BD Fish Equipment

The Fish Site logo The Fish Site

Hatchery management and tilapia fingerling production

Genetics & breeding

Equipment

Production systems

Hatcheries

Education & academia

Lucy Towers

19 January 2015, at 12:00am

This guide from Infonet-Biovision provides easy to follow information on hatchery management and
tilapia fingerling production.

Although tilapia breed freely in ponds, it is important for farmers (producers) to consider using
properly produced fingerlings. They need to invest in hatcheries for fry and fingerling production.
Quality fingerlings in tilapia aquaculture are very important. For this reason it is advisable for farmers
to generate their own fingerlings if they can not ascertain the quality of those from other sources.
Poor fingerlings result in poor harvests.

Developing a hatchery will allow the farmer to have ready fingerlings whenever he needs them. As
long as the demand for fingerlings exists, a well-managed hatchery can turn out to be a good
business.

Three methods of tilapia fingerlings production are commonly practiced in Kenya. These are:

Open ponds (the most commonly used)

Tanks

Hapas (net enclosures) placed in ponds

For these methods, fry are collected from the spawning units and stocked into fertilized ponds for
rearing to the fingerling stage before they are stocked into grow out ponds.

Open Pond Method

This is the simplest and most common method of tilapia fingerling production in Kenya. A properly
constructed and well fertilised pond serves both for breeding and rearing fry. Brooders are stocked
into the ponds and allowed to spawn naturally. The brood fish are stocked at the rate of 100 to 200
kg/ha at a sex ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 (males to females). A female brood fish of 90-300 g produces as
much as 500 eggs per spawning. They should produce 6 - 15 fry/m2/month. To increase seed
production, use larger brooders. Brooders of 1 - 1.5 kg can produce 45 fry/ m2/month. For this case,
you need to harvest every 17-19 days.

Harvesting fry from the ponds is done every 15 - 21 days (More frequently where average water
temperatures are above 25C). The brooders can be used for 3 - 5 years. Fry harvesting should be
done by hand scoop nets along the edges of the pond to minimise pond disturbance and fry
mortality.

Tank-based hatcheries are relatively expensive to set up. The tanks should be circular in shape and
can be made of concrete, plastic, fibreglass or even metallic..

When using this method:

The tanks should be 1-6 m diameter and a water depth of 0.5-1 m.

Stock 100-200 g brooders at a density of 3-5/m2 at a sex ratio of 1 male to 2-7 females.

Feed using a 30-40% crude protein diet at a rate of 1-2% body weight/day.

Collect fry every 10-14 days

Yields of up to 400-3,000 fry/m2/month can be realised using this method.

An advantage of using the tank method is that they are easy to manage. On the other hand, tanks are
often relatively expensive to set up compared to ponds and hapas.
The 'Hapa' Method

A hapa is a cage like, rectangular or square net impoundment placed in a pond for holding fish for
various purposes. They are made of fine mesh netting material. The mesh size is such that the fry or
fish inside can not escape.

Hapas sizes vary but the ideal size measures 3 m long, 3 m wide, and 1.5 m deep.

When using hapas to generate fingerlings:

Stock brooders used should be weighing about 100 to 200 g at a ratio of about 1:5 to 1:7 males to
females.

Stock the brooders at a density of 4 - 5 brooders / m2.

Hapas should be inspected for fry every day

Remove the fry using a scoop net after two week and stock them into tanks, other hapas, or a
rearing pond.

Production in hapas range from 150 fry/m2/month to over 880 fry/ m2/month.

Feeding

Fry reared in a hapa should be fed 4 times/day on a daily basis until the fry reach the desired size
(5 g).

Use a diet in powder form at the rate of 5-10% of the total body weight per day.

Advantages of using this method are

Fry and brooders are easily handled

Production on a per unit area is high.

