Live feed for Aquaculture

• Live food organisms include all plants

(phytoplankton) and animal (zooplankton)
lives grazed upon by economically important
fishes.
• Phytoplanktons are generally eaten by
zooplankton. Thus, phytoplankton forms the
basis of the food chain.
• In an aquatic ecosystem, these live food
organisms constitute the most valuable
resource for aquaculture.
Nov-20 1
• Natural live feeds are usually not abundant in
clear pond water, but are abundant in ponds
having greenish water.
– The green colour indicates the presence of
phytoplankton and other natural food organisms.
• Artificial larval feeds are no match to live food
organisms in terms of acceptance, nutritional and
other factors.
• Live food organisms contain all the nutrients such
as essential proteins, lipids, carbohydrates,
vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids
and are commonly known as “living capsules of
nutrition”.
Nov-20 2
 Importance of live food organisms in
aquaculture
• A disease free healthy stock can be maintained
by feeding live food to the cultured stock along
with supplemented artificial feed.
• Supplemented artificial feed can not meet all
the elements required for the growth of fish.
• Larvae of fish and shellfish cannot feed artificial
supplemented feed.
– They require small size live foods for their nutrition.

Nov-20 3
• Live foods are easily digestible protein rich diet for
fish and shellfish.
• Live foods can be cultured easily and economically.
• The possibility of enhancing the fish performance
and quality through bioencapsulation.

Nov-20 4
 Important live feeds
• Microbes
– Yeast
– Bacterial cells

• Micro algae
– Algae are chlorophyll bearing unicellular or multi-
cellular plants.
• Chlorophyta (green algae)
• Phaeophyta (brown algae)
Nov-20
• Rhodophyta (red algae). 5
• Infusoria
– Infusoria refers to microscopic single celled
animalcules belonging to the class - Ciliata
of phylum - Protozoa.

Nov-20 6
• Rotifers
– are popularly called as wheel animalcules.
– Brachionus, which is the most known form of all
rotifers

Nov-20 7
• Artemia
– Commonly known as brine shrimp.

Nov-20 8
Nov-20 9
 Inland Fisheries Management

Nov-20 10
 Fish farming methods
• Extensive
• Semi intensive
• Intensive

• Monoculture
• Polyculture

Nov-20 11
 History of pond culture
• Pond fish culture is the most ancient practice
for producing fish under controlled conditions.
• The culture of carps developed simultaneously
on different continents several centuries ago.
• Carp culture was dramatically improved in the
1960s when Chinese major Carps were widely
introduced to most countries of Europe and
Asia.

Nov-20 12
 Pond culture
• Pond fish culture is the most widely practiced
fish production system.
• It facilitates the mass production of many
different fish species all over the world.
• The water supply of ponds can be
– rain and/or water from a nearby surface
– underground water source.

Nov-20 13
• The actual size of a fish pond determines
– rearing capacity
– profitability of production.
• The main feature and advantage of pond fish
culture is that the natural food of fish can be
produced in the same water body.
• The production of natural food organisms in
ponds can be supported by applying manure
and/or fertilizers.

Nov-20 14
• Ponds can be stocked with one or with more
than one fish species.
– Monoculture
– Polyculture
• The calculation of production in ponds is
based on the unit area
– Number of fish per unit area (fish/hectare)
– weight of fish per unit area (kg/hectare)
• However, for exact comparison
– fish per unit water volume (fish/m3 and kg/m3).

Nov-20 15
 Pond preparation
• After 1 or 2 culturing, silt and organic matter
accumulate on the bottom of the pond.
• This allows the propagation of various harmful
bacteria.
• Therefore should be cleared often.
• The appropriate depth of bottom silt is 10 –15 cm.
• If more, then some of the silt should be removed

Nov-20 16
• Pond culture contain several steps, they are
– Eradication
– Water Management
– Pond Fertilization
– Stocking of fingerlings
– Feeding
– Harvesting

Nov-20 17
 Eradication
• Eradication is important for pond preparation.
• It is useful for destroyed wild fish, parasites
and pathogens.
• There are two types of eradiation methods
use for pond cleaning,
– Physically
– Chemically

Nov-20 18
 Physical methods
• Sunlight
• Manually collection
• Burning
are physical methods.

