Guys,

Missed some comments on this thread when i first logged on. Internet devil i guess. As at the time (many posts ago), Aquatic1 was still under fire. I'm glad a few people have gone to his farm and seen things for themselves. No knowledge is useless, being informed is key.

I too have met him and he helped work on my pond. I think a few guys here may yet learn a thing or two from him.

I'm glad he has given the formula to a few people and know he'll give it to a few more.

Anyone with any useful update can please inform the house. Not just on local feeds but on all aspect of fish farming.

[quote author=Chux6203]I find it so funny that people who claim to be successful catfish farmers are only interested in selling formulars instead of putting online what they use to help others and in the process improve on what they do. for a start I believe from the standpoint of daily practise that 4 bags of coppens is grossly too small to feed 1000 pcs of postfingerlies for one month except if they are underfed.
for me I have been in the catfish business for over five (5) years in Benin City and I am successful so to say and I am ready to share my formular online for people to learn from freely.
I stock postfingerlies bought from reputable farms and I feed with foreign feed preferably Durantee or coppens 1.8 for (1-2 weeks) then I use 2-3mm, 3-4 weeks (1 Month) I feed with foreign feed in the mornings and maggots in the evenings. you can generate maggots freely by culturing poultry wastes or animal wastes from the abattoir. they are very cheap source of protein
After one month I switch to local pelleted feed usually 3mm with strong protein bias eg: Ground local fish particles 45% Blood meal 10%, full fat soya 10% soya cake 5% Ground Nut Cake (GNC) 15% Maize 5% Peenut 5% Bone meal 3%,

i also use that(Maggot) + intestine of Poultry Birds (benefit of running an integrated farm) i still seem not to get my culture ryte... wld appreciate if you can elaborate on ur methodology thanks

[quote author=Chux6203]I find it so funny that people who claim to be successful catfish farmers are only interested in selling formulars instead of putting online what they use to help others and in the process improve on what they do. for a start I believe from the standpoint of daily practise that 4 bags of coppens is grossly too small to feed 1000 pcs of postfingerlies for one month except if they are underfed.
for me I have been in the catfish business for over five (5) years in Benin City and I am successful so to say and I am ready to share my formular online for people to learn from freely.
I stock postfingerlies bought from reputable farms and I feed with foreign feed preferably Durantee or coppens 1.8 for (1-2 weeks) then I use 2-3mm, 3-4 weeks (1 Month) I feed with foreign feed in the mornings and maggots in the evenings. you can generate maggots freely by culturing poultry wastes or animal wastes from the abattoir. they are very cheap source of protein
After one month I switch to local pelleted feed usually 3mm with strong protein bias eg: Ground local fish particles 45% Blood meal 10%, full fat soya 10% soya cake 5% Ground Nut Cake (GNC) 15% Maize 5% Peenut 5% Bone meal 3%,

i also use that(Maggot) + intestine of Poultry Birds (benefit of running an integrated farm) i still seem not to get my culture ryte... wld appreciate if you can elaborate on ur methodology thanks

Thanks for your enquiry on maggot generation. If you are using meat or animal offals, simply collect them daily from the abattoir into a covered drum with am opening for flies to go in and lay eggs and within 2-3 days you will get maggots. If you are using chicken intestines please endeavour to boil them before use to avoid transferring whatever disease that was in the chicken to your fish
For poultry waste, heap them in a enclosure that flies can enter and soak them with water within 2-3 days you will generate enough maggots to feed your fish

Maggots are an excellent protein and fat source. Commonly called maggot meal, has almost all the components found in fish meal but with a higher fat content. In fact research has been done on its partial/total replacement of fishmeal in fish diet in Nigeria. But of note is the question of how many kg you can produce per volume of poultry waste (or offals) and how to manage the smell that follows the maggot production. And finally, how often you have to drain your pond water if not an earthen pond.

Still, they are a good feed for fish and can alternate with foreign and other local feeds.

Maggots are an excellent protein and fat source. Commonly called maggot meal, has almost all the components found in fish meal but with a higher fat content. In fact research has been done on its partial/total replacement of fishmeal in fish diet in Nigeria. But of note is the question of how many kg you can produce per volume of poultry waste (or offals) and how to manage the smell that follows the maggot production. And finally, how often you have to drain your pond water if not an earthen pond.

Still, they are a good feed for fish and can alternate with foreign and other local feeds.

To generate required quantity of maggots for your fish, collect enough animal/meat offals into several drums if possible daily. If you are using poultry waste collect enough waste. Harvest the maggots first thing in the mornings or after sunset. Cover the poultry/animal waste properly the way you cover a pit toilet leaving on a small opening for flies to enter. That way you eliminate the smell

.

