Fish Farming Thoughts 11/2025

I’ve been on Facebook the last few months. I have “met” many fellow guppy and Endlers enthusiasts from around the world, particularly in Asia. I find what these fish farmers are doing to be inspiring.

They use whatever container they can find to raise their guppies outdoors. Most farms are neat and orderly, and take up little space. I envy these farmers, who don’t incur costs for food or heat for their fish. I live in New Hampshire, and moving my 60 aquarium fish farm outside for three months of outdoor bliss is more trouble than it’s worth!

Other farmers who have had some success (or means) have “dream farms” – matching glass aquariums on matching shelving with perfect lighting. Again, I envy the neat, clean look, and if I had a retail outlet that is what I would want.

My fish farm is the best of both worlds – using what I’ve got – found aquariums, purchased aquariums, plastic type 5 containers. My racks are mobile, which makes cleaning up easier, but they are not as water resistant as I’d hoped they’d be - they're rusting in places, in fact. Disappointing. My lighting is mostly found or recycled.

Do I have a future vision for my fish farm? You betcha. I am planning for expansion and better equipment – particularly a utility sink. Right now I have to do everything cleaning or water related in the home office bathtub. All that bending over at 60+ kinda sucks, frankly. But it’s keeping me limber and strong, carrying 5 lb buckets of water through the house to the fish farm, lol!

When I moved the fish farm to the Weare NH location four years ago, I didn’t have time or money to do much more than I did – buy water filtration to raise the PH within the building, add a full room pressurize air system for the fish farm, and purchase the so-called “water resistant” racks with wheels.

I am planning an improved wooden rack system, with 2.5 and 5 gallon tanks, improved lighting, and discreet storage. The used equipment will be sold as I decommission it. It’s my 5 year plan. I would like to see it sooner, but with the worldwide economy in shambles, I’m not counting on it.

For now, I am happy and grateful with what I have and more importantly, all the plants and livestock are thriving – and that’s the whole point, isn’t it? I’m so happy people love what I am doing here. It motivates me to do more.

I’d also like my Natural Fishkeeping workshops to be launched and to reach out to local animal rescues, to propose setting up rescue fish rooms. Volunteers from local fish clubs could be organized to care for the fish at these facilities. I encourage others to try reaching out to your animal rescues in your area and doing the same.

Recent events (Live Aquaria) have got me thinking a lot about facilitates to rescue fish. I have seen people rescuing fish from abandoned pet stores (after hurricanes), pools, etc. The only fish rescue I have heard of is Ohio Fish Rescue. Maybe its time to have regional rescues for these beautiful animals, so people would be less inclined to let them suffer and die in neglect or release them to local water bodies.

As we enter the holiday and winter weather season, here’s a useful pro tip: power outage? No generator? Grab some pocket heat packs (like we fish farmers use when shipping fish). Place in large freezer bags, full of air. Float in tank to keep water warm – but watch the water temperature like a hawk! If the water gets too hot, take the pack out for awhile. When the heat pack starts to die, replace and continue to monitor water temperature until the emergency is over. Good luck to you all - may your power outages be few this winter!