CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to feed fish in cages?

In the whole process of cage fish farming, feeding is almost a daily routine management task. After the amount of food is determined, the technical management of feeding mainly includes the number of feedings and methods. (I) Number of feedings The number of daily feedings is one of the important factors affecting the feeding effect and preventing the loss of bait. After the total daily feeding amount is determined, the principle is generally to use a small amount and a large number of times, so as to minimize the phenomenon of bait sinking to the bottom or overflowing with the cage mesh due to excessive feeding at one time.

This should be paid more attention to when feeding dough or powder bait. However, if the number of feeding times is too large and the amount of bait fed each time is too small, the daily feeding amount will be too dispersed, causing the fish to compete for food, often resulting in the strong ones being full and the weak ones being hungry, resulting in uneven growth of the fish. For general cage fish farming management, the daily feeding amount can be 6 to 8 times, and if conditions permit, it can be increased to 8 to 12 times, and feeding can also be done at night.

(II) Feeding method Under normal circumstances, the fish that have just been put into the cage will often swim in groups along the cage wall in the first one or two days because they are not used to the new environment. Then you can start feeding. You must make sure that the fish develop the habit of surfacing to feed. The method is to train the fish when they are hungry. Tilapia can usually develop the habit of feeding in groups the next day, while other fish need 7 to 10 days of training.

If the initial feeding goes smoothly, when the water temperature reaches 15°C~16°C, the feeding amount can be arranged as follows: feed 0.5%~1% of the fish body weight on the first and second days, 1%~1.5% of the fish body weight on the third and fourth days, and 1.5%~2.0% of the feed on the fifth and sixth days. From the seventh day onwards, if the fish have developed the habit of competing for food in a dense manner, normal feeding can be carried out according to the daily feeding amount formulated according to the temperature and fish species specifications.

It should be noted that in the case of predation by fish groups, the amount of bait should still be divided into multiple times for continuous feeding, so as not to let the bait sink to the bottom of the cage and be eaten by the fish. In order to prevent the bait from sinking to the bottom or overflowing, a layer of dense mesh should be laid at the bottom of the cage, and a feeding table or bait corner should be placed. The surrounding environment will have a certain impact on the breeding effect of cage fish. Therefore, in the process of feeding, attention should be paid to and attention should be paid to overcoming various unfavorable factors to improve the effect of feeding. When there are strong winds and waves, rapid water flow, and turbid water, attention should be paid to appropriately reducing the amount of feeding.

If feeding floating pellet feed, a feeding device must be used to prevent the feed from being washed away by wind and waves or rapids. When the water temperature drops sharply, it is cloudy and windless, and the dissolved oxygen content decreases, the fish metabolism weakens and the feeding is not active. The amount of feed should be reduced. Otherwise, feed will inevitably be wasted. When encountering strong winds and turbulent water, in order to prevent the feed from spilling and being lost, the surrounding area of ​​the feeding table can be appropriately raised to reduce the loss of feed.

Do not feed on the day of pulling the net, and the amount of feed should be appropriately reduced the next day. In the later stage of breeding, when the water temperature drops and the fish often do not surface, pay special attention to not feeding too much. Release the fish in batches and in fixed quantities. When the fish do not surface to feed in groups, it is better to let the fish starve than to feed them temporarily.