Fish feed for tilapia
Formulated or compounded feed can be supplied to tilapia in a dry, moist or wet form. Dry mixed feed can be presented to tilapia fish in the form of powder, pellets or crumbles. The most popular is the feed pellets, whose shape and size depend on the age of the tilapia.
Commercial fish feed pellets are generally produced into extruded feed or pellet feed. Floating and sinking feed particles can produce satisfactory growth for fish, but some fish prefer floating feed, while others prefer sinking feed. Floating fish feed pellets are ideal for tilapia, which feed from the surface of water.
Because of the high manufacturing costs, the extruded feed pellets are more expensive. In general, it is advantageous to feed floating squeeze feed, as farmers can directly observe the feeding strength of their fish and adjust the feeding speed accordingly. Determining that feeding speeds are too low or too high is essential to maximize fish growth and feed efficiency. With the fish feed extruder, you can easily make floating fish feed pellets from a less expensive, common material.
Feed sits in a variety of sizes, from fine crumbles for small tilapia to large (1/2 inch or larger) granulated. The pellet size should be about 20% to 30% of the diameter of the tilapia. Too small feeding particles can lead to inefficient feeding because more feed pellets need to be found and eaten. Instead, pellets that are too large suppress feed and, in extreme cases, cause suffocation. Choosing the right particle size will promote active eating of tilapia.
Machines for Making Tilapia Fish Feed
Through the fish feed extruder we can use cheap local raw materials to produce high-quality fish feed, which may save feed costs.
Tilapia fish feed formulation
- Low-cost tilapia fish feed, prepared from locally available raw materials, should be nutritionally comparable to high-quality tilapia fish feed to maintain productivity.
- The preparation of fish feed in small farms requires a lot of labor, and the lack of amino acids in certain ingredients can damage the quality of the feed.
- Commercial tilapia feeds are formulated, cooked, extruded and pelletized diets typically containing 32 – 40% protein. This can be fishmeal or soy protein, which is more suitable for tilapia fish.
- Floating pellets are generally recommended as they remain on the surface until they are consumed. They are more expensive. Sinking pellets are easier to make and cheaper, but they can get lost in the mud at the bottom of the pond. This is not a problem in shallower artificial containers, and the fish will find pellets that sink to the bottom of the tank.
- Tilapia fish also eat plants, usually algae. Duckweed can be used with commercial fish feed to increase protein levels in its diet.
The formula feed for tilapia should contain 27% to 40% protein. For fry and fingerlings, there should be small particles in the feed, the protein content should be 35% to 40%, and for adults, the protein content should be between 27% and 30%.
Some farm-made feeds can have the following combinations:
- Powdered Leucaena leaves 20%
- Cooked maize 80%
- Rice bran 70%
- Palm Kernel Cake 15%
- Maize meal/Cassava Dough 15%
Tilapia fish feed extrusion process machine
Extruders are the machinery accustomed manufacture extruded pet food, (floating) extruded aquatic feeds and extruded animal feeds.
The extrusion cookery method, as a result of it causes a high level of gelatinisation of starches, ends up in feeds with smart water stability. It will manufacture ‘expanded’ floating feeds similarly as sinking pellets. The method additionally improves the digestibleness of the product. Feeds that have ingredients like soybean flour and cereal grains is created a lot of digestable, and nutrients are therefore a lot of out there. Floating feeds are created mistreatment extruders along with extremely water-stable sinking feeds which may be created with extruders yet.
Basically, an extruder may be a long barrel with a screw auger within that is specially designed to subject feed mixtures to high heat and steam pressure. Once feed exits the die at the end of the barrel, unfree steam blows off speedily, the soft warm pellets expand, and a coffee density floating pellet is made. Extruders are terribly versatile, and may build feeds with many various characteristics.
How to feed tilapia fish
The first 15 days after the release of the species are the most critical period. In order to improve the quality of fish species, high-quality feed should be used, feeding methods are: frequent feeding, feeding very little at once.
The fish can be fed the day after release. The protein content in the feed is about 32%-36%. The amount of food fed accounts for 6% to 8% of the total fish weight. Initially, powdered feed was the main feed scattered in the pond.
Adjust the particle size according to the speed of fish growth and the size of the fish. Be careful not to adjust the fish feed too early to avoid uneven size. As the fish grows, the feed will gradually decrease to about 250 grams. When they weigh about 500 grams, the tilapia enters the fastest growth. Therefore, the amount of feed should be 1% to 2% of the total fish, and the protein content should be higher than 25%. Feeding is as follows: twice a day, two periods: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Catch 30 to 50 fish every 15 to 20 days to calculate the average weight to analyze the growth of tilapia fish, which helps adjust feeding speed to help the fish grow healthily. Feeding speed also depends on the fish’s diet. If you can’t finish your feed within 30 minutes, stop feeding your next time until the fish resumes your normal diet.
Fish health and climate change are decisive factors affecting fish feeding. When a factor becomes serious, farmers should immediately reduce the feeding speed or even stop feeding until everything goes well. When the water temperature is below 15 degrees C or above 32 degrees C, the farmer also needs to reduce feeding or stop feeding, which helps to control the digestion of the fish, good water quality and feed cost.
In high temperature season, high protein content of feed is not conducive to the digestion of fish, will lead to fish disease. In addition, the amount of feeding should be strictly controlled to avoid overfeeding.
In summary, fish farming must comply with the following rules: fixed time, fixed location, fixed quality and fixed quantity, and consider the following four factors: season, weather, water quality and feed feeding. With these rules and considerations, farmers can make good estimates of the status of fish farming.
Saving money on feed costs
As I mentioned earlier, the cost of raising tilapia is high and it can take many months to see a return on the investment. That is, there are steps you can take to save on your feed expenses. If you have plants or algae in your lake, young fish can survive. When there is enough algae in the water, feeding can be delayed.