 Assurance of uniform fry of relatively the same age

Minimised lose of fry

Hapas can be set up in ponds stocked with fish

Disadvantages of the hapa method

Management is more demanding compared to the other methods

Mortalities may occur due to agressiveness during spawning

Feeding is a must

Hapas can be destroyed during stormy weather

Hapa material will degrade in sunlight and need replacing

Fish may easily escape if the hapa is damaged

Localised poor water quality is likely due uneaten feed and fish waste

Hapa mesh will get clogged limiting water circulation and need periodic scrubbing

Production of All-Male Fingerlings

Males-only fingerlings can be obtained by three methods:

Hybridization. Hybridization can be used to produce better results of males only. The hybrids can
then be subjected to hand sexing a sex-reversal treatment. Producing sufficient numbers of hybrid
fry maybe difficult because of breeding incompatibilities between the parent species.

Sex-reversal. Sex-reversal is more complicated and requires obtaining recently hatched fry and
rearing them in tanks or hapas where they are subjected to hormone laced feed for about three
weeks.

Manual sexing. Manual sexing (hand sexing) involves separating males from females by visual
inspection of the external urogenital openings. Secondary sex characteristics may also be used to
help distinguish sex. Reliability of sexing depends on the skill of the workers, the species to be sorted
and its size.
Experienced workers can easily sex 20-gram fingerling T.hornorum and T.mossambica, 30-gram T.
nilotica, and 50-gram T. aurea.

None of these methods is always 100 percent effective, and a combination of methods is
recommended.

Hormonal Sex Reversal

To do this, you need a tank-based or hapa-based hatchery that will allow fry to be collected at the
yolk sac or first feeding stages (no later than one week after they have been released from the
female).

Transferred healthy fry of uniform size to the tank or hapa where you will feed them with
hormone-laced diet for 21-28 days

The sex reversal feed is prepared as follows:

Mix 30 - 70 mg of hormone (methyl or ethynyl testosterone) in 700 ml of 95% neutral ethanol

Add 700 ml of hormone solution to each kg of finely ground feed then mix thoroughly and dry. At
this stage you may add any needed supplements

This feed should be kept under refrigeration if it is not going to be used immediately

Feed the fry at a rate of 10 - 30% of body weight per day, at least four times a day for 21 - 28 days.

The fry must eat this feed to sex-reverse

Tilapia males are preferred for culture because they grow faster than females. Females use
considerable energy in reproduction and do not eat when they are incubating eggs.

Males only culture permits the use of longer culture periods, higher stocking rates and fingerlings of
any age. High stocking densities reduce individual growth rates, but yields per unit area are greater. If
the growing season can be extended, it should be possible to produce fish of up to 500 grams.
Expected survival for all-male culture is 90 percent or greater.A disadvantage of male mono-sex
culture is that female juveniles are discarded.
Females included in a population of mostly male tilapia affect the maximum attainable size of the
original stock in grow-out. A stocking rate of 2/m2 is commonly used in Kenya to achieve yields of
1kg/m2. At this stocking rate the daily weight gain will range from 1.5 to 2.0 grams. Culture periods
of 6 months or more are needed to produce fish that weigh close to 500 grams. There are cases in
Kenya where stocking densities of 6 juveniles/m2 is practiced with a production of up to 3kg/m2.
Higher stocking densities will require water aeration and sub-optimal feeding rates may have to be
used to maintain suitable water quality.

You might also be interested in:

How to Construct a Semi-intensive Pond for Aquaculture

How to Achieve Good Water Quality Management in Aquaculture

January 2015

This article was taken from Infonet-Biovision.org.

Genetics & breeding

Equipment

Production systems

Hatcheries

Education & academia

More articles on freshwater fish

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty

11 Jul 2017

A programme to assist 3.5 million people to exit poverty and reduce the number of people suffering
from deficiencies in essential micronutrients by 2.4 million has now been launched.

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty thumbnail image

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture

07 Jul 2017
Following the successful debut of the World Aquaculture Societys debut conference in sub-Saharan
Africa, The Fish Site spoke to Niels Lundgaard, Commercial Director of Africa for Aller Aqua Group
w

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture thumbnail image

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre

06 Jul 2017

A new and upgraded testing centre that will conduct research into larval and juvenile shrimp and
tilapia nutrition and health has been opened by INVE in Chonburi, Thailand.

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre thumbnail image

View more

More articles on tilapia / cichlids

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty

11 Jul 2017

A programme to assist 3.5 million people to exit poverty and reduce the number of people suffering
from deficiencies in essential micronutrients by 2.4 million has now been launched.