Eliminating that foul smell makes it worthwhile. Thanks a million.

I am so pissed at this opportunist trying to sell FAKE success story to nairalanders! Where the heck are u from? How can u feed postfingers 4bags in the 1st month? 6000fishes couldn't even consume 1bag in 1month cos postfingers don't eat much feed at that stage. 100fishes will consume just 2kg of feed in the first month whereas a bag is 15kg. Mr Scammer, are you saying ur 1000 fishes consumed 60kg worth of feeds in the first month? Please don't lead people astray and make them run from the business. I am a farmer and an integrated farms project mgr. I set up farms for people and give FREE technical support for a year till the farm can be sustainable. Call 08066116166 or talk to me on BBM:27E8EC3A.

Dear Mr. Fordunit,

It's in bad taste to critisize the author of a thread and then advertise your services. Apparently you didn't read other contributor's comments.

If you're such an expert you should start your own thread like a lot of people have done.

The author has given his feed formula and even helped some people on this thread to set up ponds.

You should go get yours and stop hating.

please i will like to kn more on this business :

The main Success in any fish farming business is the fish feed. If one can produce cost effective feed then your profit margins can be increased.

We are into manufacturing and exporting of Floating Fish Feed Plants to Nigeria and other African Countries. We also supply floating fish feed extruder plant to local Indian fish farmers. Our site is www.feedextruder.com and we are always in process to make the floating fish feed pallets machines cost effective for the farmers.

Recently we have come up with a cost effective pellet fish feed extruder machine for small scale fish farmers.

Please get in touch with us for any query, we will be Happy to help you out in this.

www.feedextruder.com

Theyjih,

Good to know it's working out.

Best regards.

Thank God for you, but one thing we always is putting ourselves in suspense.
Anyway there is a full information on catfish farming from how to start to all you need to at
www.catfishdomain.com

I just discovered this thread today though I used to own a fish farm,I stopped it when I hit a rough patch,I will type my experience,findings and challenges here later,it could help you and me as well.I hope to get some advices too.Maggot meal!!!if people wey dey chop catfish know,it could distort sales.just my thinking

The link below is to a thread where you can ask and have your questions answered concerning fish farming.

http://www.2naira.com/index.php?action=forum

pls. Where can I get drying machine for smoking/drying my catfish?

fm7070:

Mr_oluway.
Thx for the info. Although it is helpful but I need someone who have acurate dates.
I realise that people send wrong information to fish farmers atimes and this always make them to look like a failure even when they are doing well averagely.
For Instance, if you get fingerlings which is like 1month from a farm, you can never harvest 1kg of such fish in 3months, not even 800g. However, you can buy juvenile or post fingerlings which is about 2months or 2months+ from a farm you can get about 1KG in 3months or few wks after 3months.
A lot of people claim to harvest their fish in 3 months, but they did not state the age of the fish as at the time they stock it.

Catfish usually matures (get to 1kg and above) after 6 months (on the average) after hatching. So if you stock juveniles of 2 months old, after three months, expect to get at least 25% at about 1kg. Note that at this time, they are already 5 months old. At six months (i.e. 4 months after stocking), expect to get about 35-45% 1kg and above. Note that the results depend on a whole lot of other factors like water quality, quality of feed, breed and genes of the fish, etc.

Just my 2naira!

DueTime:

Catfish usually matures (get to 1kg and above) after 6 months (on the average) after hatching. So if you stock juveniles of 2 months old, after three months, expect to get at least 25% at about 1kg. Note that at this time, they are already 5 months old. At six months (i.e. 4 months after stocking), expect to get about 35-45% 1kg and above. Note that the results depend on a whole lot of other factors like water quality, quality of feed, breed and genes of the fish, etc.

Just my 2naira!

You're on point,
I think additional factor is the source of your fingerlings.
* Some people are very greedy and wicked. They will sell last sorted figerlings (runts) and you will feed them for 7months and you still can't get 10% 1kg in your pond.
* Spacing is also very important factor. Some people will jampack their ponds with excess fish, thinking it is the number of fishes you stock that will give profit.
* Sorting your fishes monthly is also very important. Sort the big ones sort the smaller ones. Make sure you have similar size of fish in same pond. The bigger fishes will always dominate smaller ones and will not allow the smaller ones access to food.

* Feeding your fishes rightly very important. Start with coppens or Durante. After 2months, you can start using locally palletised feeds with rich protein formular.

