Olamitisoji:
thank you very much. its such a good advice. BUT can you pls give me answers to my question. i will go for as low as 1000 fishes.

I dont even know where to start from with all your questions. All ur questions av been dealt wt extensively on this thread. I will advice u go through this thread from page 1. Read, digest and understand d pages. Anything u dnt understand can be clarified here. Also check www.agricnetwork.com for more info dat might help u sir.

Yungwizzzy:
I want to know how possible is it to invest a 100k and make cool cash without raising a arm

I'm not lazy, but I've got a job which takes all my time. just want to put this certain amount into a RELIABLE venture and make profit

If you got an idea please share. risk(s) should also be mentioned

Thanks

You can invest in my fish farm and we discuss agreement terms.

Olamitisoji:
@robonski5 i want to dig 6 ponds and stock them with 5000 fishes making 30000 in all its my first time though, and am thinking of feeding them with Ranan all through five months. Pls can you tell me the dimension the fish ponds should be? and like how much will feed them to maturity. Please is urgent, and i will be sorting for your experienced hands. Also i want to do this with earthen pond is it advisable?

Olamitisoji:
thanks for the reply, i will do as you have said. When i go and get fingerlings, will i put them in the fish pond straight, after disinfecting them tho, and what feed grade will i start with? and how will i change the grades per month till they reach maturity? how will i feed them per month, hw many times per day? Concerning the sorting, what month after stocking will i sort the fishes, and do you mean i will need extra pond to put the sorted fishes into? how should i be changing the water? Am so much of a novice abt it. Waiting for your keen reply.

With all these questions you have asked sir and d way u asked them, honestly i dont think you should do more than just 500 fishes to start with as a pilot project to gain experience and learn frm ur mistakes, and even after ur first batch of just 500 fishes, u wont be ready for 30,000 fishes so i will advise dat u expand very gradually and cautiously. Doing 30,000 now is a NO NO for you unless you want to just waste ur hard earned money. Even if u av d resources to build 10 big ponds and stock huge numbers and even if u are getting a consultant or experienced farm manager; it will be good for u to knw much abt fish farming. It doesnt mean u shd jump into it d way u wanna do it.
#just my humble opinion

FarmTech:
Hello fish farmers, how much does it cost to raise catfish for 3-4 mnths?

For four months and with the increase in price of fish feed and ingredients, you are looking at around N250 per fish. Its not definite.

robonski15:


I will advice you replace topfeed with vital feed.. multifeed and zeilger are in high demand also.
Not more than 200 fishes.

olubankemi:
Hello. Please biko I have questions.
Want to go into selling fish feeds. Which of the feeds move more in the market? Want to be selling one foreign brand and one local brand. Coppens for foreign and top feed for local.
But whicb other ones are in higher demand?
Secondly, How many table size fish Can I rear in a 1000litres tank?
Thanks.

Vital feed will sell fast as Oga Robonski pointed out, but Top Feeds is gaining popularity now... Its cheaper and also a good feed.

Matt2020:
Hi Everyone,

I am new to this trend and after reading many of the posts, I believe I am in the right place. House please I need help. I have 1500 fish of 12weeks old and I am running out of cash though I still have 250k but I doubt if it will be enough for their feeding. I started with Aqua and later changed to durantee but I am using vital feed 4mm now. their growth are now even because I have only one pond but there is constant run water ( in & out). I heard of local feed but the person using it beside my pond is not encouraging because my fish is bigger than his. I want to ask if anyone has any experience with durantee local feed or if there is a way a can get cheaper already prepared local feed that I can use to get better result. my pond is in Osogbo, Osun State. Thanks.

Ur fishes are about 3months now, the 250K you have with you now shd feed them into their fourth month and possibly longer. Whats the average size of your fish now and how many times a day do u feed them?

