Aquaculture BAG211

Online Study Course - Enroll in Freshwater Aquaculture for home study by e-learning
The most basic need for fish farming is land that can be used for ponds. This land should preferably have a high clay content to hold the water efficiently. Secondly, a reliable source of good quality water is needed this can be from storage dam, river or bore hole. Thirdly, an inexpensive source of fish feed is a must. This can range from plant growth in a pond to fishmeal products produced on the same farm or bought in as rough or processed feed. Fish meal made from fish flour from low quality fish is used at the moment to feed higher quality fish. With the problem commented above of dwindling fisheries, fish flour has become scarcer and more expensive, facing the aquaculture business with the need to look for alternative sources of proteins for fish feeding. Sources being researched at the moment include plant protein such as soy.

Duration: 100 Hours (Nominal Duration).

COURSE STRUCTUREThere are 10 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction To Aquaculture
2. Production Systems - EP and IP
3. What Species To Farm
4. Trout
5. Barramundi
6. Bass
7. Freshwater Crayfish
8. Setting Up A Fish Farm
9. Fish Foods & Feeding
10. Harvesting

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

COURSE AIMS

• Explain different types of aquaculture production systems.
• Explain the cultural requirements of different types of fish suitable for aquaculture.
• Explain cultural practices for freshwater crayfish.
• Explain different factors affecting the vigour of animals in an aquaculture farm.
• Explain methods, including feeding and harvesting, used to manage freshwater animal populations.
• Develop informed management decisions for an aquaculture enterprise.

What is in each lesson?

Here's some of what can be found in the 10 lessons:

1. Introduction To Aquaculture
   • Scope and nature of freshwater aquaculture
   • Resources ... references, organisatioons around the world
   • Equipment and material suppliers
2. Production Systems - EP and IP
   • Open, semi closed and closed systems
   • Extensive production
   • Intensive production
   • Water containment ... earth, concrete,wood, brick, stone, fibreglass, liners, etc
   • Dams and Water Storages ... siting, site
3. What Species To Farm
   • Selection criteria
   • Climate
   • Water resources
   • Finance
   • Scale of operation
   • Other resources: manpower, knowledge, support services, etc.
   • Market demand and access
   • Ecological considerations
   • Risk Considerations
   • Review of different fish ...We review many fish and other species suited to farming in Australia,the UK and other countries), including...
   • Trout
   • Rainbow trout
   • Brown Trout
   • Bass
   • Catfish
   • Carp
   • Cod
   • River Blackfish
   • Marron
   • Algae
4. Trout
   • Three main Trout species
   • Farming Trout
   • Water
   • Determining flow in source water
   • Water temperature
   • Water dissolved oxygen
   • Stocking rates for production pools
   • Spawning trout
   • Checking the fish
   • Stripping technique
   • Fertilisation of Ova
   • Hatching Ova
   • From hatch to free swimming stage
   • Feed
   • After free swim stage
5. Barramundi
   • Industry perspective
   • Breeding and growth rates
   • Induced breeding ... hormone injection
   • Growth
   • Fry management and after care
   • Grow out
   • Pond rearing for larvae
   • Barramundi diseases and parasites
6. Bass
   • Varieties ... Australian bass, American loudmouth, smallmouth
   • Habitat requirements ... emperature, dissolved oxygen, pH
   • Natural spawning cycle
   • Controlled spawning
   • Harvesting
7. Freshwater Crayfish
   • Scope and nature of crustacean aquaculture
   • Marron and Yabbie
   • Conditions ... water, temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, organic loading, water clarity, pod size
   • Initial breeding stocks
   • Production potential
   • Stocking rates
   • Breeding
   • Growth
   • Feeding
   • Composts for Marron feeding
   • Red Claw
   • Yabbie
   • Spiny Freshwater Crayfish
8. Setting Up A Fish Farm
   • Land and water
   • Water requirements
   • Extensive production dams
   • Intensive production pools and raceways
   • Cages
   • Biological filtration systems
   • Filter efficiency
   • Clearing turbid water in dams
   • Protecting fish
   • Improving genetic quality of fish
   • Economics of establishing and running an aquaculture farm
   • Financial Management
   • Financial Institutions
   • Better planning
   • Economics
   • What to Plan for
   • Production
   • Marketing
9. Fish Foods & Feeding
   • Scope and nature
   • Pelleted feed
   • Live feed
   • Brine shrimp
   • Daphnia
   • Worms
   • Night lights
   • Fishmeal
   • Oil meals
   • Fish food production
   • Beef heart
   • Legumes
   • Seafood and vegetable mix
   • Earthworm and Compost production
10. Harvesting
    • Introduction
    • Harvesting techniques ... seine nets, gill nets, traps, long lines, funnel trap, flyke trap, etc
    • Fish pumps
    • Mechanical graders
    • Fish health management
    • Review of diseases ... salmonids, barramundi, trout, carp, etc

