GB1561848A

GB1561848A - Arrangement for beeding keeping and fattening of animals living in water especially fishes and a method therefor

Info

Publication number: GB1561848A
Application number: GB31353/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1975-08-07
Filing date: 1976-07-28
Publication date: 1980-03-05
Also published as: ATA564276A; AT367596B; DK348776A; NL7608685A; SE7608685L; JPS5234298A; ES450542A1; IL50183A0; SE429595B; FR2320050B1; DE2535225B2; DE2535225C3; DE2535225A1; IL50183A; BE844723A; FR2320050A1; IT1064737B

Description

(54) AN ARRANGEMENT FOR BREEDING, KEEPING, AND FATTENING OF ANIMALS LIVING IN WATER, ESPECIALLY FISHES, AND A METHOD THEREFOR (71) I, KLAUS SCHUNKE, a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany, of Schloss Bergheim, 3593 Edertal 1, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to an arrangement for breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, especially fishes, and to a method therefor.

For breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes it is usual to provide special receptacles as ponds or basins stationarily arranged within the ground, in which fishes can be bred and kept. Such stationary receptacles for breeding and keeping of fishes require much space and are very expensive since prior to their arrangement considerable excavations must be made, and the construction of such stationary arrangements causes high expenses these usual pond.s or basins can be built only in places where adequate ground and soil conditions are given. Normally the arrangement of such ponds or basins requires the approval by the respective official authorities. Besides the relative high initial costs, the long construction time, and the relative high maintenance costs, these stationary arrangements are disadvantageous in that the so-called emptying of the ponds, i.e. gathering of the fishes, is laborious due to the large width and length of these ponds or basins.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which allows the breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes at most favourable natural conditions without requiring stationary receptacles as ponds or basins of large dimensions and normally arranged within the ground.

According to one aspect of the present invention an arrangement for breeding, keeping and fattening of animals living in water, especially fishes, is characterised by the provision of a demountable container having side and end walls and a bottom at least the end walls of which are of flexible soft, unstiff, waterproof and weather resistant material and which has the largest extension is in a horizontal plane and is provided with a water inflow and a water discharge and by the provision of relatively rigid means from which the container may be suspended, said demountable container being suspended from horizontally disposed members of a frame consisting of vertical and horizontal parts in such manner as to be wholly supported by the frame in spaced disposition from the surface upon which the frame stands. Preferably, also the other sides, respectively, walls of the container, i.e. its longitudinal walls as well as its bottom, are made of a flexibly soft, unstiff material, for instance, of a watertight cloth or fabric material, a synthetic foil material, or the like.

The present invention proposes an arrangement which, regardless of the ground or soil conditions, can be installed rapidly and easily and consequently at lowest costs near waters, rivers, seas, in mountain areas, or within hangers, the arrangement requiring only small space and being demountable easily, if desired, for instances, for the winter time, and allowing the breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes at optimum natural conditions. Conveniently the container is of rectangular cross-section, the larger dimension being a multibple of its width. Preferably the depth of the container is smaller than the larger dimension and thus the container is of a relative compact design although there is available a large enough distance for the fishes to swim in the longi- tudinal direction of the container. The container hereafter, for simplicity will be referred to as a suspendedly arranged mobile "cloth pond".

A cloth pond made in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the danger is eliminated or substantially reduced when they turn around in the pond, since the container is made of a flexibly soft material, for instance, of a cloth or fabric type material, of a waterproof cloth or fabric, or a water tight, but also flexibly soft, unstiff synthetic foil.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of various examples of the invention as disclosed and illustrated and from the claims appended hereto.

According ito a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for breeding, keeping and fattening of fishes in a water conducting container, constructed at least partially of a flexibly soft, but waterproof and weather resistant material characterised in that it includes the steps of continuously supplying water from a source of continuously moving water, such as a river, a stream, a brook, or the like, to an inflow area of the container, conducting the water through the container in the horizontal longitudinal direction thereof, said longitudinal direction being the main swimming direction of the fishes, introducing predetermined quantities of food for the fishes into the container as required, maintaining the interior of the container in a darkened condition during daytime, and conducting water from the container via an outlet to a soil or rubble filtering medium located externally of the container thereby to separate substances and phosphates dissolved in the water during its passage through the container from the water flowing away from the container.

