planning and management, it can be significantly expanded over time.

Due to the fashionable trend of healthy eating, many people have given up eating meat products, especially pork, while increasingly giving preference to fish; this factor eliminates the problem associated with the sale of sturgeon. The caviar of this fish is a very valuable product, containing many vitamins and beneficial microelements; its high cost can provide a fishing enterprise with an impressive profit. Selling sturgeon caviar does not require expensive advertising, unlike other products, and finding distribution channels will not be difficult. Sturgeon meat is characterized by excellent taste and high nutritional value.

The advantages of opening a farm with similar activities include low competition, since few entrepreneurs specialize in breeding premium fish species. In addition, it should be noted that at the first stage significant investments will not be required. Despite the fact that sturgeon cannot be classified as a cheap species, its breeding is not as expensive as it might seem at first glance.

Growing sturgeon does not require special education; it will be enough to master all the intricacies using the appropriate auxiliary literature.

Fish farming technology

For breeding sturgeon, special RAS (recirculated water supply units) are used, which are tanks equipped with a filtration system. To ensure a regular supply of oxygen, equipment that promotes water circulation is connected to these containers.

The use of RAS in sturgeon farms is relevant in regions with harsh climates, since the growth of fish is affected by weather conditions. Such installations make it possible to regulate not only the oxygen level, but also the water temperature, thereby increasing the number of spawnings per year.

Installing a closed water supply allows you to keep fish with a density of up to 100 kilograms per 1 square meter. In such containers, sturgeon already at the age of one to one and a half years reaches the weight required for sale. This type of fish is capricious; therefore, ideal conditions for its life should be created in the growing tanks:

• systematically provide water with oxygen;
• conduct regular monitoring of water circulation in order to prevent the formation of stagnant areas;
• fill the pools evenly with fry, and also remove adults from them in a timely manner;
• periodically inspect the water and then clean it, removing dead fish and sediment.

The productivity of sturgeon in a recirculation system can reach up to 120 kilograms per 1 square meter; it will take about a year for this type of fish to reach a weight of 1 kg.

How to choose food?

Sterlet feeding is done at the bottom of the reservoir. This condition corresponds to how fish of this species feed in nature. Ready-made food for sturgeon is available for sale. If necessary, you can prepare it yourself.

Food for sterlet should consist of:

• protein;
• fat;
• lysine;
• phosphorus.

Sturgeon fry are characterized by uneven development. A fifth of the total grows faster than others, as a result they become stronger and take most of the food for themselves.

The following are suitable for feeding young fish of this species:

• Daphnia;
• insect larvae;
• small crustaceans;
• fry of fresh fish species.

When they grow up, you can add shells to their diet. Crustaceans are the main food of adult sterlet. You should not give your fish too much food as this may harm them. It is easier to regulate the dose when purchasing special food. The packaging indicates how much food is needed for a certain number of fish, depending on their age.

If the fish are kept in a pond outside, and there are no plans to move them in winter, then feeding stops with the onset of frost, and the pond is limed. During the hibernation period, the weight of the fish does not change. In the spring, feeding resumes.

Organizational plan

A sturgeon farm requires preliminary preparation, which includes several stages. First, the market and the level of competition are analyzed, then the implementation paths are determined and the necessary costs and future profits are calculated. After which the documents required to open the project are prepared, equipment, young animals and feed are purchased.

For the construction of tanks and recirculation systems, documentation with permission from government authorities will not be required. However, to sell fish you will need a certificate from the veterinary service (sanitary and epidemiological report).

Registration of activities

Registration of such a business is allowed in several ways: in the form of an individual entrepreneur, LLC or peasant farm (peasant farm), which is an analogue of an LLC.

Registration of individual entrepreneurship includes a number of stages:

• preparation of a package of documents;
• contacting the tax service;
• choice of tax system;
• obtaining a certificate of registration of activities.

The package of documents required for this procedure includes:

• entrepreneur's passport;
• TIN;
• application for registration of individual entrepreneurs;
• receipt for payment of state duty in the amount of 800 rubles.

In the event of further expansion of the fishery, it will be possible to register the activity in the form of an LLC; this will require the following documentation:

• application in form P11001;
• founders' passports;
• decision to create a legal entity;
• LLC charter;
• authorized capital;
• document confirming payment of the state duty (4000 rubles).

For activities related to sturgeon breeding, it is optimal to pay the unified agricultural tax, the rate of which is 6% of profit.

Sturgeon breeding corresponds to OKVED code 03.2 (Fish farming).

Where to grow sturgeon: possible options

Breeding sturgeon with subsequent sale is allowed both in open water and indoors. Both options provide for the quality of the resulting product. To create conditions for the life of fish in the pond, water is pumped out of it and the bottom is thoroughly cleaned. Then the pond is filled with clean water and plants intended for this environment, after which the pond is left alone for some time to allow the ecosystem to return to normal. The fry are released in the spring.