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

• List the components of an aquaculture production system.
• Compare extensive production systems with intensive production systems.
• Assess the production systems used in three different aquaculture enterprises.
• Describe a successful aquaculture production system seen by the learner.
• List freshwater fish suitable for aquaculture in the learner's locality.
• List saltwater fish suitable for aquaculture in the learner's locality.
• Describe the requirements for different commonly grown freshwater fish, including: *Trout *Barramundi *Bass.
• Describe the requirements of one type of salt water fish which has commercial potential for farming at a latitude the same as the learner's locality.
• Distinguish, by labelling unlabelled diagrams, between visual characteristics of different freshwater crayfish, including: *Marron *Red claw *Yabbie
• Describe the cultural practices for different freshwater crayfish, including: *Marron *Red claw *Yabbie.
• Explain how water quality may affect production in an aquaculture system.
• Explain different methods of treating water in aquaculture, including: *Filtration *Aeration.
• Develop a list of criteria for selecting a site suitable for a specified freshwater aquaculture purpose.
• Explain how varying stocking rates can affect the condition of a specified type of animal in aquaculture.
• Compare the potential affects on aquaculture species, of different methods of containing water, including: *Ponds constructed with liners *An earth dam *Concrete tanks. *Flowing water *Still water
• Compare various methods of feeding commercial species, including fish and crayfish, with reference to the type of food and the way it is delivered to the animals.
• Explain the importance of correct feed to the success of a specified aquaculture enterprise.
• Compare three different aquaculture feeds which are available commercially, with reference to: *composition *appearance *appropriate applications.
• Compare different harvesting techniques with reference to: *equipment required *time required *damage to animal.
• Describe how to construct different types of water storage facilities, including: *Ponds constructed with liners *An earth dam *Concrete tanks.
• Prepare a detailed management system for one species suitable for aquaculture, including details of: *Breeding *Rearing *Feeding *Harvesting *Marketing.
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of aquaculture with those of two other types of agricultural enterprises.
• Compile a list of forty different resources in the industry including: *Information sources *Equipment suppliers *Materials suppliers.
• Analyse aquaculture marketing systems, on both a national and international level.
• Evaluate the marketability of two different specified types of aquaculture produce.
• Evaluate the viability of a proposed, specified aquaculture venture.

COURSE DEVELOPERSThis course has been developed and revised with input over more than 20 years, from a range of highly qualified and experienced experts including:

Alex Varlekov M.Sc. An experienced Aquaculture Research Scientists from Russia
Dr Valeria Astorga Ph.D. Biologist, Consultant and Researcher from Spain and Chile
Peter Douglas D.An.Husb. Former University lecturer, Wildlife Park Manager, from Australia
Corrine deMastre B.Sc.(hons) Marine Biologist, Zoologist, Consultant from Australia
Staff of the Home Study College of South Africa

Why Choose This Course

• Course notes and materials are unique (written by our staff) and up to date (most revised annually) –our graduates are more up to date with what they learn than many other institutions.
• We don’t just present you with information; we also work to help you understand and remember it, develop an ability to apply it in the real world, and build networks with others who work in this field.
• Start any time, study at your own pace, study from anywhere
• Don’t waste time and money traveling to and from classes
• More choices in your assignment work –courses are written to allow you more options to focus on parts of the subject that are of more interest to you.
• Tutors more accessible than many colleges – academics are hard at work in both the UK and Australia, 5 days a week, 16 hours a day, and answering individual queries from students are top priority and always attended to within a day –often within an hour.
• Be treated like an individual –don’t get lost in a crowd of other students. Our tutors interact with you one to one.
• Extra help at no extra cost where needed.. If you find a task you can’t do, we will help you through it or give you another option.
• Support after graduation –We will advise on getting work, starting a business, putting a CV together. We will promote students and their businesses through our extensive profile on the internet. Any graduate who asks will be helped.

How You Study

• When you enroll, we send you an email that explains it all.
• You are given a short orientation video to watch, where our principal introduces you to how the course works, and how you can access all sorts of support services
• You are either given access to your course online, or sent a CD or course materials through the mail (or by courier).
• You work through lessons one by one. Each lesson has at least four parts:
• An aim -which tells you what you should be achieving in the lesson
• Reading -notes written and regularly revised by our academic staff
• Set Task(s) -These are practicals, research or other experiential learning tasks that strengthen and add to what you have been reading
• Assignment -By answering questions, submitting them to a tutor, then getting feedback from the tutor, you confirm that you are on the right track, but more than that, you are guided to consider what you have been studying in different ways, broadening your perspective and reinforcing what you are learning about
• Other - Your work in a course rarely stops at just the above four parts. Different courses and different students will need further learning experiences. Your set task or assignment may lead to other things, interacting with tutors or people in industry, reviewing additional reference materials or something else. We treat every student as an individual and supplement their learning needs as the occasion requires.
• You are given access to and encouraged to use a range of supplementary services including an online student room, including online library; student bookshop, newsletters, social media etc.
• You are provided with a "student manual" which you can refer to if and when needed. It provides a quick solution to most problems that might occur (some people never need to use this; but if you are studying late at night & have a problem, the manual provides a first port of call that can often get you moving again).

Recognition

• ACS is known and highly respected internationally: by employers and academics alike:
• Recognised by International Accreditation and Recognition Council
• ACS has been training people around the world since 1979
• Over 100,000 have now studied ACS courses, across more than 150 countries
• Formal affiliations with colleges in five countries
• A faculty of over 40 internationally renowned academics –books written by our staff used by universities and colleges around the world.