Professional training in fish care and culture.
The fish industry is a billion dollar industry. We eat fish, we keep fish as pets, we farm fish and more. If you would like to be an expert in fish, then our Certificate In Fish Care and Culture is the course for you.
- Improve your career and job prospects in the fishing industry.
- Start your own business in the fish world.
- Improve your knowledge and skills.
- Study six 100 hour modules covering marine studies, aquarium management, aquaculture and aquaponics.
How The Course Works
You can start the course at any time.
It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies. Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.
To complete the course, you are required to study six 100 hour modules.
There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. For example, in the Aquarium Management module, there are ten lessons, so ten assignments.
At the end of each module, there is also an examination which you can take at a time and location to suit you.
To pass the course you are required to pass all assignments and six exams.
If you are not sure about going straight to the certificate, you can study each of the modules mentioned as a standalone course.
Sample Course Notes - Managing Water Quality
Water quality has a big impact upon the success of any fish farm. For this reason, it warrants constant monitoring and appropriate attention.
Fish perform all their bodily functions in water. Because fish are totally dependent upon water to breathe, feed, grow, excrete wastes, maintain a salt balance, and reproduce, understanding the physical and chemical qualities of water is critical to successful aquaculture.
To a great extent, water determines the success or failure of an aquaculture operation. Properly managing water quality is one of the surest ways to assure proper fish health.
Water quality management is intricately connected to feed management and is one of the critical components of any best management practices plan. Maintaining high water quality can reduce fish stress and improve production efficiency.
The elimination of most nitrogen waste products in land animals is performed through the kidneys. In contrast, fish rely heavily on their gills for this function, excreting primarily ammonia. A fish’s gills are permeable to water and salts. In the ocean, the salinity of water is more concentrated than that of the fish’s body fluids. In this environment water is drawn out, but salts tend to diffuse inward. Hence, marine fishes drink large amounts of sea water and excrete small amounts of highly salt-concentrated urine
Oxygen stress is the most frequently encountered water quality problem in cage culture of fish. The concentration and availability of dissolved oxygen (DO) are critical to the health and survival of caged fish. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is by far the most important chemical parameter in aquaculture. Low-dissolved oxygen levels are responsible for more fish kills, either directly or indirectly, than all other problems combined.
Like humans, fish require oxygen for respiration. The amount of oxygen consumed by the fish is a function of its size, feeding rate, activity level, and temperature. Critical dissolved oxygen levels will vary depending on species being reared and with interactions with other water quality parameters.
After oxygen, water temperature may be the single most important factor affecting the welfare of fish. Fish are cold-blooded organisms and assume approximately the same temperature as their surroundings. The temperature of the water affects the activity, behaviour, feeding, growth, and reproduction of all fishes. Fish are generally categorised into warm water, cool water, and cold water species based on optimal growth temperatures.
Ideally, species selection should be based in part on the temperature of the water supply. Any attempt to match a fish with less than ideal temperatures will involve energy expenditures for heating or cooling. This added expense will subsequently increase production costs.
Temperature also determines the amount of dissolved gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc.) in the water. The cooler the water, the more soluble the gas will be.
Temperature plays a major role in the physical process called thermal stratification. Water has a high-heat capacity and unique density qualities. This is especially important in pond culture: In spring, water temperatures are nearly equal at all pond depths. As a result, nutrients, dissolved gases, and fish wastes are evenly mixed throughout the pond. As the days become warmer, the surface water becomes warm and lighter while the cooler-denser water forms a layer underneath.
Circulation of the colder bottom water is prevented because of the different densities between the two layers of water. Dissolved oxygen levels decrease in the bottom layer since photosynthesis and contact with the air is reduced. The already low oxygen levels are further reduced through decomposition of waste products, which settle to the pond bottom.
Other factors affecting water quality include suspended fish wastes, algal bloom, suspended solids, and other dissolved gases.
Who Should Study This Course?
This course is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about fish care and culture - understanding how to produce fish and fruit and vegetables for food and care for fish health.
The course will most benefit students who are self-motivated and enthusiastic.
The course is studied by distance learning or online learning. You can start at any time to suit you and work at your own pace.
You should study this course if you want to -
- improve your knowledge of aquaculture, aquaponics, fish care and culture
- improve your job and career prospects
- learn more about alternative and sustainable forms of agriculture
Any Questions?