#as per local feed, i use it but im a bit biased towards it bcoz u can never be too sure of the ingredients... Most times they are adulterated or the workers at the mill do not add d ingredients as u specified and in d long run u end up spending more while ur fishes wont do as well as if u were using the bagged floating feeds. Durante local feed is very good. .. Top feeds is also good and its one of the cheapest in the market now; about N4200 per 15kg bag and its locally made in Nigeria.

abdulumar:


Thanks for the advise. Building the contact base and market as we move along sold 1.6 tonnes thus far... currently have a service provider fabricating a smoking/drying kiln to preserve excess that cannot be sold immediately. As for feed; used Multifeed from the start.... got them at juvenile stage.

I am no expert.... though i have engaged a fisheries graduate and current test on feed type based on our assessment is that copens is our next target. heard its a bit pricey but it may be worth every kobo if its going to provide the results we need.

Glad to know you are gradually selling off the fishes. Just thought i should point out that it might not be a good idea to use coppens from start to finish due to how expensive the feed is now. There are other cheaper feeds which are just as good as coppens and which will be able to give you your desired results and thus increase your profit margin. Farm management matters alot in determing the final size of ur fishes at harvest.

.

olubankemi:


Oga MI, na I don't do lies. Rather don't post than lie. I was there, a day to good Friday last month was when the sales took place. Went to farm and I met buyers in the farm. And in my Koro Koro eyes the transaction took place. 600/kg. The fishes weren't even that weighing, 1.3 the biggest.

My colleague sold 650 that one I no dey there he told me.

My elder sister sold for his boss @650/kg with shakara as well.

That is why I said it's better I start business with this instead of rearing. Lol.

Yes @oga Robonski, . Me self pity the buyers but he called me and said they are thieves and one must not do like oh of you don't buy no other buyer. And you know what? Before he asked them to go, they were rubbishing the fishes that they are not big, complaining and complaining. I saw their desperation when he said he is not selling because the scales where giving conflicting measures and needed a third scale to see which two will have the same weight measure.

He drove them away under the hurt sun and asked them to come the next day.

One of them asked to call his son to bring her scale and he said Never.

He does not also allow them to touch his scale he will shout like a mad dog.

@Jonnyessence, don't be mad at yourself. You have learnt and you can never be cheated nmore.

Okay oh... Good for them; maybe we can all sell at N600 per kilo once it becomes a trend
When u are harvesting make sure that man/manager gets u his buyers and does the negotiations for you bcoz its almost impossible to get fish buyers (bulk buyers) in Lagos that will pay above N500 per kilo during non-festive seasons. For it to even be N500 per kilo, it has to be big fishes of like 1.2kg and above. Below 1kg and you will even be begging some buyers with N480.
If u are selling just few kilos (like 2 or 3 fishes) to an individual or friend in d area, yes u can even sell at N700 per kilo depending on how big d fish is and ur marketing strategy.

olubankemi:
Hello all. How is family and the farm?

Wait o, you allowed buyers use their scale? Why? Why don't you also compare and contrast with your scale and see if what the fishes weigh on their scale it weigh in yours too?

Sorry about the loss.

I was with my manager last month when he sold fishes, he took total charge, he used like two scales to compare and contrast. When they both gave conflicting weights he said he is not selling until he get a third scale. Also he never mind those sellers crying of how Inconvenienting it is for them to go back and return the next day.

For where now. After my sweat?

Also, what you sell for is pretty cheap.

A kg for 480? Na with beg he dey use sell per kg for 600.

Please, where is your location? Need to start business.

My fishes are doing well. Thank God I quickly start buying the feed on my own. Will sell them next month by God's grace at five months.

Per KG N600 ..... Where? how? ... Not possible joor. Was d person selling in bulk to market women? Did u witness d sales at N600? wats d average size of d fish dat were being sold?

Johnnyessence:
Thks for d advice bro it's been noted I will share my testimony of victory from d loss d Lord is my strength. Thks

Sorry for ur loss boss. .. Always try to have about two people with u wen selling. One person will monitor the scale and record, and the other person is to do general monitoring of wats going on around. Fish buyers steal fish alot. Sometimes dey can steal two baffs of fish frm you and u wont notice unless someone is there to catch dem. It has happened to me and dey stole a full 35kg baff. They always steal anytime they come to buy so be vigilant.

OLAMIMO12:

pls intending farmers.......stop calculating profit before you set out. Agriculture is not practised that way.

Very wise advice. When people (especially internet farmers/consultants and all this ebook sellers dat dont av farms) tell you about profit in agric, they will paint a very colourful picture for you and when u rush into it and reality sets in at harvest time, the person will be disappointed and frustrated. They will not give you the reality. It happens alot in fish farming and dats why alot of pple rush into fish farming but they end up rushing out of it so fast.

ITbomb:

Yes, I opened as enterprise.

You will fill the same corporate form as Ltd but leave out details you don't have. All those yellow shirt boys would be rather too willing to help, (don't go to the ladies, they have their own special assignments and their target is well beyond yours so they might be impatient).

@ francizy, yes you can search online but be careful, you know office workers can frustrate you when you want to do I-too-know, but it depends.

Thanks for the info sir.

Cleoo:
Please house, am a novice in fish farming. I don't understand the meaning of the abbreviated local feed Formula listed here, can u guys break it down for the newbies? Will the feed be in powdered form? How will the fishes eat it if it's not pelleted? Where can I easily buy the ingredients? How much each components costs, and how to mix it.... Thanks very much for the selfless help being rendered here in the forum. God bless

FM: fish meal
GNC: groundnut cake
TS :toasted soya
Meth: methionine
OXY: Oxytetracycline

The feed wont be powder; the feeds are turned into pellets at d feedmill. You can either buy all d ingredients individually and take it to d feedmill for dem to mill it and pelletise it, or u just go to a feedmill with your written composition and dey churn out the feed for u.

If really you are a novice as you said in ur post, i will advice u stick with your floating feeds at least till after ur first batch of fish have been harvested. By dat time, u would av learnt alot in fish farming and u will be better equiped to handle the use of local feeds.

jamyde:
good morning my masters in the house,pls i need local feed for my two month old catfish(700 pieces). Pls which formula can u recomend because dey have started eating each other as am running out of cash to buy the foreign feed. Thanks n God bless

You can use ABX1's formula. Its posted above. Its too early to run out of cash oh.. using local feed doesnt mean its way more cheaper than the bagged floating feed you buy. If u dnt get it right with local feed, u can end up spending a fortune and u will not get ur desired results or it turns out to be a disaster after 5months. What feed brand do you use? If u are using Coppens, Aqua or Multifeed, dats suicidal bcoz dey are so expensive now. There are some cheaper feeds in the market such as : Top Feeds, Vital Feeds, Sarb etc. People use floating feeds frm start to finish and still get their desired results and at d same time they still make their profits. Using local sinking or bagged floating is just all about preference.

ITbomb:
Enterprise or Limited Liability?
I will advise you start with enterprise unless you are really loaded to go for Ltd
Enterprise (diy) is around 15k
Ltd is advisable to be done by a pro or lawyer (>50k)

Can be done at any state office of CAC.

FCMB Business Account is doing me good
25k to open, then they deducts 5k min bal, 1k for ATM card, then chk book

Can someone open FCMB BUSINESS ACCOUNT when your business is registered as an enerprise or must it be limited?

noblefarm:


ok sir. pls u any of any poultry farm in Ilorin I can visit?

Oga Noble, u dey this place too

Catered4:

I av sent you an email

donclassfarm:
@belexy my number is 07050618745 please help me ooooo na novis de talk

we are all novices .
My number is 08023000802 (we can chat on whatsapp)

Fhemmmy:

oga fhemmy... Unfollow this thread... Leave it for we the small boys

jaz:
so what dimensions are adequate and optimal for 2000 adult fishes

ayosat:
2000 seed is way too much for the size you have. What you have can only take 1000. For you to have 2000 seed to table size then you need to construct pond twice the capacity you mentioned. For them to grow well you need to stock wisely.

My oga has said it all.
#ur pond can take up to a thousand but u need extra care and experience. If i am the one with your pond, i will only put 800 fishes in it. Do it and thank me later

#i use 22 × 8 ×3.5ft ponds and i put between 700 and 800 in them.