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty thumbnail image

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture

07 Jul 2017

Following the successful debut of the World Aquaculture Societys debut conference in sub-Saharan
Africa, The Fish Site spoke to Niels Lundgaard, Commercial Director of Africa for Aller Aqua Group
w

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture thumbnail image

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre

06 Jul 2017
A new and upgraded testing centre that will conduct research into larval and juvenile shrimp and
tilapia nutrition and health has been opened by INVE in Chonburi, Thailand.

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre thumbnail image

View more

Our sponsors

CID LINES logo

Biomin logo

Helm logo

Evonik logo

Aquaculture UK logo

Gael Force logo

MSD Animal Health logo

Breeding and Genetics logo

INVE logo

St Andrews University logo

Fish Vet Group logo

Partners

e-learning

Nutriad

Related news & articles

Offshore giant looks to aquaculture

25 Jul 2017
Vard is looking to build more vessels for the aquaculture and fisheries industries, during the current
slump in North Sea offshore oil & gas production.

Offshore giant looks to aquaculture thumbnail image

Are smarter fish happier fish?

21 Jul 2017

There is increasing evidence that farmers can augment brain growth in their fish by mimicking
aspects of their natural habitat in farm sites. But, from a welfare point of view, are bigger brains a
ble

Are smarter fish happier fish? thumbnail image

Europe's first farmed yellowtail nears commercial launch

21 Jul 2017

One of the planets most sought-after sashimi species could hold the key to profitable land-based
aquaculture, according to the head of Kingfish Zeeland.

Europe's first farmed yellowtail nears commercial launch thumbnail image

Genetic breakthrough in disease-resistant seaweed search

17 Jul 2017

Research conducted into the genetic make-up of a resilient red alga has taken scientists a step closer
to breeding disease-resistant seaweed.

Genetic breakthrough in disease-resistant seaweed search thumbnail image

More

BD Fish Equipment

About us

Sustainable Aquaculture Magazine

Aquaculture UK

Subscribe to our newsletter

 Contact our team

Advertise with us

Write for us

More from 5m

5m Publishing logo

Terms & conditions

Privacy & cookie policy

2000 2017 5m Publishing, Benchmark House, 8 Smithy Wood Drive, Sheffield, S35 1QN, England.

5m Enterprises Inc., Suite 4120, CBoT, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL, 60604-2900, USA. A
Benchmark Holdings plc. Company

No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.

Co. Registration 3332321 VAT No. 100 1348 86

Biomin - THE STATE OF PHYTOGENIC FEED ADDITIVES IN 2017

The Fish Site logo The Fish Site

Tilapia Cage Farm Management In Brazil

Post-harvest

Economics

the Fish Site Editor

20 November 2010, at 12:00am

Much of Brazils expanding tilapia aquaculture takes place in floating cages with sturdy frames and
nets made from plastic-coated steel or polypropylene. This study by Alberto J. P. Nunes, from the
Instituto de Cincias do Mar Labomar, looks at tilpia cage farm management in Brazil. Written for the
Global Aquaculture Advocate.

Although larger cages are also used, most cages have small volumes up to 20 m3 that support high
stocking densities and intermittent harvesting without overstressing the fish. Earthen ponds may be
used for the nursery of fry, but compartments in cages are more common. Size grading is a major
management component.

Tilapia were first brought to Brazil in 1953, but only over the past decade has tilapia farming grown
to commercial scale. Since 1999, the industry has expanded at an average annual growth rate of 18
per cent. In 2009, the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture reported the tilapia harvest was
133,000 mt. Over the years, Brazilian farmers have used a number of tilapia strains, starting with the
Florida red and more recently the genetically male tilapia. Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus,
Chitralada strain, brought from Thailand in 1995, has established itself as the main strain farmed in
the country. Much of the tilapia aquaculture takes place in floating cages near many of Brazils
coastal areas.

Cage Characteristics

Brazil holds about 10 million ha of freshwater in dams, rivers, lakes and man-made reservoirs.
Floating cages have become the most popular system for rearing tilapia in Brazil in areas with
suitable water quality, flushing rates and water depth.

