Fish Cage

You will need to buy PVC pipe and afix to top of cage. You can use tie wraps or nylon string to afix the PVC to the top of the cage. A minimum of three inch PVC pipe is suggested. The fish that are suitable for cage culture are catfish, trout, tilapia, striped bass, red drum, bluegill sunfish. Mesh size should be no smaller than 3/8 inch to assure good water circulation through the cage while holding relatively small fingerlings (4 to 5 inch) at the start of the production cycle.

It is important that you have the right kind of cage netting for the
right species of fish. Why? Read below

The treated netting has a special chemical applied to the cage which will keep the catfish from adhering or getting caught in the netting. Untreated netting is a much softer netting that is used primarily for scaled fish. It is important that scaled fish have this kind of netting to prevent damage to the scales.

Cage Culture Information

Cage placement

At least 6 feet of water depth. A minimum of 2 feet of water is needed under the cage to keep
cage wastes away from the fish.

Aeration
Aeration can enhance water quality, reduce stress, improve feed conversion efficiency, allow you to hold more per cage and increase growth and production rates. Research has shown that aeration can improve cage production by 20 percent or more. Aerationis is most commonly needed at night or during still, overcast days. At least 10 feet between cages (unless aeration is available). Keep cages away from weed beds. Weed beds and overhanging trees can reduce wind circulation and potentially cause problems. Keep cages away from frequent disturbances from peoplewho might be walking on the pier or dock or swimming near the cage.and/or other animals (e.g., dogs, ducks, etc.).

Handling and Feeding Caged Fish
After adding feed observe the feeding response, adding more feed as needed at 20- to 30-minute intervals. If the fish have not consumed the feed after 20 to 30 minutes, do not add more feed. *Poor feeding practices is a common cause of cage culture problems.
Caged fish should be fed a floating pelleted feed. Dusk feeding cannot be practiced without a means of nighttime aeration. Correctly feeding the proper amount of feed is extremely important. Keeping good feeding records is essential to becoming asuccessful fish producer.

Caged fish can be fed during the winter at a reduced feeding level. % of Total fish