* Fish farming is not for people with poverty mentality. If you feed your fish anyhow, you will end up losing. If you treat them anyhow, they treat you anyhow in term of production as well

fm7070: pls. Where can I get drying machine for smoking/drying my catfish?

Try Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) at Wilmot Point, Off Ahmadu Bello, Victoria Island. They have two sizes of fish smoking kilns and I hear the kilns are very good.

Just my 2Naira

DueTime:

Try Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) at Wilmot Point, Off Ahmadu Bello, Victoria Island. They have two sizes of fish smoking kilns and I hear the kilns are very good.

Just my 2Naira

thanks a million

Hello guys,am new here,but seriously need ur advice on what to expect by d end of 4month as profit with all factors fully considered.I stock 1000pcs of post fingerlings in an earthen pond and have spent above 170k&and fishes are not 4month yet.Thanks

How can i differentiate juvenile from fingerlings

aquatic1: Be very patience in reading this

I started fish farming business some years ago, and am proud of myself and my farm, am still in the business and am really doing great, and am making my money as expected.

MY STORY

I visited a fish farm at alagbado area of Lagos state Nigeria, so few years back, where i discover that the man that owns the farm feed is fish from juvenile to standard table size with local feeds, he feed them 4times a day and in 6 to 7 months he harvest nothing less than 1kg to 2kg, what surprise me is that he use local feed all-through, which i confirm from some of his staff and i was so shock, because its hard for catfish farmers to use local feed although without using the foreign feed for some months, i consult the man to give me the formula he use, but he said no, this make me to sit down, think and do some more research on how to minimize feeding cost in Nigeria catfish farming since it take up to 70% of the investment.

MY DISCOVERY

I started by stocking 1000pcs of post fingerlings in a 15ft by 7ft by 4ft concrete pond, i feed the fish with coppens, twice a day, and they eat 4bags in the first month, which i weigh them and see they are 150 - 200grams, i was happy my idea is working, so i put more effort, the second month, i feed them with 6bags and the 3rd and 4th month i spent 27,000 in  milling local feed for them, when i get to sell them, i see 1kg to 1.3kg at the 4th month, i was very happy that i got the idea, this apply to my fingerlings production too, i get 0.5 to 1.5gram of fish at 3weeks, and i feed them twice a day.

MY ARITHMETIC

Calculation for the feeding of the 1000pcs of fish is 73,000. Some catfish farmers believe fish should be feed a #120 feed to attain 1kg, and some say a 1kg feed equals to 1kg fish. Assuming you are using foreign feed which is sold for #300, that means you will spend #300,000 in feeding 1000pcs of fish and your turn over will be #420,000, u will also calculate other things the fish money, the fuel e.t.c or you are using the local feed which sell for #170 that means you will spend #170,000, or you follow the saying of @120 equals to 1kg, that means you will spend #120,000 in feeding 1000pcs of fish, but i spend #70 on each fish which make #70,000 on the total fish and i sold all the fish for #469,830, which make me make more than what i expect as profit, and i spend less.

MY SECRET

I started then as an experiment, now that's the method i use always, and i still achieve my aim.
The secret behind my success is that

1: I stock my own fish, which i know the source
2: I specify a permanent time of feeding my fish, i choose to feed them 7am in the morning and 7pm at night
3: I change the water every 3days, and i clean the pond always
4: I sort the fish every month
5: The most successful part is that i don't vaccine my fish, i really thanks GOD for that
6: I check them regularly to know their behavior
7: after the first two month, i switch to local feed, and i give them the right mixture, this is the money important of all, because all the ingredient must me accurate, it must not be too much and too less, because the fish will just be eating if for hungry sake, its like putting too much salt in rice or beans.

for any question
for good local feed formula
good health and fast growing catfish fingerlings, post fingerlings, juvenile
for consultancy in your farm

contact ARARAT NIGERIA ENTERPRISES
@ 35 olufemi street ikola ilumo ipaja Lagos state
or call 07089391123, 08053018934
or araratnigeria@gmail.com
or check www.araratnigeria..com

Your write up is a total garbage and nairaland should be very careful in dealing with the OP pls.
I've been in this business for 4yrs now and I can categorically say that you can't rear 1000 pieces of fish with 70,000 naira. I've both concrete and earthen pond. It is important to note that rearing fishes in concrete pond is zero unlike in the earthen pond which is times two of your investment.

snail farming, my ex[perience: www.snailfarmingng..com

Everest28: Hello guys,am new here,but seriously need ur advice on what to expect by d end of 4month as profit with all factors fully considered.I stock 1000pcs of post fingerlings in an earthen pond and have spent above 170k&and fishes are not 4month yet.Thanks

There are 4 major things you'll need to consider, not just what you've spent so far in feeding, because many people have different values. Some might calculate amount spent on per fish basis, while some will do so on a per kg basis. Catfish is sold on a per kg basis, except you are a market woman that sells directly to the end-user.