Tilapia cages are simple to build, inexpensive (US $400 for a 6-m3 cage) and easy to manage. Cages
are usually constructed with rigid or flexible nets made from plastic-coated galvanized steel, stainless
steel or synthetic fibers such as polypropylene.

Steel nets are more widespread, as they better resist predatory fish such as the piranhas found in
some inland areas in the country. Cage frames are made from stainless steel or galvanized steel.
Strong, long-life, high-density polyethylene frames are less widely available and more costly, but
have become the choice of farms that operate with medium-volume cages.

In sites close to shore, stationary cages are spaced 2 to 4 m apart in groups and docked with
anchoring poles fixed inshore. Otherwise, submerged chains and ropes attached to concrete bottom
weights are used as mooring systems. To facilitate daily management, many farms now adopt
walkways made from wood attached to empty barrels or plastic containers.
Most cages used for tilapia rearing have small volumes of 4 to 20 m3. These can be round or square
in shape with heights not greater than 2 m. The cages can safely operate with high stocking densities
(starting at 120 kg tilapia/m3) due to rapid water exchange.

Since much of Brazils tilapia sales are domestic and retail, small-volume cages allow the harvest of
fewer quantities of fish without imposing stress on the greater stocked population. As cages move
beyond 10 m3 in volume with monthly harvests exceeding 10 mt, farms require a moderate level of
capital investment and cash flow, and scale harvests for consistent sales and production flow.

Tilapia farms that operate with cages beyond 300 m3 in volume are sometimes vertically integrated
from fingerling production to fish distribution. They operate with processing plants and sales
contracts that require the harvest of large volumes of tilapia at a time. In larger-volume cages, final
stocking densities are reduced to 60 kg of fish/m3. They have the disadvantage of poor flexibility and
maneuverability, but on the other hand, can represent significant savings in labor force.

Nursery

Sex-reversed tilapia are usually sold to growout farms as fry with wet body weights between 0.2 and
0.5 g. A thousand tilapia fry cost US $30 to $45, depending on quality, location and availability. When
available at short distances, some farmers prefer acquiring juvenile fish of 10- to 30-g weight,
although their prices may exceed $80/1,000 fish. At this stage, fish mortality can be significantly
reduced and the growout cycle shortened.

Earthen ponds may be used for the nursery of Chitralada fry prior to stocking in cages. However,
cages equipped internally with flexible 5-mm mesh nets are usually more common, as they facilitate
fish handling and transfer to growout cages. In cages, it takes five to eight weeks to grow 0.5-g fry to
30-g juveniles, depending on stocking density, feed and water quality.

Size Grading

Tilapia growth can vary widely within the same stock, especially when the fish are subjected to high
density. This is in part due to genetic differences, but also because of competitive interactions among
fish. Some fish outcompete others for feed and consequently grow faster. As a result, size grading
becomes a major management component of tilapia cage farming.

When tilapia are transferred to different cages, it also allows moving the stock to clean units with
larger mesh sizes, which promotes greater water exchange within the rearing unit. From 5-mm mesh
sizes, 10-g fish are usually moved to cages with mesh sizes of up to 15 mm. Then 30 to 200-g tilapia
are held within nets of 15- to 25-mm mesh. The mesh on nets for fish larger than 200 g is 25 mm or
wider.

Grading frequency depends on a number of variables, including the targeted fish size at harvest,
number of cages available on site, stock size variation, degree of prevalent stress and health status of
the stocked population. Many farmers target tilapia above 900 g in weight to achieve premium
prices. For this fish weight, grading can be carried out two to three times in a production cycle
(Figure 1).

During the rainy season, when fish become more susceptible to disease outbreaks, there is a
reduction in tilapia stocking density as well as grading frequency. When size grading is adopted, final
tilapia body weight variation can be reduced from 40 per cent at initial stages to about 15 per cent at
harvest time. Tilapia are often sorted into four size categories, with the smallest, most challenged
fish removed as early as possible since their delay in growth can not be recovered during the
production cycle. Fish are usually sorted manually by eye, but in large operations, this procedure can
be mechanized.

Figure 1. Example of a tilapia size-grading strategy over a normal production cycle.

