Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
Catfish farmers using earthen ponds, surface tanks, plastic tanks etc. often face the challenge of high fingerlings mortality rates when raising them.
As such, utmost care needs to be exercised in handling these fragile fishes in order to optimize production and profit.
A healthy pond grooms healthy fishes. Prior to stocking, 250kg of lime should be applied per acre of pond surface. Also ensure that other unwanted wastes and organisms like frog are cleared before stocking the pond.
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 also 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 minimized as much as possible.
Secondly, 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 leads 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.
Source: Daily Trust
www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-to-reduce-catfish-fingerlings-juveniles-mortality


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nice write-up currently planning to go into catfish as a business maybe start with 500 FISHES

yes that's through. a nice write up..

I am going into the business as early as January 2018, already I have rented a farm with 8ponds. 6 fully completed which I intend to begin with. With this 6 ponds, I have a capacity of about 7000 fishes of 500g weight. But my intention is to stock only 5000 pieces due to feeding cost and other expenditures. As a first time catfish farmer, what advice can you experience farmers offer me to keep us in the business after the first trial.
NOTE:
My workers and manager are currently undergoing training with in a farm here in port Harcourt.

Waoh! that's really great @ Skoopy and @ zeekleo.
Kindly contact one of our team mates for your Farm Consultancy Services. His name is Mr Oluwole 07050912230, you can ask him any question regarding your fish farming. Thanks

Try and employ people with great experience.. I am catfish farmer, experience has taught me a lot that one may not see in books or may not be taught in a class.. It's good you've sent them for training but ensure u employ people who have worked well in the fish business.

Skoopy:
I am going into the business as early as January 2018, already I have rented a farm with 8ponds. 6 fully completed which I intend to begin with. With this 6 ponds, I have a capacity of about 7000 fishes of 500g weight. But my intention is to stock only 5000 pieces due to feeding cost and other expenditures. As a first time catfish farmer, what advice can you experience farmers offer me to keep us in the business after the first trial.
NOTE:
My workers and manager are currently undergoing training with in a farm here in port Harcourt.

cadre88:
Try and employ people with great experience.. I am catfish farmer, experience has taught me a lot that one may not see in books or may not be taught in a class.. It's good you've sent them for training but ensure u employ people who have worked well in the fish business.

Thanks alot for your thoughts.

You're welcome.. I wish u all the best

Skoopy:


Thanks alot for your thoughts.

We have over 7000 pieces of juveniles in ibafo.call KAYKAY farms on 08093465436,07056851327