How to compound fish feed .

Fish feed could be natural ,using natural sources such ac insects,maggot,tadpoles,zoo plankton or plankton.Fish could also be fed a compounded ration, this could be home-made or finished feed. A combination of ingredients are used in stipulated amounts to boost growth. A combination of both natural and compounded ration can also be employed to save cost. FEED COMPOUNDING,Using fish meal,soya beans,groundnut cake,premix and binder. The ingredients are added as follows; fish meal...........50% soya beans...............24% groundnut cake............18% premix.................6% cornflour..............2%. The various ingredients are weighed out,grind ed and mixed thoroughly.These ingredients are mixed and held with use of binder(flour),the flour is mixed with water to form a paste,this is then added to the mixture and you continue to mix until a thick paste is formed.The mixture is dried in sun,and kept in air tight containers. The feed could be pelletized/granulated or fed as small lumps that break off when dropped in ponds.This will provide a good start for your fish at 12-28 days. Fish feed could also be made from fish meal,premix and raw egg as binder. The composition of the feed: fish meal ....92% premix ......8% and the raw egg as binder. All ingredients are mixed,the egg is mixed with water to form a paste,this then dried in the sun and kept in air tight containers.They can be presented as granular or fed as small lumps at pond corners. Unconventional feeding method is the use of grind-ed crayfish, which id grounded to fine particles, and mixed with fine chopped cassava flakes(garri).This is mixed with the crayfish to form a paste,this is then put in corners of the pond,to feed the fish.

COMMON FISH DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY IN FEED.

Feed must be balanced in all essential nutrients in terms of carbohydrate,protein,fat and oil. Vitamins and minerals are also essential for growth,balance and total health status of fish.The various component manifest different signs when absent in feed,the most prominent sign is stunted growth,delayed harvest s=,reduced survival rate.Vitamins and minerals in feed are essential to regulate metabolism,thus any deficiency results in ill health,imbalance and deformations. Scoliosis refers to skeletal deformations in the body of fish.The fish is bent backwards,head tilted and skin peeling.This condition is as a result of vitamin c deficiency, it also occurs when calcium or phosphorus is also lacking in feed.Skeletal deformations can also result from contamination of pond with heavy metals such as mercury. Calcium and phosphorus deficiency could also result in "running horse disease"; where fish swim violently in groups around sides of pond in uncoordinated manner.Fish could also appear darkened(burnt out) or sometimes black,these fish have smaller bodies and big head.This condition is linked to anaemia,and has been traced to incomplete feed. Fish feed must be balanced for the value to be noticed ,hence nutrients must be properly balanced and mixed. Atovi premix is an essential part of feed,its complete with needed nutrients at required levels. Atovi premix ensures growth and early harvest of fish.The premix ensures a blend and perfect balance of the feed,it enhances the metabolism of feed ensuring proper absorption and reduce amount of waste.The use of atovi help prevent build up of nitrogenous waste thus purifies pond,there is a balance in aigae bloom,hence no death of micro organisms in filter.The atovi premix ensures proper inter-cellular function,hence there is no incidence of diseases in fish fed atovi premix.

FISH HEALTH .

Fish should be observed on a regular basis for signs of ill health,stress or any discomfort.This is the main reason why you must master your fish behavior;swimming patterns,feeding and response to stimuli so that any changes will be noticed and addressed. There must be an operational protocol,where the pipe works, pumps and general system are checked for leaks,damage,breaks or blockages . The pond is the controlled environment of the fish,and the health status of the fish is hinged on its stability and balance. Potential problems /deaths in ponds has been traced to biofilters.When nitrogenous wastes accumulate in ponds,they increase ammonia levels in ponds,causing death of microrganism in the biofilters which results in mass death of fish. The water parameters are to be checked at regular intervals as these are indicators of fish health status; dissolved oxygen,temperature,ammonia level,nitrate,nitrite,pH and phosphate are very important. Fish health can be judged good/bad based on observation.When fish are flicking or flashing its an indication of parasitic infestation or high nitrite concentration in water.Fish jumping also indicate parasitic infestation,gill problems or irritating contaminates in water. Rubbing against fish tank/wall is a clear indication of parasitic infestation.Stress is to be suspected when fish are swimming slowly,resting down in the pond and refusal of feed.Mucus covered fish points to stress as well as parasitic infestation Fish gasping for fresh air on water surface,or hanging around water inlet indicate a low level of dissolved oxygen in the pond. Parasitic infection could be by bacteria,fungi or viruses.Parasites could infect or infest the body of fish as in the case of fish lice,which causes severe irritation. When fish is observed with clamped fins,red streaks on skin its indicative of a bacterial infection,while whitish spots on fish giving a cotton-wool appearance is indicative of viral infection,these are usually complicated by secondary bacterial infection. Fish could also show lumps or pox-like lesion as in the case of carp pox,these usually disintegrate leaving ulcers that are also complicated by bacteria.Worms also affect health of fish,tapeworms in fish cause a change in body color resulting in dark-colored fish ,that are weak and swimming with open mouths The anchor worm causes proliferation of muscle. Fish farms must have some materials to facilitate easy management ,ease handling and ensure survival and health of fish.These include nets,water kit,bowl,gloves and indicator paper.

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FEEDING FISH.