When feeding fish, it is important to calculate the exact amount of food: there should be enough of it, but without excess, which would clog the pond. During the growing process, it is necessary to provide the sturgeon with comfortable conditions for wintering. This can be done in two ways:

• equip a water heating system, thanks to which the reservoir will maintain an optimal temperature for the life of its inhabitants;
• equip an indoor pool to house fish during cold weather.

If it is not possible to use a reservoir for breeding sturgeon, at first it is possible to organize a fish farm in one of the premises of an apartment or house. This will require an area of ​​at least 30 square meters. In order for production in such conditions to be as efficient as possible, it is necessary to ensure the supply of water, electricity and heating to the mini-workshop. In addition, the room must have a ventilation system and sewage system. When installing an electrical network, it is advisable to provide an additional power source, such as a generator, in case there is a failure in the main power supply. Often, entrepreneurs, due to the lack of free premises for doing business, place tanks with sturgeon in greenhouses.

It is important not to allow the air temperature in the fish workshop to drop below 17 C ° in winter, and in summer it should be maintained in the range of 20–24 C °.

What equipment will you need?

Sturgeon can be kept in small pools made of plastic or any similar tanks. It is important that their diameter varies from 2.5 to 3 m, and their depth is no more than 1 m.

Containers for growing sturgeon should not be made of rubber.

At the same time, in order to provide the sturgeon with adequate living conditions, special equipment will be needed, with the help of which the processes of filtration, aeration, and also cleaning of tanks from contaminants will take place. A properly organized fishery must have:

1. Pools, of which there must be at least 6 pieces, since in the process of growing sturgeon it is necessary to periodically separate individuals depending on weight and age. Otherwise, the young animals, which have not yet grown up and are weak, will not get food.
2. Feeders. It is possible to feed fish on your own, but this option requires physical and time expenditure, since this process must be regular; in order to simplify it, it is recommended to purchase a feed dispenser that functions automatically.
3. Pumps. Growing sturgeon fish requires intensive operation of this equipment, so it must be highly powerful and reliable.
4. Aerator. Such a device is designed to saturate the water in the pool with oxygen, which is necessary for the life of fish.
5. Pipes and filtration system. Thanks to these elements, water is purified and disinfected, and uneaten food is also removed. Such procedures prevent diseases of sturgeon, which often lead to death.
6. An incubator, with the help of which fry will be able to hatch from eggs on their own, which will help the fishery become independent, eliminating the need to purchase young animals from other fish farms.

As auxiliary devices, it is recommended to purchase nets for removing fish from the water, buckets and containers, as well as thermometers, scales, and protective clothing. Due to the fact that sturgeon tend to live at the very bottom of tanks or reservoirs, the installation of auxiliary lighting will not be necessary.

Buying fry

At the very beginning of fish farming, fry are purchased from other producers. In large companies they can be purchased at wholesale prices, which will not be accompanied by significant costs.

It is not recommended to stop at the first offer; you should conduct thorough monitoring of the market and choose an option with a good gene pool. Otherwise, the fry may often get sick, which will slow down their development process. Typically, sturgeon is grown from fry weighing 5 grams; when they reach 600–750 grams, the young animals will be ready for sale.

Over time, you can purchase incubators for the farm and raise the fry yourself.

This method will allow you not only to save on their purchase, but also to make money on sales by selling fry to newly opened farms.

Feeding the fish

The process of eating food occurs at the bottom of the tank, just as in the natural habitat. In this regard, it is recommended to purchase automatic feeders, which save time on feeding and constantly provide the fish with food. For good growth and development of sturgeon, it is necessary to provide it with adequate nutrition, the norm of which depends on the age of the individual. The modern market offers a wide range of feeds, and you can also prepare them yourself. However, they must meet the following requirements:

• ability to go to the bottom (sink);
• having a strong odor to attract the attention of fish;
• maximum insolubility in water;
• swelling under the influence of moisture.

A balanced diet involves eating fish such elements and substances as:

• cellulose;
• phosphorus;
• protein;
• lysine;
• fat.

Getting offspring

Under natural conditions, sturgeon begins to reproduce at the age of 10–12 years, and the reproductive age ends at 16–18 years. In order not to wait so long, you can purchase several females capable of breeding. This will speed up the process, but will cost a decent amount. Therefore, in order to save money in captivity, a suitable environment is created for the fish and after 5.5–7 years they begin to bear offspring, for this it is advisable to expand the reservoir.

In incubators, artificially fertilized eggs are placed in special containers, where they can be continuously saturated with oxygen. After a week, the eggs become larvae, and after a month, they become fry.

Having mastered the technology of growing fry, you can subsequently make a solid profit from their sales to other producers.

