While I was at the Farm last time, there was an opportunity to document how the Thais ...

• Transfer juvenile fish from a smaller pond to a larger grow-out pond.

• Drain that pond.

• Then clean that same pond before refilling.

The Farm Father hires a local team that he's used before.

The pay is about Bt300 per person.

Physically started at about 7am and continued through to 11ish.

Not all of them worked all that time as only a few were involved in the pond cleaning.

Drinks, (Water, Ice Coffee etc) were supplied ... I don't think food was though.

First the rather large net is rolled out

The pond level is lowered.

Circled in red is the pumping device for those who haven't seen one before.

The pond water is emptied into a service ditch which empties into the local Canal.

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It's a 'standard' pond, about 5 foot in depth, but the water level has been dropped due to the

pumping and to obviously make the fish capture easier.

One thing I didn't know was how much noise my new camera made while zooming.

Previously my clips were short, typically about 20 secs, but some suggestions were to make

them longer, so with this series, I have.

Also, a small milestone for me.

Titanium Member

Advanced Members

10,000 posts

David48

I never thought that I'd get past 2,000, let alone 10,000!

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The Farm Father, the Boss man rarely gets in the pond.

The lead guys are trying to keep the net on the Pond's floor.

They were a bit disorganised and slow in getting the bamboo poles up to stop the fish

jumping out of the net.

The next sweep they were much more proficient.

The transfer starts

The well trodden path to the larger grow-out pond in the background.

Working in a chain gang.

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Edited December 18, 201312 yr by David48

Carefully into the new pond, just a reversing of the net releases them.

Grabbing the last of the fish from the first sweep.

The machine which empties the water into the service ditch which then flows into the communal klong.

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A Farmer and his dogs are seldom parted, but this pack more faithful then many.

The reason for all the mud wasn't due to the water from the Fish transfer ... it had been relatively dry for a week then, as per Murphy's Law, huge storm the night before, thus a mud bath.

Started looking like this ... lilly white ...

Leaving these ... you can't wear shoes, except for those special FarmShoes

Only looking like this ...

But you're not reading to see my feet!

Meanwhile, back at the pond they were ...

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All that you can see in this sweep forms part of the Farm.

The water pump in use and preparation for another sweep of the pond.

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Water level dropping - another sweep of the Pond

One of the team, a bloke, either a moonlighting Thai SAS, on the run or worried about the Sun.

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Great thread David,good photos,videos and description of the days event.

^^ Thanks mate ... I actually have a little more media to present ... but I think sometimes no-one reads these threads.

I really enjoy doing them and documenting the Thai way.

^^ Thanks mate ... I actually have a little more media to present ... but I think sometimes no-one reads these threads.

I really enjoy doing them and documenting the Thai way.

I am sure that I not only speak for myself when I say that your threads are noticed and appreciated mate.

To tell you the truth today was the first time I noticed your thread,but I will be looking out for future posts !!!

A bit late to this party, but thanks for sharing this, always good to learn about how other folks do things.

I couldn't get enough video time ​ ... I demand you to feed me more.

Great thread David.

I do want to fish finish this one off (thanks shaggy1969 ... )

Quick recap. Ma and Pa (future) In-Laws operate a fairly extensive Fish and Prawn/Shrimp Farm.

Multiple ponds.

With this one, it was used to raise the juvenile Pla Nin to about the size of the palm of your hand.

Which is then transferred to a larger (6 Rai (ish)) grow out pond.

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Finishing off a second sweep of the pond ...

I didn't notice the photographers shadow when I was recording this ...

For RBH ... a longer length YouTube ...

So this is the second sweep of the pond, the Pla Nin are captured in the net and then by lifting one end of the net herded towards a pocket, gathered by hand nets and transferred to the larger grow out pond. You'll see this in later media.

This is also my 13,000 post

... always happy to do that in the Farming Forum.

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Transferring the fish to the larger pond ...

Farm Father. Tough as teak.

Ex-Navy, lost his leg from the knee down due to an IED in Southern Thailand.

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^^ From above (only get 2 YouTubes per post!)

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Thanks David

A wonderful documentation in photos and videos of the days occurrence.

It looks like it was an intensive but well organized event....thanks for sharing it.

^^ Thanks mate.

I have a few more posts to go ...

So, there will be a 3^rd and final sweep of the pond and the Farm Father is giving his instructions.

And off down the pond the Team goes ...

It's a huge net, but that's needed because a lot of the other ponds are the Farm are much wider.

You can see the machine which empties the pond, into a drainage canal.

Sadly, unlike RBH's set-up there is no neighbouring rice paddy or crop to distribute that nutrient rich water onto.

They are slapping the water to move the fish away from the machine and towards the end of the Pond they will net and transfer from.

The pond is waist deep, about 1/2 emptied by depth of the water ... but because of the size of the pond and the sloped edges it's a lot less the 1/2 the water remaining.

The dogs at the end of the clip ... none of which belong to the Farm but to an 'Uncle' who is helping with the Harvest ... they follow him EVERYWHERE.

The water level continues to drop fairly quickly (it's a high capicity machine) and the workers lower themselves to do their best to keep the bottom of the net riding along the bottom of the pond.

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Farm Father (white hat foreground) controls the net and uses just one hand ... he genuinely is that strong.

Something to note from this photo below are the 'shadows'. What they actually are the top layer of the pond being disturbed by the workers feet.

That steel grey colour is the detritus layer, or the by-product for the feeding of the fish ... not the nicest

thing to be wading through ...

... and it sticks, as you can see from this footprint below.

This is a quick fast forward to when the pond is almost drained ... and you can clearly see the colour

from the photo below.

There will be another thread showing the attempt to 'clean' the pond.

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