Water parameters
Minimum tank: 500 L per individual at harvest size.
Feed and growth
- Feed protein
- 30% target
- Daily feed (warm)
- 1.40% of body weight
- Daily feed (cool)
- 0.60% of body weight
- Max density
- 40 g per litre
A 2500 g adult eats about 35.0 g of feed per day at optimum. 10 fish at adult size: ~350 g daily.
Legality
Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States (federal) | check local regulations | verified 2026-05-13 |
| California | prohibited | California prohibits tench as a non-native carp-family fish verified 2026-05-13 |
| New South Wales | prohibited | verified 2026-05-13 |
| Victoria | prohibited | verified 2026-05-13 |
Unlisted jurisdictions default to "check local regulations".
Origin and habitat
Native to freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow rivers across Europe and western Asia, from Britain east to Siberia and from Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean. The species (Tinca tinca) is a medium-sized cyprinid found in warm, weedy, still water with soft muddy bottoms. Adults reach 50–70 cm and 2–5 kg. Tench are benthic omnivores that root through mud for insect larvae, mollusks, and plant material. The body is stocky with small scales, an olive-green coloring, and a thick mucus coating. The flesh is white, firm, and well-flavored, though the strong mucus coat makes cleaning laborious. Tench have been cultured in European farm ponds since the medieval period and remain a traditional food fish in Central and Eastern Europe. A golden color variant is popular in ornamental ponds.
Climate and outdoor ponds
- Climate
- temperate (handles seasonal swings)
- USDA zones
- 4–10 (winter low around -34°C or warmer)
- Heating needed
- no
- Cooling needed
- no
Care notes
A cool-water to warm-water food fish for European aquaponics, with characteristics between common carp and crucian carp. Temperature range: 4–30°C, optimal at 20–26°C. Growth is moderate: 300–600 g in 18-24 months on commercial carp pellet (28-32% protein). FCR is approximately 2.0-3.0, less efficient than common carp. Tench tolerate low dissolved oxygen better than most European fish (they survive brief periods below 1 mg/L) and handle a wide pH range (6.0-9.0). Stocking density: 10-20 g/L. The species is hardy and disease-resistant, with a reputation for recovering from injuries that would kill other fish (in folk tradition, tench were called 'the doctor fish' because other fish supposedly rubbed against them for healing, likely due to the antimicrobial properties of the thick mucus). Fingerlings are available from carp hatcheries across Europe. Legal throughout Europe without special permits. Tench grow more slowly than common carp and are less commonly chosen for intensive aquaculture, but they fill a niche for traditional food production in extensive pond systems and for operators who want a native European species. The flesh quality is good enough to support local market sales, especially in Central European communities familiar with the fish.