Feeds, Feeding

Cage-farmed tilapia in Brazil receive only extruded diets. Feed protein content, pellet size and
suggested feeding rates may vary according to the feed manufacturer. Fish feeds tend to be high in
protein content at initial stages and drop as fish attain larger sizes (Table 1). Growout and finishing
feeds are usually 32 per cent in protein content and may represent up to 80 per cent of all feeding
costs at a cage farm. Feed costs to produce a 1-kg tilapia can range US $1.10-1.30/kg of fish
harvested. As such, feed management is critical to the economics of a cage operation.

To determine maximum ration sizes, farmers usually follow suggested rates from commercial feeding
tables. However, rations are adjusted on a daily basis depending on fish appetite. In small-volume
cages, rations are never delivered in full amounts. Initially, fish can be fed only half of the calculated
ration. The remainder is offered if the first ration is fully consumed within 30 minutes after
distribution. After this period, uneaten feed can be oversaturated with water, and the heavier pellets
exit the confined feed area, leading to feed loss.

Cage operations equipped with walkways allow more detailed inspections of feed consumption. They
facilitate feed handling and storage, and promote feed delivery to as often as 8 times/day during
growout compared to three times when distributed from feed boats. Walkways also allow the
collection of fish debris and more frequent clean-up of feeding rings or net curtains.
Fish Weight Crude Protein Particle Size Feeding Rate

< 0.1-5.0 g 40-45 per cent < 1 mm 10.0-18.0 per cent

5.0-30.0 g 40-45 per cent 1-2 mm 6.0-10.0 per cent

30.0-100.0 g 35-40 per cent 2-4 mm 3.0-6.0 per cent

100.0-200.0 g 30-35 per cent 4-6 mm 2.5-3.0 per cent

200.0-500.0 g 30-32 per cent 6-8 mm 2.0-2.5 per cent

500.0 g-1.2 kg 28-32 per cent 6-8 mm 1.5-2.0 per cent

Perspectives

Tilapia cage farming will continue to grow quickly in the years to come in Brazil to reduce the
increasing domestic deficit of fisheries products in the country. Tilapia are mostly marketed fresh and
degutted at weights of 700 to 900 g. Farm gate prices range US $2.00-2.80/kg.

Today a great proportion of Brazils tilapia production is consumed in the countryside, but the fish
are also now found in large supermarket chains, restaurants and fish markets all over the country. As
capture fisheries continue to decline in Brazil and more city residents learn to appreciate tilapia,
increasing demand will further drive new entrepreneurs into tilapia aquaculture. In this new
scenario, medium-size cages and more mechanized practices will emerge to keep pace with large-
scale production and more-efficient operations.

November 2010

Post-harvest

Economics

More articles on freshwater fish

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty

11 Jul 2017

A programme to assist 3.5 million people to exit poverty and reduce the number of people suffering
from deficiencies in essential micronutrients by 2.4 million has now been launched.

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty thumbnail image

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture

07 Jul 2017

Following the successful debut of the World Aquaculture Societys debut conference in sub-Saharan
Africa, The Fish Site spoke to Niels Lundgaard, Commercial Director of Africa for Aller Aqua Group
w

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture thumbnail image

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre

06 Jul 2017

A new and upgraded testing centre that will conduct research into larval and juvenile shrimp and
tilapia nutrition and health has been opened by INVE in Chonburi, Thailand.

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre thumbnail image

View more

More articles on tilapia / cichlids

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty

11 Jul 2017

A programme to assist 3.5 million people to exit poverty and reduce the number of people suffering
from deficiencies in essential micronutrients by 2.4 million has now been launched.

Aquaculture will help millions escape poverty thumbnail image

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture

07 Jul 2017

Following the successful debut of the World Aquaculture Societys debut conference in sub-Saharan
Africa, The Fish Site spoke to Niels Lundgaard, Commercial Director of Africa for Aller Aqua Group
w

Feeding the needs of African aquaculture thumbnail image

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre

06 Jul 2017
A new and upgraded testing centre that will conduct research into larval and juvenile shrimp and
tilapia nutrition and health has been opened by INVE in Chonburi, Thailand.