Now let's talk about your post: you should consider the following

1. Since you stocked 1000 post fingerlings in an earthern pond, you might get a little less than 1000 pieces of fish at harvest because I'm assuming you did not periodically sort them (it is difficult to sort fish in big earthern ponds, but with small ponds, it is doable). Even if you sorted regiularly, you should still expect some losses. A safe bet should be for you to assume that you've lost about 15% of the fish in the ponds due to cannibalism, disease, etc. If you do not have nets over the pond, expect to lose more fish because birds would have eaten some (this is very rampant at night, so take note). So, 15% is a safe bet.

2. Do you know what the average weight of the fish are at this point? This is important so you know whether you are ready to sell. I know the average time to raise catfish is between 4 - 6 months (from hatching) but it does not mean you have to wait till this time before you sell; your fish might actually be growing faster. You also need this value to know the quantity of feed to be giving them

3. After taking the weight of your fish, you also need to know what the average weight of the fish should be at that age. i.e.You need to compare it to some form of a standard to know whether there are some things you are not doing correctly. I've attached a link to a table that you'll use in comparing your progress: www.2naira.com. Search for catfish growth table.

4. Even at maturity, when you get the average weight of your fish at about 0.8-1kg, about 50% of the fish will still weigh considerably lesser! 1000 fish do not always give 1000 kg.

Just my 2Naira!

Feel free to share your findings with us.

Happy farming!

Hello, fellow catfish farmers and intending farmers. Its been a while! Anyway i hope all is well. 4 those that want to experiment with hatching of catfish fingerlings, i will package something in the next few days for u. We all need to keep this forum going... Catfish farming, one love.

fish

@ab1x,

Start your own thread and put up your own findings for all to see.
The logical thing to do before commenting on any thread is to read other people's comments and updates.
You're one of those people roving from one thread or the other shooting down other people, raising false alarms and not adding any value to any thread.
If you something better than that nonsense you first posted, let's hear it or simply shut the hell up! And rove on to another thread Mr. I've done it all.

wolllexxx: @ab1x,

Start your own thread and put up your own findings for all to see.
The logical thing to do before commenting on any thread is to read other people's comments and updates.
You're one of those people roving from one thread or the other shooting down other people, raising false alarms and not adding any value to any thread.
If you something better than that nonsense you first posted, let's hear it or simply shut the hell up! And rove on to another thread Mr. I've done it all.

I am not the type that rove on other pple's thread without really knowing what I am talking about. My track record on nl is enough reason for u to understand where I am coming from. At d moment, I am rearing 13,000 pieces of fishes both on concrete and earthen pond. I'll use a pond to explain a little about catfish business 2 U. Sept 1st, 2012 I stocked 3300 pieces of catfish(fingerlins) however it is a rule that on 1000 pieces you will be given an additonal 100 pieces of fish on it thus I was given 3300 pieces. Please note that I paid 21000 naira at the rate of 7 naira per fingerlins. I've so far spent 42000 naira on imported feeds also know as floating feeds(coppens). Note that coppens is still the best feed as you will get the desire result u want in rearing fishes although there are other floating feeds like Durante, vital feed, muiltifeed etc but none is better than coppens. After the floating feeds, I had to change to local feeds considering the fact that the fishes have matured and also to add drugs like Nco and oxy to feeds to avoid any possible sickness. So far I have made 500 kg worth of local feeds @ the rate of 108,887 naira and they are yet to reach three month but they will be 3 mnths on the 1st of December. Estimated date of selling is Jan 15 by then they will be 18 months. And I've budgeted an additional 150K for their feeds before then. If u've any question, don't hesitate to spill it.

@ab1x,

From the write up of others on this thread, you should be able to tell the farmers from the info seekers. And then there are rovers.

The person whose write up you shot down has helped people on this thread to set up ponds and has given a few thomases his formulation.

Rather than critisize, seek for ways to lower your cost and maximise your profit. It is in bad taste to read one part of a thread and then draw conclusions and make pronouncements based solely on your own findings. What makes you think your way is the best practice.

If they had told the white man that leaves and tree barks could cure malaria he probably would've scoffed at the idea as you did to the findings of the author of this thread.

If you take the time to read through this thread you'll see that others before you have critisized this write up more than you have. Some among them have later added value after getting the formulation.

If you have value to add do so. This forum is not for chest thumping. It is to help each other.