In the following the invention is detailed with reference to some examples and the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a landscape in the mountains with a mountain torrent, on the banks of which there are installed arrange ments according to the invention of different dimensions, for simplifi cation in the following called "cloth ponds," on different ground levels; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the arrange ment according to the invention, Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the arrange ment according to Fig. 2, Fig. 4 shows a front view in the direction of the arrow IV of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a version according to the invention, which in its dimensions is different from the others, wherein for simplification of the illustration in the water inflow and discharge areas the longitudinal extension is illustrated by con tinuous lines, Fig. 6 shows a view in the direction of the arrow VII of the version according to Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig 1 the arrangement according to the invention can be installed in any desired location near flowing waters, as rivers, streams, brooks, etc., for instance, in a mountain region, through which a mountain torrent a flows, on the banks of which such arrangements of different dimensions can be installed easily on different ground levels without the necessity of construction measures to be taken on the ground. In the flowing direction of the mountain torrent a the individual arrangements installed on both banks of this mountain torrent are marked with the reference numerals El to E6; the arrangements El, E2, E3 are each one easily to be erected so-called "cloth pond", whereas the arrangements E5 and E6 each comprise two separately installed containers, and the arrangement E4 comprises three separately installed so-called "cloth ponds". Every individual cloth pond is provided with an individual water inlet marked with reference numeral 5. This water inlet can be practically constituted by tubes, channels, hoses, or the like, which are not illustrated in detail and which are connected, if applicable using syphon tubes, to the flowing water, in the example shown in Fig. 1 to the mountain torrent a. The water discharge of the individual so-called "cloth ponds" are each marked with reference numeral 5a. Every individual container is connected to an automatic food charging device.

The water can flow off from the cloth ponds according to the invention through an overflow 8 which commences into a water discharge 5a. The water flowing from the overflow 8 to the discharge Sa can be conducted into the flowing water, i.e. into the river, or stream, or the like; alternatively, a short distance before the river or stream, this water can be conducted to the ground or to the bank region of the river, stream, or the like, thus to retain food waste liberated by the fishes, i.e. faeces or food residues, so that such waste is not delivered into the water of the river, stream, or the like.

Feeding of the fishes living in the arrangement according to the invention is performed by means of automatic food charging means or manually.

The present invention allows the installation of water containers by the side of all flowing waters, regardless of differences in the ground levels, the ground and soil structure, or the climate, in which water containers animals living in water and designated for human nourishment and as food for animals can be kept and fattened.

For instance in the high mountains or by the side of clear mountain torrents having oxygen contents such suspendedly arranged so-called "cloth ponds" according to the invention can be installed in easily to be erected support members or frames 2 as shown in Figs. 2 to 6, excluding the necessity of excavation work to be performed in the ground, to fatten fishes, especially trouts, at optimum living conditions.

During seasons with unfavourable weather conditions prevailing, as during the winter time, when there is snow, frost, danger of avalanche, falling stones, or thaw, the mobile arrangements according to the invention can be demounted, folded and transported to a protected location.

In a version of the cloth ponds as shown in Fig. 1 these containers are installed manually in locations with distances from each other great enough to ensure the usedup water to regenerate in the flowing water, i.e. in the river, stream, brook or the like.

If there exist appropriate roads or ways to and from larger locations several arrangements according to the invention of different dimensions can be installed in such locations, as illustrated in the diagram of Fig. 1.

Figs. 2, 3 4 show three views of the arrangement according to the invention comprising an easily to be erected and demounted container, the greatest extension of which, in the plan view, is its length and which is provided with a water inflow 5, an overflow 8, and a water discharge 5a and which is further made of a waterproof, weather resistant, flexibly soft, unstiff material. Since the so-called "cloth pond" is of a length which is a multiple of its width, and height, such a container, as can be seen in Fig. 4, has the shape of an upwardly open trough, or channel, or tub, or the like which is provided at its one end with the water inflow 5 and at its other end situated opposite that end with the overflow 8, respectively, with the water discharge Sa.

The cloth 1 which is made of a waterproof fabric material and which alternatively can be made of a watertight, weather resistant, flexibly soft foil of synthetic material, is fixed in the upper part of the support member or frame 2 by means of loops 4, so that it is arranged suspendedly within the frame. As shown in Fig. 4 the cloth 1 can be stretched by means of tension lines or ropes 3 and intermediately arranged tension locks 3a towards the vertical supporting tube parts of the support member or frame, so that the trough or tub like container takes an always stable position within the tube frame 2.

In the example (see Figs. 2, 4, and 6) the frame 2 comprises vertical supporting parts adjustable with respect to their heights, which can be made in the form of telescope legs 2a. Thus the heights of the frame parts can be adjusted, so that - no matter whether the ground is even or uneven the supporting member or frame can be installed on the desired level. It is obvious that the support member or frame 2, to which the cloth or foil 1 is fixed, serves for receiving the container in a suspended position, thus to ensure the side walls of the container to take an approximately vertical position and ito maintain a pre-determined water level in the container.

