Nursery ponds are used in aquaculture, or fish farming, in order to support baby fish growing from fries to fingerlings. Infant fish are particularly vulnerable when they are this small. To both larger fish, outside predators, and imbalanced or stressful conditions. A nursery pond allows the fish farmer to pay close attention to environmental concerns, providing baby fish with the proper temperature and nutrients to survive. Protecting smaller fish from their bigger neighbors and hungry predators allows them to get big enough to defend themselves, and have a fighting chance when it comes to resources.
Nursery ponds can support a wide array of fish, from freshwater to marine, from sporting bass to ornamental koi. Within the nursery pond, fish grow from itty bitty babies, referred to as fry, all the way up to juveniles up to a finger's length long. During this stage, fish grow scales and fins that prepare them for adult life in later growing ponds.
