DAILY FISH FARMING TIPS

WATER TEMPERATURE

Temperature plays an important role in the  growth of fish and breeding. Especially catfish fingerlings it grows faster in warmer temperatures as compared to harmattan or cold seasons.

By this its not recommended to be into fingerling production or to stock fish especially from June to July for semi intensive and extensive system of aquaculture production.

The effects of low temperatures are:

1. High fish mortality especially for fingerlings.
2. Slow growth due to fish tends not to feed when its cold, this can affect the water quality and waste of feed as well.
3. Fish becomes in active and hence there is no reproduction taking place until the temperatures are conducive

SOLUTIONS
1. For this reason, ensure your fish ponds are not too shallow, this is due to when the ponds are too shallow its easy the temperatures of water to get colder dramatically which may cause fish kills.
2. Avoid feeding especially when the temperatures are below 18 Degrees Celsius
3. Avoid stocking in this cold season period, but if you have already stocked fish just maintain them properly.

4. Avoid fingerlings production during this season and concentrate on brooder stocks and grow-out production to prevent losses in your business.

5. Always try to consult from experts, to prevent losses.

However, in areas or countries with the highest temperature being at 15C where its colder they dig ponds as far as up to 2m. Which is not a case in tropical region  due to its warmer temperatures where the lowest temperatures could be at 16 C. Atleast the shallow end must not be less than 0.6m.

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AVOIDABLE CAUSES OF DEATH OF FINGERLINGS

 Fingerlings are most vulnerable when they are less than 10g in size, thus the highest mortality rates occur during this period.

Over stocking the pond leads to high mortality. This is because they need to be fed with a relatively large quantity of feed which will thus result in higher amount of waste released into the pond.

High amount of waste in fish ponds degrades water quality and should be minimised as much as possible.

Catfish are carnivorous by nature, which means they feed on flesh. So one should ensure that when stocking fingerlings, they should be sorted weekly and fingerlings of the same size should be stocked together.

Again, fingerlings of similar sizes should be stocked into smaller tanks before transferring them to the main grow-out pond.

Overfeeding fingerlings and juveniles may also lead to high mortality rates because they have uncontrollable appetite which lead to overfeeding and consequently death.

Another reason is transfer stress, when they are transferred from one location to another, such fingerlings/ juveniles should be left for at least 24hours before feeding.

Poor water management. Anything below and above 6.5 - 7.5 PH of Water (i.e too acidic or alkaline) makes the fish to be prone to disease infestation, poor feed conversion ration by the fish, slow growth, wasted resources, blisters on fish skin, promotes the growth of micro organisms such as fungi, bacteria, and parasitic worms that will eventually kill the fish.

NOTE: Make sure you use your ph meter to regularly test your pond water ph level. At least 3 times a day.

Watch out for our next tips

Cheers!

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HOW TO GROW YOUR CATFISH BIGGER AND FASTER

There are several factors that affect the growth of your catfish. Growth of your fish and profit will depend on how efficiently you manage your farm, the water quality, disease control, and the number of fish you STOCK per ponds size.

Here is a list of factors affecting your fish farm production:

Temperature

Pond PH Balance

Fish feed quality and right quntity.

Water quality (Dissolved solids)

Sorting

Temperature

Catfish grow best in warm water between 83-86o F. You can begin spawning of your fish in the spring when the water temperature rises above 70 o F. You may collect juvenile fish from a nearby hatchery.

Flowing water

Catfish do not grow well in small ponds because of competition for space and oxygen. Catfish tend to grow faster when their is enough space. The bigger the spacing, the bigger and faster they grow.


Pond balance

Maintaining a balance in your pond is important because if you have fish growing in higher density, it could give rise to toxic water and pollution. Your fish will get sick and grow less. You must always maintain a ph of between 6.5 -7.5. Anything far or less is at your own detriment.


Fish feed

For rapid growth, use a nutritionally balanced catfish feed. I recommend skretting fish feed. Your catfish fingerlings will grow faster if you feed them regularly in the beginning of production season, they will grow the right size when you maintain this factors as stated. However, feeding too much will result in poor water quality and it will also increase your feeding costs.

Water quality & fish health

Water plays an important role in raising healthy fish. A water without dissolved harmful solid toxins or poisons is the best for your catfish rearing.

Your water should have a pH between 6.5 - 7.5. If the pH is too low, add limestone to your pond. Also check for dissolved impurities. Both physical and chemical factors play important role in rising catfish faster.


Check for water contamination by using our water tests.

Call us with 08138570184 or order on whatsapp here at

https://wa.me/2348138570184

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