#as fingerlings u can put way much more than 2000 in dat pond.... The problem will arise when they start getting bigger and over-crowded.

Catered4:




Hello ma,
Yes the fish can be smoked fish.
Thank you.

Im male .... U mean catfish right? U didnt specify.

Denn:


My spacing was wrong.

I had 3 feet intervals instead of 6 feet.

I had to uproot half.

Go with 6ft

Thank you sir. Wow... Dats quite alot of spacing.

donclassfarm:
expats i plan to stock 2000seeds to table size for a concrete pond of 22*10*5
pls advice.... thanks

Two thousand adult fishes are too much in dat except u are doing 24hrs constant flow-through.

Denn:
My water melon test plot

Hello sir, what spacing did u use on ur plot or how do ur recommend i space my water melon? Thanks.

Soloxam:
If your watermelon have sprouted you can't use any herbicide other wise u commit suicide........ For details check my thread.

Thanks you

Catered4:
Good Day All,

Happy sunday and Happy New Month to every one of us. May the month of May bring Marvelous blessings to us all.
I'm so sorry for my late response to Mails, Whatsapp, FB, Nairaland and SMS due to my health. I got infected at the farm which affected my whole skin. Thank God, I'm getting better now. I rounded up my tour to the north on Monday and by the grace of God, I'm back to lagos.
I thank Almighty God for journey mercies to and fro. I also want to thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.

For all those who requested to see me, I will be on seat as from tuesday 5th to 10th of may.

I will also like to announce this good news to all those intending to start their agri business via South to the North. 2 market activation was successfully opened. After our meeting and registration with the head of the markets, we have been certify a go ahead to bring in our food stuffs for sales in the north. The foods needed are:-

Red Oil
Egusi
Ogbono
Cameroon Pepper
Plantain
Smoke fish(okporokpo)
Plantain
Crayfish
Yellow Garri
Frozen Turkey
Frozen Chicken
Kote Fish
Iced Panla
Ogiri
Oha
Okazi Leaf
Ijebu Garri
Cocoa Yam( the one used for soup)
Afang Leaf
Elubo
Please note that these foods must be of good quaility. Intending persons should send in a message of interest or visit any of our offices in the north or lagos. Operation starts June.

Thank you and God Bless You All.
Ibijoke O.M

Hello Ma, can the smoked fish be smoked catfish? I will be highly interested in doing business with you as i have a catfish farm and currently sell smoked catfish as well.

gregswagzz:
tanks boss fr d reply,am new nd m willing to learn even if I loss also(but dat aint our portion)so I decided to start small,my pond measurement is 12x8=5ft deep,planned on stocking 400 post-juvenile(to table size), is dat advisable?

Dats an okay number to stock in dat pond. Dnt be tempted to over stock the pond.

I av a question : plz when the water melon has sprouted can herbicide still be used to kill d weeds? Wont it also kill the water melon? If herbicide can be used, plz give me names i can buy. Thanks

hisableplc:


like how many u can get in my farm idimu ejigbo area. Threw some away wen i treated my pond some months bak

Plz send me your number bro.

PLZ WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR OF TOP FEEDS OR VITAL FEED? REQUIREMENTS, MONEY AND ALL THAT. DOES ANYBODY KNOW?

ANOTHER QUESTION : WHERE CAN I GET TILAPIA FINGERLINGS OR BROODSTOCK IN LAGOS, PREFERABLY AROUND IGANDO - IKOTUN AND ENVIRONS. THANKS AS I AWAIT UR RESPONSES.

#YOU CAN REACH ME ON 08023000802 (whatsapp, calls or sms)

PLZ WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR OF TOP FEEDS OR VITAL FEED? REQUIREMENTS, MONEY AND ALL THAT. DOES ANYBODY KNOW?

ANOTHER QUESTION : WHERE CAN I GET TILAPIA FINGERLINGS OR BROODSTOCK IN LAGOS, PREFERABLY AROUND IGANDO - IKOTUN AND ENVIRONS. THANKS AS I AWAIT UR RESPONSES.

#YOU CAN REACH ME ON 08023000802 (whatsapp, calls or sms)