A one-stop shop for fish farmers
This article was featured in EUROFISH Magazine 6 / 2020.
FIAP, based in Ursensollen, Bavaria, has been supplying aquaculture equipment to the industry as well as to private customers since it was founded in 1978. Today it has expanded its range to include water gardens and all the accessories and services that go with them.
As the aquaculture industry grows and develops – in 2025 some 57% of the fish for human consumption will come from fish farming up from 50% in 2016 – it will, particularly in parts of Europe, get increasingly complex and sophisticated. Driving this development as well as responding to it will be companies like FIAP that has made a name for itself developing and supplying equipment to the industry. The family-owned company has existed for over 40 years and today is run by two partners representing the second generation of owner-managers.
User-friendly website with online shop
The range of equipment that the company can supply is wide extending from simple nets to advanced sorting equipment. Altogether FIAP can offer over 5,000 products most of which can be ordered directly on the company’s website, www.fiap.com, which is in German, English and partly in seven other European languages. From the website it is also possible to download forms to order by fax or email.
Among FIAP’s most popular pieces of equipment is the belt feeder, a device that is available in two sizes, 3 kg and 5 kg, and that can be used to feed fish at the larval stage or when they have become fry. The feeder continuously dispenses a pre-determined amount of feed at intervals that can vary from 1-99 hours. The feeder can also be used to dose the fish very precisely with buffering agents or medicines. While the machine runs off an integrated battery, which is recharged by a power supply unit, an optional solar powered module is also available that makes the unit independent of the mains supply. The entire machine is robustly built, weather resistant, and durable with an aluminium drive shaft that is light, strong, and resistant to the corrosive impact of sea water. The feeder has been designed with hygiene in mind and can be very easily removed for cleaning purposes.
Oxygen-related equipment is a speciality
Among the most critical components in an aquaculture system is the equipment that ensures the level of oxygen in the water is suitable for the stocking density and species of fish. FIAP offers a number of oxygenating solutions as well as devices to monitor and control the delivery of the gas. Among the former is a series of ceramic diffusers. These have frames made of aluminium to withstand sea water, and the ceramic plates are designed to produce very fine bubbles of between 100 and 400 microns. The finer the bubbles the better the oxygen dissolves in the water. These devices can be used to transport live fish or oxygenate the water in ponds. FIAP also offers a range of oxygen flow meters that measure and control the supply of oxygen from an oxygenation system. The flow meters can be precisely adjusted to ensure accurate dosing with oxygen and prevent under or over feeding and are made from stainless steel and chrome-plated brass for reliable long-term performance.
The equipment FIAP sells also meets the basic needs of a fish farmer. Nets, for example, are a fundamental part of any aquaculture operation and FIAP sells a variety of these. Possibly the bestselling nets are those in the Profinet Aluminium series, which features a sturdy aluminium bracket system and easy replacement of the net. The depth of the net varies from 300 mm to 600 mm and a handle in two different lengths is available as an optional extra.
The wide range of equipment on offer, ability to shop online, the friendly customer service as well as the growth in the global aquaculture industry is likely to secure FIAP’s business for the next generation of owners too.
FIAP GmbH
Jakob-Oswald-Strasse 16
D-92289 Ursensollen
Germany
Customer Service Phone: +49 96 28 92 13 0
info@fiap.de
www.fiap.com
Managing Director: René Eichenseer, Tobias Rösl
Activity: Sale of aquaculture equipment
Markets: Germany, other European countries, USA, Asia, Africa