If the water is taken from a stream, a leaf screen must be placed at
some distance in front of the inlet. This may be made of a hurdle
fastened to strong stakes sunk into the bed of the stream. The opening
of the inlet should be at least double the size of the sectional area of
the pipe through which the water is carried to the ponds, and should be
some distance, a couple of feet if possible, below the surface of the
water. It is a good thing to put a wire cage over the inlet, and under
this a perforated zinc screen is necessary. The inlet from the stream
should be so placed that it is easy to get at and clean. The best form
of covering for the inlet into the pond I have seen, is a zinc cylinder,
the base of which fits over the end of the inlet pipe. The part of this
cylinder, which projects 18 inches beyond the pipe, is perforated, as is
also the flat end. This can easily be taken off and cleaned, and breaks
up the water, making it fall into the pond like a shower bath, causing
considerable aeration.
The inlet from the stream should have a trap with which the water may be
shut off, as also should the outlet from the pond. When the cylinder on
the inlet into the pond is taken off for a minute or so to be cleaned
out, both these traps must be closed. This lessens the chance of any
creatures likely to do harm getting in during the cleaning. The
perforated zinc screen at the inlet from the stream will probably stop
any such creatures, but too great care cannot be exercised, and it is
always best to be on the safe side.
Movable covers of netting over the ponds are most certainly advisable,
particularly if the rearing ponds are in an unfrequented spot near a
stream. On one occasion I caught four kingfishers during a period of
three weeks, all of which had in some way got under some herring net,
which was pegged out carefully over a rearing pond containing trout fry.
I never found out how they got in, but once in they were unable to
escape.
Ponds such as I have described are of course for the fry when they have
reached a certain size, and have already begun to feed well. Other
appliances are necessary for hatching out the ova and for the young fish
when first hatched. A very good apparatus may be made from a champagne
case. This should have large square holes sawn through each end, leaving
enough wood to ensure strength and solidity to the box. The box should
then have two coats of asphalt varnish, and the square apertures covered
with fine perforated zinc. A still better box may be made at a small
cost. This consists of a box with a wooden bottom and perforated zinc
sides which are supported by a stout wooden frame.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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