11. TAKING CARE OF YOUR FISH
(280) Take very good care of your fish. Keep the water green and feed
the fish regularly. While feeding, watch them carefully to see that they
are healthy and swimming strongly.
FEEDING YOUR GROWING FISH
(281) You have already learned that the big fish in your pond will get
much of their food from small plants
and animals that grow in the green water.
(282) To keep the water green, fertilize your
pond each week. If you are using plant compost or plant material,
keep the crib filled to the water line.
If you are using animal compost or manure, see items
216 to 219.
(283) To make your fish grow more quickly you must also feed
them other kinds of food. You can feed them
- termites
- tender leaves and waste of banana and cassava
- grain mill sweepings
- rice bran
- beer wastes
- cottonseed or groundnut cake
- slaughterhouse wastes
- animal wastes
- kitchen wastes
- spoiled fruit and vegetables
- left-over food
- chopped grass.
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(284) You should feed your fish at least once
a day. But your fish will grow better if you feed them more often.
(285) Always try to feed your fish at the same time every day,
preferably early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when
it is cooler.
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(286) The bigger your fish grow, the more food they will need.
(287) It is not easy to know exactly how much
food to feed your fish. You must watch them when they eat to learn
how much food they need.
(288) Feed your fish in the shallow part of the pond so that you
can see them eat.
(289) If you see that the fish do not eat all of their food, give
them a little less the next day.
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(290) If you see that the fish eat all of their food quickly, give
them a little more the next day.
(291) If you feed your fish at the same place every day, you will
see whether the fish are eating well. If you give them too much,
the food that is not eaten will stay on the bottom.
(292) Too much uneaten food on the bottom of the pond will make
the water become bad. Do not overfeed your fish.
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(293) For example, if you grow tilapia and feed them with rice
or wheat bran, give the following quantity daily for each 100 square
metres of pond:
- first month, 360 grams
- second month, 480 grams
- third month, 720 grams
- fourth month, 960 grams
- fifth month, 1 200 grams
- sixth month, 1 440 grams.
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(294) Measure first how much bran a given container such as a milk
powder tin can hold, for example 240 grams. From this, determine
how many containers of food should be distributed daily in each
pond.
(295) To make it easier to see if your fish are eating well, mark
several places in your pond to feed them.
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(296) Mark each place by making a square or a ring of light wood
or bamboo. Drive a pole into the pond bottom and attach the square
or ring, as shown in the drawing.
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(297) When you feed the fish, put the food inside the square
or ring. You may be able to see any uneaten food on the bottom
under the square or ring. If you cannot see the bottom, feel with
your hands to find any uneaten food that may be there.
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(298) If you find any dead fish floating in your pond, take them
out right away. Change some of the water in your pond.
(299) To change some of the water in the pond, open the inlet
and let in some new clean water. The old water will drain out
of the pond at the overflow. Do this for 2 or 3 hours each day
for several days until you see that your fish are well.
(300) If the weather is too hot, if you feed your fish too much
or if you use too much fertilizer, there may be too little oxygen
in the water for your fish to breathe.
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(301) If you see your fish coming to
the surface gasping for air, give them less food and do not use
any fertilizer for several weeks. |
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(302) Put more oxygen into the water of your pond by changing
some of the water for several days, as you did in item 299.
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(303) When you let new water into the pond, let
it in quickly so that it will come with a splash and bring more
air into the water.
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(304) If you see any other things wrong with your fish that you
do not understand, stop feeding them and stop using fertilizer.
Then change some of the water in your pond every day for several
days, as you did in item 299.
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(305) After several days
if your fish are still not well, if they are not eating well, are
gasping for air or are not swimming strongly, ask your extension
agent or your fish culture station for help. |
Summary
YOU HAVE LEARNED HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR GROWING FISH
Fertilize the water once a week to keep it green:
Feed your fish once a day with local by-products and wastes:
- feed early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when it is cool
- it is best to do it at the same time each day
- feed at the same place and mark it
- regularly check for left-over food and adjust food ration accordingly
Check that your fish keep healthy:
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