There has always been controversy over fish farming, but there is no doubt that farming fish is more popular than ever. Some hobby farmers are even making the switch from land to the pond. It’s easy to see why—there is a growing demand for seafood, and recent research has shown the world demand for seafood may double by 2050.
Fish farming can be set up in small spaces. So it’s no problem if you only have an acre or you don’t have a pond in your pasture.
Some farmers use tanks or barrels to grow fish, and the filtered waste is useful for fertilizing other crops. There is a lot of variety in fish farming too, with small and large-scale fish farms raising everything from shrimp to crawfish to salmon.
These are just a few reasons why fish farms are popping up all over the USA, and the introduction of smart fish farming devices is making it a lot easier for those who choose to jump in. Intelligent fish farming takes care of feeding, gives you a clear view of what’s happening in your pond and helps keep your water clean. Some devices even use lasers to pick parasites right off your fish.
From hatch to harvest, intelligent fish farming means any hobby farm could have fish ready for sale within six months. Here’s a look at a few smart fish-farming devices that can help your fish flourish.
Underwater Drones Take You into the Pond
We live on land, fish live underwater—so one of the challenges of fish farming is being able to see how your fish are doing while living under the surface. Underwater drones take you straight into the pond or tank so you can see the current living conditions, monitor for fish death, see whether your fish are eating properly, and even check oxygen levels.
They can also monitor for pH and pollutants so you can clean your pond or treat your fish before issues appear.
Digital Feeding Is Tailored to Your Fish
If you’ve ever owned a fish tank you may have used a vacation feeder or automatic feeder when you’re away for a few days. Digital feeding is based on the same idea, but digital feeders use machine learning to tailor your feeding schedule specifically to your fish.
Some types of digital feeding apps monitor your fish in the pond and transmit data like speed, growth and current population. This software can learn and adapt so you’ll be confident knowing it feeds your fish exactly the way they need to be fed for optimal health and growth.
AI Comes to Your Pond
Digital feeding apps use artificial intelligence to feed your fish, but AI can also be used in a few other ways. You can watch videos of your fish in real-time so you can check for health or disease. You see the cleanliness of your pond and whether anything is happening under the surface that would be unsafe for your fish.
On a small-scale fish farm, you may not need an AI-powered camera equipped with lasers, but a camera like this can be incredibly useful if you have a parasite outbreak. These cameras use lasers to pick lice off of fish without hurting the fish or damaging your pond.
Read more: Are aquaculture and fish farming right for your property?
Intelligent Fish Farm Software Keeps Your Data Together
If you own a smart farm, you will track your farm’s data over time so you know what works, what doesn’t and how profitable you have been from year to year. A smart fish farm is no different.
There are quite a few different types of fish farming software to track fish health and farm growth. Your smart devices can be synced to the software, and data can be uploaded automatically. To see how your fish are feeding, how they are growing or if there is a growing issue with contaminants or disease, all you have to do is pull out your phone or computer and check your stats in real-time.
Is It Time to Dive into Smart Fish Farming?
Smart fish farming is a type of farming that’s going to see a lot of growth over the next 10 years. If you’ve been thinking about making the switch from farming land to growing fish, these smart devices can help you get set up and make it a lot easier to dive into the world of fish farming.