The flowing water conducted via the tubes, hoses, or the like appropriate conduits herein not illustrated in detail to the water inflow 5 can drip into the container via a tilling means 6.

As the container is made of a flexibly soft, unstiff material, for instance of a watertight cloth or fabric material or of a waterproof foil of synthetic material the danger is eliminated that the fishes, toe main swimming direction of which corresponds with the longitudinal direction of the container, become hurt, when touching or ramming the front walls to the container while turning on their route. For this reason at least the front walls of the container according to the invention must be made of a soft, unstiff material; otherwise the fishes could become hurt when touching the relative narrow front walls.

Obviously it is of great advantage to make -besides the front walls la, respectively, lb (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4)the complete container of such unstiff cloth or fabric material or the like synthetic foil material, so that injury to the fishes during swimming in the container are entirely avoided and, in addition, easy and comfortable transport and installation of the arrangement as well as the saving of costs are ensured.

In the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 2 the container is arranged with a free distance l0a from the installation area 10. This ensures the fishes not to become hurt by touching or ramming a firm obstacle on the bottom and, in addition, undesired influences of the actual ground conditions resulting, for instance, from varying temperature, moisture, etc. on the bottom of the container are avoided, as the bottom of the container is not in contact with the ground.

Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows that the container can be arranged to have a slightly downwardly sloping base in the direction from the inflow 5 to the discharge. In this case there is provided a discharge 9 at the lowest point of the base, so that the entire water contents can be drained from the container very easily.

According to a further feature of the in vention the container 1 can be provided with a cover 7. The use of a cover serves to keep the fishes from jumping out of the container, and in addition, provides protection for the fishes from natural enemies.

In another embodiment of the invention this cover is made of an opaque fabric or an opaque foil of synthetic material, which causes the interior of the container to be darkened or shadowed, so that sea-weeds or the like plants cannot grow within the container, such growth being not desired.

This darkening of the water within the container according to the invention calms the animals living in this water, so that in such quiety and tranquillity they can grow more rapidly.

The invention provides an arrangement of the type described hereinbefore which can be installed in any desired location, so that greater water reserves can be activated which hitherto were used to their full potential and whereby soiling of the rivers, streams, brooks, or the like flowing waters but, as described hereinbefore, are filtered from the water discharged from the containers by conducting this water into the soil or rubble of the ground.

Substances and phosphates dissolved in the water within the container are decomposed to a great extent in the soil or rubble layers by the sides of the flowing waters through which the water used up by the fishes is conducted and filtered. Remaining dissolved substances and phosphates are decomposed by enrichment of the water with oxygen due to the high flowing speed of flowing waters in their rough rubble and stone beds.

The quantity of animals bred, kept, and fattened in the arrangement according to the invention by the side of a flowing water depends on the filtering capacity of the area between the overflow of the container and the Place where the water returns into the flowing water.

The solid waste like faeces or food residues can be easily gathered from the ground and be reused as dung.

Devices of the kind described above have the great advantage that they do not involve high construction, operating, and personnel costs as the usual basins or ponds do. As most of the costs for the maintenance of usual arrangements and procedures for keeping, breeding, and fattening of fishes arise from repair or damages on the banks caused by musk-rats by undesired growth of water plants, especially sea-weeds, as well as from enemies of the fish, such maintenance costs are eliminated for the arrangement according to the invention.

Furthermore, the emptying of the ponds, i.e. the gathering of the fishes, is simplified by far since the arrangements according to the invention are not high so that they are comfortably accessible and the fishes can be taken from the containers without any diffi cuties.

The arrangement according to the invention can be situated above the ground, especially if there is provided a distance 10a from the bottom to the ground surface, so that the fishes are not disturbed by sonar waves.

The invention allows breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes at relative low costs and with little knowledge of the art in regions where up to now economical considerations or natural conditions did not allow breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes. Thus the consumption of protein from fish can be promoted in regions the elevation of which formerly did not allow fiatchery, i.e. especially in mountain regions.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An arrangement for breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, especially fishes, characterised by the provision of a demountable container having side and end walls and a bottom at least the end walls of which are of flexible soft, unstiff, waterproof and weather resistant material and in which the largest extension is in a horizontal plane and is provided with a water inflow and a water discharge and by the provision of relatively rigid means from which the container may be suspended, said demountable container being suspended from horizontally disposed members of a frame consisting of vertical and horizontal parts in such manner as to be wholly supported by the frame in spaced disposition from the surface upon which the frame stands.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the container is open topped and has a transverse cross-sectional trough, channel, tub, or the like shape.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sides and bottom of the container are made of an unstiff, flexible soft material.

4. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the flexibly soft, unstiff material is a waterproof cloth or fabric material or a synthetic foil material.

5. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the depth of the container increases in the longitudinal direction and from the inlet end thereof.

6. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the support member or frame comprises an upper horizontal frame to which the side walls of the container can be fixed, for in stance, by means of slings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. vention the container 1 can be provided with a cover 7. The use of a cover serves to keep the fishes from jumping out of the container, and in addition, provides protection for the fishes from natural enemies. In another embodiment of the invention this cover is made of an opaque fabric or an opaque foil of synthetic material, which causes the interior of the container to be darkened or shadowed, so that sea-weeds or the like plants cannot grow within the container, such growth being not desired. This darkening of the water within the container according to the invention calms the animals living in this water, so that in such quiety and tranquillity they can grow more rapidly. The invention provides an arrangement of the type described hereinbefore which can be installed in any desired location, so that greater water reserves can be activated which hitherto were used to their full potential and whereby soiling of the rivers, streams, brooks, or the like flowing waters but, as described hereinbefore, are filtered from the water discharged from the containers by conducting this water into the soil or rubble of the ground. Substances and phosphates dissolved in the water within the container are decomposed to a great extent in the soil or rubble layers by the sides of the flowing waters through which the water used up by the fishes is conducted and filtered. Remaining dissolved substances and phosphates are decomposed by enrichment of the water with oxygen due to the high flowing speed of flowing waters in their rough rubble and stone beds. The quantity of animals bred, kept, and fattened in the arrangement according to the invention by the side of a flowing water depends on the filtering capacity of the area between the overflow of the container and the Place where the water returns into the flowing water. The solid waste like faeces or food residues can be easily gathered from the ground and be reused as dung. Devices of the kind described above have the great advantage that they do not involve high construction, operating, and personnel costs as the usual basins or ponds do. As most of the costs for the maintenance of usual arrangements and procedures for keeping, breeding, and fattening of fishes arise from repair or damages on the banks caused by musk-rats by undesired growth of water plants, especially sea-weeds, as well as from enemies of the fish, such maintenance costs are eliminated for the arrangement according to the invention. Furthermore, the emptying of the ponds, i.e. the gathering of the fishes, is simplified by far since the arrangements according to the invention are not high so that they are comfortably accessible and the fishes can be taken from the containers without any diffi cuties. The arrangement according to the invention can be situated above the ground, especially if there is provided a distance 10a from the bottom to the ground surface, so that the fishes are not disturbed by sonar waves. The invention allows breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes at relative low costs and with little knowledge of the art in regions where up to now economical considerations or natural conditions did not allow breeding, keeping, and fattening of fishes. Thus the consumption of protein from fish can be promoted in regions the elevation of which formerly did not allow fiatchery, i.e. especially in mountain regions. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An arrangement for breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, especially fishes, characterised by the provision of a demountable container having side and end walls and a bottom at least the end walls of which are of flexible soft, unstiff, waterproof and weather resistant material and in which the largest extension is in a horizontal plane and is provided with a water inflow and a water discharge and by the provision of relatively rigid means from which the container may be suspended, said demountable container being suspended from horizontally disposed members of a frame consisting of vertical and horizontal parts in such manner as to be wholly supported by the frame in spaced disposition from the surface upon which the frame stands.

7. An arrangement according to any one

of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that water supply means to the water inflow is provided and is connected to a source of flowing water, such as a river, stream, brook, or the like, via tubes, channels, hoses, or the like.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7 in which water syphoning means is provided in the water supply means to the container.

9. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the container is provided with an opaque cover made of cloth, fabric, synthetic foil, or like material.

10. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the container when suspended in the support member or frame is stretched by means of tension lines or ropes.

11. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the vertical support parts of the support member or frame can be adjusted with respect to their height.

12. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that an overflow is provided upstream of the water discharge for the control of the water level in the container and that a bottom discharge is provided for emptying the container.

13. An arrangement according to any one claims 1 to 12, characterised in that an automatic food charging device is connected to the container.

14. A method for breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, especially fishes, in a water conducting container, constructed at least partially of a flexible soft, but waterproof and weather resistant material characterised in that it includes the steps of continuously supplying water from a source of continuously moving water such as a river, stream, a brook, or the like, to an inflow area of the container, conducting the water through the container in the horizontal longitudinal direction thereof, said longitudinal direction being the main swimming direction of the fishes, introducing predetermined quantities of food for the fishes into the container as required, maintaining the interior of the container in a darkened condition during daytime, and conducting water from the container via an outlet to a soil or rubble filtering medium located externally of the container thereby to separate substances and phosphates dissolved in the water during its passage through the container from the water flow- ing away from the container.

15. An arrangement for breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawings.

16. The method of breeding, keeping, and fattening of animals living in water, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawings.