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robonski15:
For melange farming u must stock your pond very well because the more melang u have for harvest the more profit you will make... Consequently U MUST observe all the neccessary management practices like SORTING REGULARLY, CHANGING OF WATER REGULARLY, DONT OVERFEED AND UNDER FEED...

In melenge farming you must minimize cost and maximize profit.. So in terms of feeding we look for the cheapest feed to use which is vital feed.. U start using vital right from 2mm..

At 4mm you can source for a good local feed to finish with before harvest, but I feed straight with vital till harvest.. To be continued..

Many buyers always source for 1kg & above, before harvest, how can some one get a buyer's for as many as 7000kg of Melange.

hemebent:


I used surface with tube and air stones.

Thanks for taken your time to answer, wish u happy harvest.

hemebent:


The solar panels cost me N105,000 each.

My pumping machines are measured in watts. I've got different types.
170W × 1
35W × 1
25W × 2
18W × 2

I've got different ponds.

Two concrete ponds attached together
8×10
8×10

Four small concrete ponds attached
4×3
4×3
4×3
4×3

Two concrete ponds attached
11×12
11×12

Two foreign tarpaulin ponds framed with galvanized pipes.
20×10
17x7

4000L GeePee tank.

Let me also add this and hope it helps.

I linked the attached ponds with a tube so I can assign one pump to two ponds but it's easier to use PVC pipes to link them. No matter the size but I'll suggest half inch pipes, elbows and caps. Cut the pipes 40 inches (×2) 14 inches (×1). Link the pipes to make a U-shape using the the two elbows to create the arc of the U. Don't seal the ends of the pipe with the end caps yet. The distance between the two ends of the pipe should be a little more than whatever demarcation both ponds have side by side. When you've created that U-shape, soak the entire set underwater so water flows into the pipes pushing out all air bubbles. When the bubbles are all out, underwater seal the ends of the pipes with the end caps without gum so all that's inside the pipes is water without bubbles in them. Turn the "u" to become an "n" so the two ends will be submerged into the two ponds with the end caps inside the ponds. Underwater, remove the end caps.
What you've just achieved is a flow of water between two ponds. You'll notice that both ponds water levels will be the same. Let's tag them pond A and pond B.
Pond A will have the pump in it taking water from there to the filtration barrels over the GeePee tank using the smaller pumps maybe the one that's 25W while pond B with the mechanical flow of water occurring in the U pipe sends water to pond A to balance the volume so it levels up with the volume of water in pond B. The 170W pump submerged inside the GeePee tank with a distribution piping system constructed over it and attached to it to send water back to the ponds it came from will send water back to pond B through one of its pipes. The U pipe will mechanically transfer the new water to pond A. Goes on and on.

Thank.
On Aeration, did u use a surface aeration or under water bottom, from what have study over the years, bottom aeration enhance rapid growth in fish farming than using a paddle wheels.

hemebent:


I hope my suggestion helps. My farm is in an eastern part of Nigeria where we BUY WATER FROM TANKERS because boreholes are almost impossible. Due to the capacity of fishes I raise, I had to buy two tankers (one tank is 8000-10,000 liters) every five days at N10,000 per tanker so imagine what i suffered.

I used multiple layers of biological and non-biological filter materials.
Gravel
Carbonated charcoal
Rubber sponge (like the ones used for dishes in the kitchen)
Sharp sand
Polyester filling
Larva rocks (those rocks we use to wash the back and underneath our feet in the bathroom) break into pieces of about 2 inch diameter.
Window net (with the smallest holes possible)
Oyster shells (from the beach. Just go there and pack as many as you can. If possible is some sack-bags)

Wash all these one by one. YES!!! WASH SAND AND ALSO WASH CHARCOAL TOO! Wash and pour away the water, repeat it over and over till when you put water in the bowl you're washing the sand and it comes out sparkling clean. I mean you can see the sand through the water just as you see it in the beach. The same for the charcoal, gravel and larva rocks.

Get a plastic barrel and prepare a strong platform either made with thick wood or blocks or whatever you feel can hold the weight of the barrel and its contents to suspend it above your ponds so the outlet dives straight into the ponds. Put the bigger materials first at the bottom. You can break the charcoals too to about 2 inch diameter also.

Arrange them level by level. For example, polyester filling at the bottom of the barrel, gravel above the polyester, oyster shells above the gravel, charcoal above the oyster shells, sharp sand over the charcoal, the sponges over the sharp sand, window net over the sponges.
What you're trying to achieve is filter the dirt in the water according to the size of the dirt. the net works as a sieve for larger particles and so on to the bottom where the polyester filters the smallest particles. Your water changing color and not looking clear, after this, it might not look so pure but most of the dirt will be out of the water and the fishes can swim easily.

