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Cage Culture
By Dan Suttle Many species of fish are suitable for cage
culture. Catfish, trout, tilapia, striped bass, red drum, and bluegill
sunfish to name a few. I am really only familiar with catfish for cage
culture
because I do not have enough experience with the other types of species
raised in cages. Cage Culture can be fun and exciting! Your cage should
have an access for daily feeding and maintenance. I like a pier for
this
access. A five feet wide pier will take three fish cages. One cage on
each
side and one at the end of the pier. One 4x4x8 cage can hold 1000
catfish.
If you are doing cage culture for the first time cage, you should start
out
with no more than 500 catfish per cage for a 4x4x8 cage. Fish in cages
are
easy to harvest and easy to feed. Cage culture of catfish is one
good
way to grow catfish to a larger size and then add to your pond that has
large bass or to raise food size fish for the dinner table. When adding
catfish to a bass pond catfish you will need fish at least eight inches
in length. Catfish of this size can be hard to find and at
a reasonable price.
Cage Placement
Cage Culture requires at least two feet of water under
the cage for waste to get out of the cage. If cages are placed side
by side or in rows you will need some type of aeration. Cages must be
placed with easy access for feeding and maintenance and allow for good
water circulation. Keep cages away from covered areas and weed beds. Buy From Reputable Producers
Do not buy fish from a jobber, live hauler or on a
truck that might come to your area. Most jobbers or live haulers sell
fish are in business to sell fish and their concerns are not with the
people who buy the fish. Contact a reputable producer and let the producer provide a live hauler to deliver your fish. Always buy from a fish producer. Producers normally guarantees all fish to be of good quality. Ask for a guarantee. Live haulers buy from good reputable fish farmers however some live haulers take these fish all over the country before you get them. You will be doomed from the start for failure if you do not buy quality fish. Guidelines on Feeding
A general rule of thumb for most warm water fish is
to feed catfish all they will eat in 15 to 30 minutes when the water
temperature is above 70 degrees. Observation of the fish at feeding
time is vital. Feeding
behavior is the best index of the over all health
of your fish. Actively feeding fish indicate everything is all right,
for the moment.Overfeeding can cause water quality deterioration leading to stress and increased disease. Pellet sizes available for catfish include 1 /8, 3 /16, and 1 /4-inch in diameter. Large fingerlings can accept 1 /4-inch pellets. Feed your fish the right size pellet. Overfeeding wastes feed and money. Reduce or stop feeding on heavily overcast and windless days. These weather conditions reduce oxygen production and diffusion, particularly if sequential, and can lead to low dissolved oxygen. Feeding will only complicate the problem. Run aeration if available. Never feed more than 50 pounds of feed/acre/day. Reduce feeding levels when water temperatures drop below 60 o or above 90 degrees. Feed should be fed with-in 90 days of the manufacture date. Never feed moldy or discolored feed. Critical Factors
A poor feeding practice is a common cause of cage culture
failure. During the growing season the fish should not be disturbed.
Moving the cage, netting the fish, lifting the cage to look at the
fish, swimming or fishing near the cage, or placing the cage where it
is disturbed
by other, can stress the fish. Stress can lead to disease. Feeding the proper amount of feed is extremely important for good health. Do not buy fish, which do not look healthy. Poor feeding behavior by fish, should always be viewed with suspicion; something is wrong with the fish (sick fish). Never feed moldy or discolored feed. Cage placement should have access by pier or by boat. Cages will needed to be placed so that there is at least two feet of water under cage. Aerators
Oxygen depletion is the leading cause of fish kills
in lakes and ponds.A general rule of thumb for aeration systems is that it is better to have one and not need it than not to have one and need it. It is better to be prepared than to lose all your fish. If your pond has ever lost fish from oxygen, you need to invest in some type of aeration system for your pond. Please do not try to use some type of water pump, they do not work. Invest in a good aerator and put it in the pond and use it from time to time. Its prevents fish stress and mortality, increases fish production, helps prevent algae growth and will circulation your water in your pond. Aerators do more than put oxygen in the water. Protect your investment by purchasing a pond aerator. Find us on the World Wide Web under these
domain names:
www.coppernose.comwww.suttlefish.com www.floridabass.info www.pondstocking.info
Developed By: Dan Suttle Last Update: 05/10/2004 Comments: sales@suttlefish.com |