A pond for fish....for me to eat!

We're getting into the smallholder's dream, and are thinking about building a pond to stock fish for us to eat (apparently, as they're coldblooded and in a weightless environment, they are easier to maintain than warmblooded, gravity-fighting livestock, and need less food, etc).

A very clever chap suggests just digging two large trenches, and filling one with water and fish each year. This means no filters, technology or the like. I think the trench would have to be pretty big though.

Has anyone ever heard of this, or tried it?

Cheers v much,
Alexei

 

Hi Alexei
Isn`t a trench pretty much just a long narrow pond?

I think your friend may be thinking of "raceways" used for catfish etc.
With these the trench forms a "down and back" circuit. Water is lifted at one end (usually by a huge airlift) up onto a long sloping ramp.
As the water cascades down the ramp section (like a long wedge shaped serrated staircase)it picks up lots of oxygen and enough momentum to carry it back around the circuit to the airlift.
The serrated surface of the slope acts as a biological filter but they still need to get rid of the solids.

I haven`t seen any raceways in the uk ..maybe you`ll be the first

 

thanks Hex....I'll look into that

all the best,
Alexei