₦airaland Forum

Why are you feeding fish 3 - 4 times daily?

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

Bro the real issue here is feeding 3 to 4 times daily is that's the major issue now. So now what you have to do is to stop the feeding through what times daily for now you have just one pond to feed once a day. Then I believe when you have the capital to get more pond for 3,000 pieces by now this size they need to be in 3 to 4 pond for space growth. Stop feeding 3-4 times daily, feed once daily when you now have the capital to get more ponds I will advise you feed twice daily. I will advise also that for this size now dispose this ones that you have this batch sell it because if you are trying to get to 1 kg or to two package your three packages it will be very difficult because they are all in one pond so sell all then we strategize or or you stuck less quantity like up to 1,000

That’s over feeding bruv, reduce how many times you feed them in a day.
1. Buy salt and pour it in the water of the pond, if the result still the same then go buy formalin pour it inside the pond no use all the formalin finish at once,you can keep the remaining one and no give them food that day and the second day..
2. Make sure you don’t give them water the first day you pour the formalin, so it can settle well with them, the next day you can pump and make sure it running for hours..
3. The third day you will see changes and different.

onatisi:
Your main problem is overfeeding. It pollutes the water quickly and reduces oxygen.

3,000 catfish of that size are too many for that pond, it's too small. And the feed is processed with chemicals — when it dissolves in the same water they live and breathe in, it harms them.

Reduce feeding to 2 times daily with less quantity, change the water regularly and decongest the pond. Right now they are fighting both pollution and low oxygen.,

,

correction sir, feeds are not processed with chemicals. Do your research sir.thanks

Massdamm:
That’s over feeding bruv, reduce how many times you feed them in a day.
1. Buy salt and pour it in the water of the pond, if the result still the same then go buy formalin pour it inside the pond no use all the formalin finish at once,you can keep the remaining one and no give them food that day and the second day..
2. Make sure you don’t give them water the first day you pour the formalin, so it can settle well with them, the next day you can pump and make sure it running for hours..
3. The third day you will see changes and different.

Formalin is not advisable most especially to a beginner who has no experience of using it.BUT STILL NOT ADVISABLE

experts are here

Bigsin:
Good gracious. I haven't been online for a while. Thank you everyone for the piece of advice. I am positive one of the causes for the mortality was overfeeding. In regards to the space of the fishes, I have Seperated them into many different tanks and the death rate has reduced. Thank you, Nigerians.

Zonefree:
For the first time in history of Nairaland you posted something meaningful. Kudos

chai wetin the guy do you nah.... Please encourage him.... He made a very good observation and that's exactly what I thought

Zonefree:
For the first time in history of Nairaland you posted something meaningful. Kudos

For the first time ke?

How can you justify that statement?

stancod:
Formalin is not advisable most especially to a beginner who has no experience of using it.BUT STILL NOT ADVISABLE

I used it whenever such occurrences occurred and it’s positive but since you said his still new in the line of that it’s okay

Sorry, that's how most business are.

Massdamm:
I used it whenever such occurrences occurred and it’s positive but since you said his still new in the line of that it’s okay

I believe you know the risk of formalin when not use properly and moderately.

LordBiden:
...

...Check the pH of the water you are using with a test kit to ensure the pH is stable.

Lots of good advice on this thread.

However, LordBiden mentioned a particularly important one, among others: Water ph!

The best water pH level for raising catfish is between 6.5 and 7.5, though they can tolerate 6.5 to 8.5.

Why pH Matters

*Optimal Range (6.5–7.5): Promotes healthy growth, good metabolism, and high survival rates.

*Low pH (Below 6.0): Causes stress, reduces feed intake, and slows down growth. Levels below 4.0 are fatal.

*High pH (Above 9.0): Retards fish growth, and levels above 11.0 can cause death.

Stop feeding totally, check feed if not expired. Run a flow through system for 3 days, mix anitibiotics with their food, dry it and start feeding them with it on the fourth day. Run flow through during these period. General rule, stop feeding! sta

LordBiden:
You people wont take time to learn the trade first before delving into catfish business.You allow internet information marketers to lead you all astray.

There might be a lot of factors that can cause deaths.

First your fingerlings stocks might be runts,that's why it's best to hatch your own fingerlings yourself instead of buying from others.

You can reduce feeding to twice a day, overfeeding causes quick pollution of the water limiting oxygen Available for the fishes.

Try to solve the problem of cannibalism by always doing fish sorting,that is separating big ones from small ones.

Check the pH of the water you are using with a test kit to ensure the pH is stable.

This one u don carry one dead fish go inside house so.
No cook am o .
Meanwhile get someone more experienced than you,learning never ends u know .

stancod:
I believe you know the risk of formalin when not use properly and moderately.

You’re right.

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

OP change your name from "Big Sin" to "Sin no more" then come tomorrow and give us the testimony

This is over crowding sir,
From my experience
Feeding is twice a day,
Change of water is 48hour( 2) days .
Space the fishes please

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

Don't over feed them, two times a day is ok.

Change the water every two days, changing the water every day will over stress them.

Mary95:
This is over crowding man . The 3000 is too much for that size of pond. That place should take more than 500 fishes. And feeding 3-4 times a day is over feeding which isn't good for them.

Fishes are fed once a day. Infact,when they get to certain stage,no more feeding.

Huh? They'll be swallowing only vibes, water and germs?