Feeding fish accounts for about 65-75% of total cost of production,hence there is a need to understand the requirements of fish,the feed stuff ,and how to get the desired value for the cost of feeding. Fish feed must be a balanced meal consisting of carbohydrate,protein,fat and oil,and vitamin premix.The sources of these component will depend on availability,cost and weighed advantages of the feed stuff over other options. Carbohydrate sources can be any of the following; millet,maize,wheat,rice bran or sorghum.Protein sources include; soya beans,fish meal,groundnut cake.Fat and oil include palm oil,vegetable oil or fish oils.The vitamin premix is a combination of additives and supplements . Atovi premix is the choice for enhanced growth and early harvest. The combination of these various feed stuff depends on the age of the fish with regards to the crude protein level,and stage of development.Fish feed must posses certain qualities for it to be considered suitable for use; 1)it must be balanced;contain all components in required quantities. 2)it must be attractive and palatable to fish. 3)it must be cost effective. 4)must promote growth of fish. 5)must be stable in water but must not pollute the pond. fish feed depends on the management employed; feeding may be by using natural feed,compounded feed,live feed or a combination of natural and compounded ration.The compounded feed are presented in powdered ,granular or pelletized forms.Fish feed could also be presented in flakes,this is usually the form for ornamental fish.Natural feed include the normal feed that fishes are exposed to in their natural habitats such as aquatic weeds,water hyacinth and water lettuce. Phytoplankton,zoo-plankton,insects,shrimps,maggot,tadpoles and earthworm. Animal offals are also sometimes used to feed fish; these offals include chicken intestine,pig scrapings, and cattle cuttings. The offals are washed properly,boiled and then coated with cornflour to absorb oil,this is then fed to the fish.The flour helps prevent pollution in pond by limiting /preventing oil deposits. Eggs can be used as well; the eggs are boiled,shelled and the yolk is mixed with water to form a paste.This is then broadcast ed on the pond for fish to feed.The disadvantage of feeding with yolk is that the pond must be flushed after every meal to prevent contamination of pond. Fish are fed at specific times to create a rhythm/pattern,the feeding is done at specific points so that the fish can be easily observed and weak/inactive ones are isolated. The quality and quantity of the feed is important,as it plays a vital role in the success of the production.When feed is incomplete,inadequate and has potential to pollute pond,these hampers the growth and development of fish.

FISH FEED.

Fish feed are natural components such as phyto planktons,zoo plankton,insects,maggots and shrimps.The compounded feed are a combination of wheat offal,fish meal,bone meal,groundnut cake,maize and soya bean meal.The best procedure will be a combination of natural and compounded feed. Phytoplanktons are natural water plants that are also used as fish feed. The making of zoo plankton as fish feed: 20kg of chicken waste,5kg of lime,5kg of NPK and 2kg of fish meal.These components are mixed ,then spread on the water surface.The zoo planktons will be observed by the 3rd day,these are observed as whitish bodies swimming in the pond. Maggots are produced for the fish by keeping a large piece of meat in a container and placed in a cool environment,the meat decomposes,and maggots evolves.These are then used to feed the fish.

WATER RELATED PROBLEMS IN FISH FARMING.

Water parameters play a vital role in fish farming,these parameters are directly related to the stocking density ,feed and feeding technique.Oxygen levels in the pond must be maintained at 4mg/litre. The concentration can be altered when the weather changes such as excessive high temperature,this reduces the solubility of oxygen in the pond.This results in suffocation of the fish in the pond,this results in high mortality. The dissolved oxygen level is usually depleted in cases of heavy algae bloom,this results from excess use of manure in the pond.The amount of feed given at any point in time also imparts the level of oxygen.when there is overfeeding or just after feeding of the fish and there are excess feed in the pond because there is an increase in demand of oxygen to digest the feed.Overcrowding in the pond due to overstocking also depletes the oxygen concentration. The fish show signs when the water parameters are altered or when there is a compromise due to pathogenic agent.The fish crowd near the water surface gasping for air,they reject feed,they dont respond to noise and their sputum remains undissolved on water surface. The water in the pond should be changed and replaced with fresh water,stop feeding at this period and stop fertilization of the pond.The oxygen level is corrected by aerating the pond using air pumps/aerators to increase oxygen level. Ammonia level( 0.05mg/litre) is also another important health indicator.The feed components are the key factors,when feed content are not properly metabolized,they give off high levels of ammonia in waste material,leading to contamination of pond due to accumulation of waste at the bottom of the pond.The pond could also have high levels of ammonia,if there is a contamination of ponds by sewage waste due to a leak from sewage pipes. The fish responds by reducing feed intake and also come to the surface for air.The ammonia level can be corrected by using more easily metabolized feed ;this can be achieved by using atovi premix in fish feed.This ensures proper metabolism of feed without any ammonia buildup,thus maintaining the regular level of ammonia.The atovi premix acts on the feed,fish and water in the pond(read more about atovi and fish in previous posts).In ponds where atovi feed is not used,the pond level must be reduced,it must be flushed and clean water is added to oxygenate pond. Foul smelling /odor in the pond this is usually as a result of feeding uncooked offal's to the fish,this is a major cause of pollution in fish pond. The uncooked offal s usually crowd/clog the water surface,depleting oxygen concentration ,giving off foul odor with resultant death of fish. The effect is reversed by removing left over offal s on water surface,flush pond and fill pond with fresh clean water.The use of uncooked offal's should be stopped and use compounded ration instead. Fish health is hinged on good water parameters,feed quality,quantity and frequency of feeding,hence much attention must be given to these factors.Observation and good management protocol are the keys for a successful fish farming venture.