Service staff

At first, the fish farm will only be able to get by with general workers, the number of whom will depend on the volume of production. In the future, the company will be able to expand, in which case it will need a laboratory assistant, technologist and sales representative.

How much money can you make from sterlet?

To get an approximate amount of earnings, in each specific case, you need to know exactly what volumes of production the equipment prepared for the process of growing sterlet is designed for. We will calculate based on the market value of a kilogram of fresh sterlet, which averages 780-960 rubles. Taking into account all the costs of purchasing equipment, fry, feed and other things, the cost of a kilogram of farmed fish, as calculated by experienced fish farmers, is about 540 rubles. It turns out that by growing 1 kilogram of sterlet, you can earn 420 rubles. Let’s say that an entrepreneur managed to raise 500 kilograms of fish at home in a small aquarium. Having realized it, based on net earnings from one kilogram of fish, he can earn 210,000 thousand rubles. This is the case if the fish was sold at retail price. If the sale was carried out at wholesale prices, the amount of earnings will be a little more modest. But in general, the profitability of the business shows a good figure - 50%, which allows us to confidently say that all costs of its organization will be covered within a year.

Search for fish sales channels, effective advertising

Despite the possibility of certain risks, the sturgeon breeding business in the Russian Federation is quite promising and brings in a solid income. Catching this fish in natural reservoirs is prohibited by law, so trade in sturgeon is allowed only from specialized farms and enterprises, which has a beneficial effect on demand. In addition to selling the meat of this fish, entrepreneurs can sell trimmings from carcasses as a soup set, caviar and self-bred fry. The sales channels for the sturgeon farm are:

• fairs and food markets;
• wholesale enterprises;
• grocery stores, supermarkets, fishmongers;
• catering establishments (for restaurants, the preferred weight of sturgeon is 500–600g).

Advertising the farm can be done by creating an Internet site on which photographs of the products and a price list will be posted. Printed publications are also used for this purpose.

Financial calculations

The amount of annual income from sturgeon farming is of interest to every novice entrepreneur. To calculate your expected profit, you need to take into account all the details of upcoming expenses. Calculations are carried out in accordance with the prices of a certain region, so they will differ for different farms.

How much will you have to invest in growing sturgeon fish?

At the first stage of opening the project, investments will be required for the purchase of equipment, their total amount will be 1,400,000 rubles. In addition, to purchase fry you will need 100,000 rubles, at the rate of 10 rubles for 1 fry weighing 1 gram, and you must take into account mortality, which usually reaches 60%. As a result, the cost will be from 1,500,000 rubles.

Current expenses

In addition to investments at the start of the project, the entrepreneur will have to bear the costs of maintaining the sturgeon, which are calculated in rubles for a period of one year.

• payment for 40,000 kW of electricity spent to grow 5 tons of sturgeon - 250,000;
• wages for 2 general workers - 288,000;
• purchase of feed – 200,000;
• rental of premises (if it is not owned) – 300,000;
• taxes - 90,000.

Total: 1,128,000 rubles.

Income from sales of finished products and profit

Sturgeon is an expensive type of fish; its price for 1 kilogram starts from 600 rubles. The cost of 1 kilogram will be approximately 300 rubles. The profit for the same amount of fish sold will be from 300 rubles. The fishery, characterized by a productivity of up to 5 tons of sturgeon per year, has over this period a revenue of 3,000,000 rubles, of which profit amounts to 1,500,000 rubles.

Business profitability

The profitability of this activity will be 30–35%, and if the farm independently grows and sells fry, then this figure can approach 55%, which will recoup the initial investment within 3 years.

Sturgeon breeding in RAS

Not everyone knows the meaning of this abbreviation. This means it is a “closed water supply installation.” The unit for growing sturgeon can be located anywhere, regardless of the region and its established climate. Favorable conditions are artificially created inside it. But what are the conditions for growing sturgeon in a confined space, and what is required for this?

Room

It was mentioned earlier that you can start a business even if you have acceptable living space in an apartment building. A minimum is always better than nothing at all. But on a larger scale, a room of about 100 m² will be required. On such an area, the estimated productivity could be up to five tons of fish per year.

Communications

Among them: electricity, heating, water supply, sewerage. It follows from this that when renting premises for a fishery, it must be selected taking into account these criteria. Otherwise, obtaining permits from the relevant authorities to install electricity, water, and sewerage equipment will be very expensive for the tenant.

Official registration of the enterprise

What organizational and legal form of ownership the enterprise will be is up to you, as the future leader, to decide. Some are limited to individual entrepreneurship, and for some, a limited liability company is an acceptable form. But it is necessary to register the activity, as well as pay taxes for it to the state. Documents not completed on time can lead to a number of obstacles. For example, in relation to further sales of products. If you are already interested in how to open a fish store from scratch, or are considering smoking fish as a business, register in advance as a tax payer with the fiscal service.