SEGLIZ:
first on your bills, you incur more bills with the way you are running your farm. this will accumulate through water management and feeding.

you're meant to feed them twice daily, only if you ration same daily meal into portion (if you feed them 500g daily then you decide breaking it to three or four times instead of twice). change their water every three days instead of every day.

their water get dirty easily as a result of the excess feed residual which in pollutes the water. did you treat your pond before stocking? you need to treat your fish and pond.

Agreed.
The feeding is excessive.
Thus the quality of feed is suspect.
Changing water daily is highly, highly stressful particularly if the change is instantaneous, not gradual (like Atiku is saying about fuel subsidy removal - bear with my explanation but it is the same thing).

To cut your bills I suggest investing in solar/DC submpump system (if you can). The energy can also support a small aerator.

BATified2023:
as a former farm manager, I can advise u to check the following.

Salt concentration of the water
Acidity of the water
Hope the water isn't to hard ( there's hard n soft water)....hard water will reduce oxygen in the tank.

Then if after doing all these n it persist, try n get a new treated tank n move them in to check what d problem is.

These ones are big size so cannibalism is ruled out


Ps....I can never do this business no matter how rich I am, it is too volatile

A former farm manager? See as you keep playing yasef wayo? No go face your daily APC promoting job.

Maybe you are talking of a cassava farm or cannabis farm. When fish farmers talk fish business, listen, watch, learn and do not pose.

Fish farmers gave the ONLY reason for such loss and you responded completely wrongly, showing complete ignorance of fish farming techniques and business. You kuku decided to show yasef as Mr. Alan Poser.

That said, the ONLY reason is overcrowding in the pond.

OP, the only reason that you suffer such losses is overcrowding in the single pond that you have.

Livestock are like humans. They need space to move, exercise and enjoy themselves. Imagine having a room of 10 ft x 12 ft and expecting fifty people to live there. You should expect all forms of fights, sicknesses and diseases to break out until you move them to different rooms that will contain them and they live and thrive.

For those of you who use concrete, plastic and other types of ponds, you must know that there are limitations in different forms, ranging from water quality and size, to eating habits, temperature, etc.

The pond size and depth of water play significant roles in concrete and plastic ponds. Water with enough depth is very significant, as it allows fish to move around freely, thrive, swimming horizontally and vertically. When ponds are crowded that way, fish get into each other’s way, causing commotion, injury and cannibalism. Because they are choked, you are forced to feed them three or more times daily, as overcrowding does not permit all fish to get food at the same time and enough.

So OP, do a proper measure of the size of your pond, find other ponds to add, effectively separating them, ensure enough water in your ponds and watch your business succeed.

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

Now
Be honest what is the capacity of the pond?
What is the number of fish stock
Check water pH.
If all those questions tick right.

Just give them bitter leaf water to drink. thank me later.

If u need need guide tell me.

I am working right now at one of the biggest fish farm in OGUN state.

Own by the indian

Your problem is OVER FEEDING!!

Your fishes are dying due to BELLYBURST disease.

Reduce your feeding to twice maximum a day.

Which livestock farming are you into?

brain54:
:::


I'm not a fish farmer. But using my common sense experience in other areas of livestock farming/agriculture changing water daily suggests the fish in the pond is overcrowded.


If you can or have the space and resources make another pond and separate them. From the size of what you posted those fish are still haven't reached their peak growth yet which means they require more space.


I don't know the stocking density for fish - as I said I'm not a fish farmer. But you should do your research. I think that might be part of the problem.



Also feeding them 3 or 4 times daily is surprising to me. Because I have fish farmer friends that feed just once daily or twice at most and their fish are doing well. ( at a point I almost ventured into fish farming but my mind isn't fully accepting it and would rather invest in other areas of livestock farming)


Is this your first time fish farming?

All this thing go soon stop me from eating fresh fish...😔😔

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

Oga if you love your investment, get a consultant.

Use 20 capsules of tetracycline, 20 capsules of chloramphenicol and 2 handfsul of salt. Mix these in water and pour into their water. By the next day, fish deaths would have reduced by 70%. By the 3rd day, no more death of fish.

Please DM me with feedback. It works like a miracle. Please don't doubt, to save your business.

You will be sued for killing these fishes. Why kill these harmless creatures. Anyway I am happy you have gotten the solution, may God protect your business in Jesus name, Amen.

Try to sort them according to their size into two or three ponds.

Cat fish farming na your mate

Bigsin:
I have a tank filled with about 3,000 catfish and I change their water EVERYDAY because it gets dirty easily. Changing their water affects my electricity bill a lot because the fishes don't like rushing or eating their foods when the water is dirty. Anyhoo, that's a story for another day. In regards to feeding, I feed them 3-4 times a day.

The problem I'm facing now is that I'm losing them slowly and it hurts. Everyday, I get up to 5 mortalities.

What could I be doing wrong?

.
Did you first of all go for catfish tutorial or training before starting this fish business..?

Naijaprosper:
Use 20 capsules of tetracycline, 20 capsules of chloramphenicol and 2 handfsul of salt. Mix these in water and pour into their water. By the next day, fish deaths would have reduced by 70%. By the 3rd day, no more death of fish.

Please DM me with feedback. It works like a miracle. Please don't doubt, to save your business.

. have you venture into catfish business before ..just asking