Visit an Arowana Farm to Experience Excellence in Operation

Wednesday, May 2, 2012
For an Arowana enthusiast, there is probably no more exciting and educational experience than visiting a CITES certified Arowana farm. The owners, employees and affiliates of the world's top Arowana farms possess incomparable experience, knowledge, and resources. Even a few hours spent among the leaders in the Arowana industry can be an inspirational (and humbling) experience.

The Evolving Role of the Arowana Farm

Perhaps any commercial farm would hold interest to someone intrigued by the stock being bred. Yet few types of farms worldwide can boast the single-handed preservation of a species!

As a result of CITES classification of Arowanas as endangered species on the brink of extinction, innovative Arowana experts began relentlessly pursuing captive breeding more than two decades ago. As slow-maturing, temperamental mouth-brooders sensitive to captivity, this was no simple matter. Through trial-and-error and practical experience, effective breeding practices were eventually discovered. It was the success of captive-breeding that allowed the commercial trade of Arowanas to be reinstated.

Not only were captive breeding techniques developed on Arowana farms, scientific discoveries were made isolating the DNA responsible for prized varieties. This helped ensure and protect the quality of the breeding stock and the long-term survival of the best of the species.

Excellence in Operation

Arowana farms offer visitors a unique opportunity to witness first-hand some of the most innovative and highly profitable fish farming practices in the world today. The care given to maintaining breeding stock, managing breeding pairs, and securing and rearing young fry is difficult to comprehend until it is seen.

Arowana farming involves a painstaking commitment to detail. The fish demand uncompromising water quality conditions every moment of every day. They must be fed quality foods at appropriate times and receive appropriate supplements, as well. CITES certification requirements demand strict adherence to identification practices, micro-chipping, and paperwork. Absolutely nothing can be left to chance if the Arowana are to prosper and the farm is to succeed.

Some farms specialize in more than top quality Arowana production. Many conduct research and develop new and valuable Arowana care products. Commercial foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, water conditioning treatments and filter systems and media are just some of the products developed by farms. Seeing the practice behind cutting-edge technology is yet another advantage of an Arowana farm visit.

In addition to the breeding ponds, growing tanks, and exciting new Arowana care items, visitors to an Arowana farm enjoy a rare, up close look at a variety of Arowanas. Outside of a temporary Arowana contest or exhibition, there is no place on earth likely to house as many quality Arowanas in one place. Most farms specialize in breeding all three types of the Asian Arowana species. With so many on hand, visitors are given a rare opportunity to learn to spot quality as well as prized characteristics of each type of Arowana.

Planning Your Farm Visit

When you're ready for the trip of a lifetime, take the time to find a quality Arowana farm to visit. Communicate with a representative frequently beforehand to ensure you will be welcome and allowed admission. Discuss how in depth you would like your visit to be and arrive when you can best be accommodated. Remember you are a guest of very busy individuals engaged in an extremely complex operation.

If possible, try scheduling a trip to include tours of more than one Arowana farm. Many farms conduct breeding operations quite differently from each other, and you will benefit from the exposure to more than one expert.

Feeding the Worms in a Worm Farm

Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Naturally composting waste, providing an organic material that enriches soil and even giving hobbyists and fisherman with live bait. It is these that are the all causes of worm farming. Attending to the worms in a worm farm is usually quite simple but there some rules of thumb to follow. Proper feeding is significant for the health of the worms, and as a consequence important for the health of the farm.

Worms are fed a mixture of foodstuffs, and nonfood items, for composting. Some food type items that can be provided are fruits, vegetables, greens, bread products, cereals, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters and egg shells. The worms will eat just about anything so it is imperative to know which foods are right and why.

Fruits and vegetables are easily composted by the worms. The essential thing to don't forget when serving vegetables and fruit is the mass of the portions. Fruit pieces should be cut because of 1/2 inch pieces or slices. Smaller pieces will be consumed more rapidly. Food blended up with water will in addition help the worms find the produce and consume it faster.

Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious. Worms that are fed a proper diet will successively produce a nutrient rich substance that is good for crops, gardens, flower beds and even indoor flower pots. Some nonfood items that can be proposed to worms for composting are paper products, cotton rags, hair clippings, leaves and soaked cardboard. A pizza box that has been torn up and soaked is a fantastic treat for worms.

When offering leaves to a worm farm, be cautious to only ever use products that contain never been treated with chemical substances. For the safety of the worms, grass clipping and other yard clippings should be avoided in case chemical substances have been used.

Dog and cat droppings can be used in a worm farm with care. Cats and dogs that make been dewormed recently will have the substance within their bodies. The medicine used for deworming can be excreted in the droppings. If fed to the worms, the droppings can kill the worms quick. If a pet has been dewormed recently, avoid using the droppings in the worm farm.

Care should likewise be taken when offering cat droppings from a refuse box. Inorganic litters are unsafe for the worms. If your plan is to use the worms to compost the droppings, using a natural and organic bedding material will keep the worms happy.

While the're many foods that could be provided readily, there are, in addition those that should be avoided. Care ought to always be taken with items that have been treated with chemicals, drugs or other substances that may prove detrimental.

Meats ought not to be offered to the worms in a worm farm. Being voracious eaters, the worms will gladly consume whatever meat is put up. The problem with meat is with the pests it will appeal to. Flies and maggots will be found in a worm farm that uses meat and the best way to get rid of these pests is to eradicate the application of meat.

Citrus fruits, onions and garlic shouldn't be used either. The worms appear to get the smell of these things offensive. Most worms will try to get away the bin to get away from the smell. Dairy products will also attract unwanted guests into the worm farm. One other problematic issue with serving dairy products is the foul smell that is emitted as it rots.

Feeding worms is a pretty easy job. The key is to know which items are good and which are bad for the health of the worms. Another point to always remember is to not over feed. New worms should be fed in small amounts when they are turning into established within the farm. Once settled, the amount can be increased in time.

Over feeding results in problems such as foul smells and pests. Keep feeding down to a nominal amount, offering new food only when the old food supply is running low. Worms can eat over half themselves weight in food each day. The worm population can double every few months. Overfeeding can result in an issue but keep watch over the people as well to be sure that underfeeding isn't an issue.

A full worm population is a happy worm population. Happy worms produce a great deal of naturally composted, healthy castings for soil enrichment consequently keeping the worm farmer happy as well.