I purchased some small submersible pumps for aquariums from an aquarium shop in Lagos around Ikotun-Egbe axis. It's not hard to locate. The pumps use little energy. One of them pumps with a pressure high as 3 meters and was purchased sometime in October for N22,000 while dollar rate was still crazy but not as ridiculous as now. It might be cheaper now though. I power everything in my farm with Solar panels. I have 6 solar panels. Each with a capacity of 300Watts. Two inverters so if there's ever a fault on one whatsoever I can switch to the other one. The inverter is 4KVA with a few batteries They power all my aerators, pumps for all the ponds, etc. To save cost, I'll advice you look for very small solar panel with watts that can power that pump. Small capacity inverter and also a battery. You'll save more money compared to turning on your generator for the filtration to work a few hours daily.

You'll need to clean the net at the top of the filter or change it frequently when it's filled with dirt by using another net while you wash the previous one and hang it to dry somewhere. As for the other stuff above the sharp sand, wash once a week or twice a week with just 20 liters of water. You won't need more than that.

Connect a hose to the outlet of the pump which you would direct to the top of the barrel. Make a hole in the cover of the barrel where the hose will go in. Make a much smaller outlet at the bottom of the barrel (like angle 90 in it) so small that the charcoal or gravel you placed over the polyester won't fall out of the barrel when water is going exiting the barrel after filtration.


I don't know if I was clear enough but i just typed as I remembered the things I did, maybe I didn't explain the steps well but if you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to ask me. We're going through recession, money doesn't have to come into everything. Helping each other get by is the way to save cost for one another. Whatever advice you need from me is free.


Heme.

How many horse power of pumping machine did u use.
Also the size of your pond, and how much per each solar panel.

paulbeans:
The truth is that people are been exploited by those who organize seminars by just brushing the surface of catfish hatchery production. There is more to it than just hatching the Eggs. The are daily management tactics that is suppose to be applied which the organizers of seminars don't give to farmers.
There is another problem which is,giving people a single type of manual knowing fully well that what works in farm A would not work in farm B that is why farmers are facing so much problems like low hatching rate and death of fries. And that is why we have decided to organize a 4 weeks practical one on one sessions in each farmer's farm which we are going to work for. And We are going to give a special manual which is specifically made for each farm after analyzing and solving their problems. And there is guarantee for 20,000 PCs of fingerlings or more in the first production depending on each farms facilities and from then on consultancy service is free to our farmers. Call 09031625651 in order to book a session with us..... Maximum result guaranteed ....We are committed to your success..... You can also decide to visit our farm @ No 3A okeimoye street off iyana isheri Road, Ikotun Lagos.

This trend is meant to share and impact knowledge, why don't you emulate the likes of Robonski & others to share your experience for free.

damilonya:
Good day farmers. Pls, who has idea as to how to get this pelleting machine? it was earlier posted on this thread and cant trace the source any more. I need help, Pls!!!

Perhaps, if you are in Lagos, go to Ojo Alaba international, Agric section.

bendims:


Your first question was the positive effect of aeration on catfish in a concrete pond. All fishes require dissolved oxygen for optimum growth and survival. Aeration helps you to improve the amount of dissolved oxygen in the pond. The advantage of aeration is that it allows you to stock more fish per unit area. Assuming you used to stock 1500 fish, with aeration you can stock 3000 fish.

Your second question is if you can stock 1500 fish into a 5 x 25 x 4 ft concrete tank. The amount of fish you stock per unit area is known as stocking density. The amount of fish you stock depends on the type of farming you want to do. For instance: fingerling to melange will require less space compared to juvenile to table size.
In general, there are two ways of calculating stocking density. The first is by multiplying the length, width and depth and dividing by 3, then multiplying by either 4 or 5 depending on the system. Since you intend to use aeration, we will use 5.
So the formula is: (L x W x D)/3 x 5
(5 x 25 x 4)/3 x 5 = 833 fish. This is the maximum amount your tank can accommodate.
The second method is by using already defined stocking densities. For instance, stocking density of between 15 and 50 fish/m2 is used in semi intensive production systems.
Since you will be using aeration, your stocking density will be 100 fish/m2.
Therefore, we will need to convert the length and width of your tanks from ft to m.
1 ft = 0.3048 m.
5 ft = 1.524 m
25 ft = 7.62 m.
So the area of your concrete tank is (1.524 × 7.62)m2 = 11.61288m2.
Following the stocking density of 100 fish per m2, your concrete tank can take 11.61 × 100 = 1161 fish.
Therefore your concrete tank can maximally take between 833 and 1161 fishes comfortably.

Thanks for the well detail answer

Please what are the positive effect of Aeration on catfish in a concrete pond.

Also, I intend to build a 5 x 25 x 4ft dept in 4 numbers concrete pond, hope 1500 pcs of fish per pond will not be too much.

robonski15:
Dear friends I can't just understand and imagine why some scrupulous elements will mail and threaten me to stop answering questions and giving out informations because of their selfish nature.. SMH.. God help us all..

They are enemy of progress, just keep on touching people's live, may the lord be with you

When last did you change the water, if it's a concrete pond, perhaps, i will suggest u take the fish out of that pond into another and drain the water completley for a new water in case of infection And observe.

When last did you change the water, if it's a concrete pond, perhaps, i will suggest u take the fish out of that pond into another and drain the water completley for a new water in case of infection And observe.