Backyard aquaculture
Catch your own, raise your own. If you already love fish, the natural next step is growing them yourself - food fish for the table, crayfish and prawns for the pot, shrimp for live bait, and koi just for the joy of it, all in a tank, an IBC tote, a pond or an aquaponics system. Pick a species to see what it gives you, the space, water and effort it takes, and how to raise it.
🐟 Food Fish
Grow-out species for the table and freezer - from forgiving tilapia to premium trout.
🐟 Beginner Tilapia
🐟 Beginner Channel Catfish
🌈 Intermediate Rainbow Trout
🐟 Beginner Common Carp
🎣 Intermediate Largemouth Bass
🐟 Beginner Bluegill
🐟 Intermediate Yellow Perch
🐟 Advanced Hybrid Striped Bass
🐟 Intermediate Brook Trout
🐟 Intermediate Brown Trout
🐟 Beginner Tench
🐟 Intermediate Black Crappie
🐟 Intermediate Barramundi
🐟 Advanced Murray Cod
🐟 Beginner Jade Perch
🐟 Beginner Silver Perch
🐟 Beginner African Catfish
🐟 Intermediate Pangasius (Basa)
🐟 Intermediate Pacu
🐟 Intermediate Arctic Char
🐟 Advanced Atlantic Salmon
🐟 Intermediate Gilthead Bream
🐟 Intermediate European Seabass
🐟 Beginner Milkfish
🐟 Advanced Cobia
🐟 Advanced White Sturgeon
🐟 Advanced Coho Salmon
🐟 Beginner Rohu
🐟 Beginner Catla
🐟 Beginner Giant Gourami
🐟 Beginner Climbing Perch
🦞 Crayfish & Prawns
Freshwater crustaceans you can raise in a tank or pond for the table.
🦐 Shrimp & Snails
Small tank species for live bait, algae cleanup, and easy breeding to sell or trade.
🍒 Beginner Cherry Shrimp
👻 Beginner Ghost Shrimp
🦐 Intermediate Amano Shrimp
🐌 Beginner Mystery Snail
🐌 Beginner Ramshorn Snail
🐌 Beginner Nerite Snail
🦪 Advanced Freshwater Mussel
🦐 Intermediate Bamboo Shrimp
🦐 Beginner Neocaridina Shrimp
🦐 Advanced Crystal Shrimp
🐌 Beginner Assassin Snail
🐌 Beginner Malaysian Trumpet Snail
🦐 Advanced Sulawesi Shrimp
🐌 Beginner Rabbit Snail
🐌 Beginner Japanese Trapdoor Snail
🐌 Beginner Pond Snail
🦐 Intermediate Tiger Shrimp (Caridina)
🐌 Beginner Black Devil Snail
💙 Beginner Blue Dream Shrimp
🔷 Advanced Blue Bolt Shrimp
🤍 Beginner Snowball Shrimp
🧛 Intermediate Vampire Shrimp
❤️ Advanced Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp
🦀 Intermediate Thai Micro Crab
🐌 Beginner Columbian Ramshorn Snail
⚪ Beginner White Wizard Snail
🐚 Beginner Horned Nerite Snail
🖤 Intermediate Devil Spike Snail (Faunus ater)
🎏 Ornamental & Pond
Koi, goldfish and breeders - raise fish for the hobby, the pond, and the fun of it.
🎏 Intermediate Koi
🐠 Beginner Goldfish
🐟 Beginner Guppy
🐡 Intermediate Betta
🐟 Beginner Platy
🐟 Beginner Molly
🐠 Intermediate Freshwater Angelfish
🐠 Advanced Discus
🐠 Beginner Dwarf Gourami
🐟 Beginner Corydoras Catfish
🐟 Beginner Bristlenose Pleco
🐠 Beginner Zebra Danio
🐠 Beginner Harlequin Rasbora
🐠 Intermediate German Blue Ram
🎏 Beginner Neon Tetra
🎏 Beginner Cardinal Tetra
🎏 Beginner Swordtail
🎏 Beginner Kribensis
🎏 Beginner Pearl Gourami
🎏 Intermediate Oscar
🎏 Beginner Kuhli Loach
🎏 Beginner Tiger Barb
🎏 Beginner Rosy Barb
🎏 Intermediate Rummy-Nose Tetra
🎏 Beginner Honey Gourami
🎏 Beginner Endler's Livebearer
🎏 Beginner White Cloud Mountain Minnow
🎏 Intermediate Boeseman's Rainbowfish
🎏 Intermediate Congo Tetra
🎏 Beginner Cherry Barb
🎏 Beginner Gold Barb
Get the water right first
Almost every failure in home aquaculture comes down to water - too warm, too cold, too little oxygen, or too much waste. Before you stock a single fish, it is worth understanding tanks, ponds, filtration, aeration and water quality so your system carries the load.
Systems & water quality →