How to Grow Carp in a Garden Pond for Eating

Growing carp in ponds is an ancient tradition, which originated because it is more convenient to harvest these fish in the confines of a pond than it is to catch fish from rivers and lakes. You can manipulate the growth of fish in ponds and control natural predators. If approached correctly, growing carp in ponds can be a cost-effective exercise. You also are guaranteed of a continual supply of fish for personal use or for sale, and unlike free ranging fish in lakes and rivers, these carp are the property of the pond owner.

Things You'll Need

  • Pond, at least 10-feet square and 2.5-feet deep
  • Pond pump and filter
  • Aerator
  • Breeding pairs of carp
  • Commercial fish food
  • Automatic feeder (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use your existing pond if it is at least 2.5-foot deep and 10-feet square. Carp prefer cool conditions and the water in ponds that are less than 2.5 feet deep will heat up too quickly. These shallow ponds also cool down quickly, which makes for unnecessary temperature fluctuations.

    • 2

      Remove most of the aquatic vegetation and silt from the bottom, if you are using an existing pond that has been standing fallow for some time.

    • 3

      Install a pump and filter on the pond if it does not already have one. Heavily stocked ponds will contain a considerable amount of metabolic waste, particularly as the carp mature and should be well filtered.

    • 4

      Install an aerator if your garden pond is heavily stocked. An aerator also will be beneficial during the summer months and as the carp begin to reach adult size.

    • 5

      Install a pond heater if required, so that you can keep water temperature between 68 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry will need to be moved to indoor containers in the event of extreme weather conditions.

    • 6

      Feed the carp throughout the day. According to the "Angling Times," carp that have access to food on an ongoing basis grow 20 percent quicker than those that are only fed once or twice daily.

    • 7

      Feed the fry with boiled egg yolk that you crumble across the water surface. You can add wheat flour, bread crumbs, fish meal and rice bran to the diet of the fry as well. Adult carp can be fed fish meal or a commercial fish pellet, which is nutritionally balanced.

    • 8

      Move carp that are destined for the table to a tub of fresh water for a few days prior to slaughter. The clean water allows the carp time to purge itself of mud and sediment that it has fed on while scouring the bottom of the garden pond in search for food.