Usually, drying under sunlight and manual

collection are widely practiced

Nov-20 19
 Chemical method
• As chemical methods,
• Application of bleaching powder and lime are
widely used

Nov-20 20
• After harvesting, pond must be dried out for 3 - 4
days.
• Then collect bivalves and snails manually.
• Then applied bleaching powder.
• When applying bleaching powder, the person
who applying should not have injuries on hands,
use mask and should apply along the wind
direction.
• 20 kg is enough for 1000m2 pond.

Nov-20 21
 Pond fertilization
• Manure application enriches the nutritional value of
the water and promotes the proper proliferation of
natural food organisms.
• After pond clearing, a base manure should be
applied as early and adequately as possible so that
enough natural food is available during the early
stages of cultivation.
• Manure is spread evenly on the pond bottom or
beside the remaining water and exposed to the sun
for several days
Nov-20 22
• water should be filled up to 1/2 - 2/3 of the
pond.
• For this process, cow dung is widely used.
• 750 m2 - 1000 m2 pond should be fertilized
with 30 – 50 kg cow dung.
• Also can apply urea as a fertilizer in
concentration of 0.3 g – 1.0 g / m2.
• When this water becomes fertile, more fresh
water is added.

Nov-20 23
• After the fertilizing; pond should be kept 2 – 3
days for plankton growth.
• If plankton growth less, again apply 20 – 30 kg
cow dung.
• The pond could be filled with fresh water at a
rate dependent on temperature and fish size.

Nov-20 24
 Stocking
• The selection of good quality fingerlings is
important in ensuring high fish yields.
• Large good quality fingerlings have many
merits:
– strong adaptability
– high survival rate,
– fast growth
– short culture period
– high marketing rate and economic returns

Nov-20 25
• selection and purchasing fingerlings:
Physical-
• Strong, healthy, normally shaped fingerlings
are desirable.
• Fingerlings should have complete scales and fin
rays and a smooth, bright colour skin.

Size-
• Fingerlings of the same age and uniform in size
are prefer.

Nov-20 26
Movement-
• Healthy fingerlings will jump violently in your
hand.
• Healthy fingerlings will swim actively in groups
with their heads downward and caudal fins
upward.
• Only their caudal fins can be observed on the
water surface.

• After fertilizing can stock PL / Fry.

• Stocking density of PL is 250 – 300 Pl/ m2
• Stocking density for fry, this value is 60/ m2.

Nov-20 27
• Before stocking, a water sample should be
analyzed and water temperature and
dissolved oxygen (DOC) if possible.
• A reasonable stocking density can ensure the
desirable size and quality of the fish produced.
• Excessive stocking densities produce fish
below marketable size, therefore fish yields
are not improved.

Nov-20 28
 Feeding
Post Larvae (PL)
• During the first day of PL, their mouth is not
developed completely
– They absorb nutrition from their own egg yolk

• On 2nd day, can feed with chicken egg York.

• 1 egg enough for 100, 000 post larvae
• Feed two times per a day.
• 3 day old PL can be stocked in rearing tanks.
Nov-20 29
• After stocking, we can feed them with soya
milk (1 kg soya for 100,000 PL per a day – this
should be given in two times).
• After feeding 4 days with soya milk, can start
feeding with FF 00 commercial fish feed (750g
- 100,000 PL per a day).

Nov-20 30
• There are 3 types feeds use for fish feeding
that are
– FF 00
– FF 03
– Broiler feed

Nov-20 31
• FF 00 is a powder form feed. It is given to fish
seeds. Also given for brooders of filter feeding
varieties (Sliver carp, Bighead carp, and Catla).
– Filter feeders have large mouth and well
developed operculum it is help to their feeding.
• FF 03 type feed is given to brooders of Rohu,
Mrigal, Grass carp and Common carp.
– It is in pellet form and it slowly go to bottom.
• Broiler feed is given to Tilapia and bottom
feeders.

Nov-20 32
 Harvesting
• In pond usually harvest fish by trawling net
• May use two wheel tractor to pull
• Size of the mesh may vary according to the
purpose

Nov-20 33