INVE invests in shrimp, tilapia research centre thumbnail image

View more

Our sponsors

Biomin logo

Gael Force logo

Helm logo

Breeding and Genetics logo

Aquaculture UK logo

St Andrews University logo

CID LINES logo

Evonik logo

INVE logo

MSD Animal Health logo

Fish Vet Group logo

Partners

Nutriad

e-learning

Related news & articles

Alaska fish factor: salmon prices soar

17 Jul 2017
As predicted, Alaskan fishermen are getting higher prices for their salmon this year. Its good news
following a 2016 season that saw lackluster catches in all regions but Bristol Bay, a failure of pi

Alaska fish factor: salmon prices soar thumbnail image

Urchin confidential

11 Jul 2017

Samantha Andrews blind tastes sea urchin roes on behalf of The Fish Site.

Urchin confidential thumbnail image

The rise of the seafood robots

09 Jul 2017

Robots are cutting up snow crabs in Canada, a sign of things to come in the seafood processing
industry.

The rise of the seafood robots thumbnail image

Codfish creamsicles, anyone?

03 Jul 2017

Salmon ice cream scoops Alaskan seafood award.

Codfish creamsicles, anyone? thumbnail image

More

Biomin - THE STATE OF PHYTOGENIC FEED ADDITIVES IN 2017

About us

Sustainable Aquaculture Magazine

Aquaculture UK

Subscribe to our newsletter

Contact our team

Advertise with us
 Write for us

More from 5m

5m Publishing logo

Terms & conditions

Privacy & cookie policy

2000 2017 5m Publishing, Benchmark House, 8 Smithy Wood Drive, Sheffield, S35 1QN, England.

5m Enterprises Inc., Suite 4120, CBoT, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL, 60604-2900, USA. A
Benchmark Holdings plc. Company

No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.

Co. Registration 3332321 VAT No. 100 1348 86

Previous Page Table of Contents

APPENDIX A. COURSE SYLLABUS AND NOTES GIVEN TO FARMERS

1 INTRODUCTION

There are about 5000 fish farmers in Western and Nyanza Provinces with about 7000 fish ponds.
These ponds require about 3 million fingerlings each year.

There are not enough high quality fingerlings for all these ponds.

Importance of high quality fingerlings: faster growth, bigger fish, better production from the pond, a
better financial return for the farmer.
Government and LBDA FPC's are not capable of supplying everyone, there is a very high cost of
transport. This can be avoided by local supply.

In countries where fish farming is developed, private enterprise supplies most of the fish fingerlings.
Government farms keep a good supply of quality brood stock for replacement, do research, and in
our case, will supply catfish fingerlings.

Selling fingerlings is a good source of income for farmers, but the fingerlings have to be of good
quality or there will be no buyers.

1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE.

To teach the principles of how to raise quality fingerlings.

To give practical experience in how to handle fish and fingerlings.

To supply, if the farmer wants, basic material for fingerling production and sale to other farmers can
be supplied on credit through the Project Revolving Credit Scheme.

At the end of the course, you will be given a certificate for attendance which will help you in selling
to other farmers in your region.

If you wish to supply fingerlings to other farmers, the Project will send a specialist to your farm to
verify that you have good quality broodstock and are capable of supplying quality fingerlings to other
farmers. The project will help in identifying clients, and use you as source of fingerlings to other
farmers.

2 CHOICE OF SPECIES

There are many kinds of fish that can stay in a pond, but only a few of them are good fish for farming.
From experience all over Africa, people have found that the tilapia fish, T. nilotica is one of the best
fish for pond farming.
2.1 WHY T. NILOTICA?

Nilotica is a fast grower. It can reach 250 g in eight months in a fish pond.

It is a fish that spawns easily in a pond so there is no problem to get small ones for restocking your
pond after harvest, as should be done in a well managed pond.

It feeds on many things that are in the pond, rice bran, manure, plankton, leaves, and insects.

It is a strong fish, and can be easily transported.

It is a healthy fish and does not get sick very easily.

2.2 WHAT IS WRONG WITH OTHER SPECIES?

There are many other fish that look a lot like nilotica that people have tried to raise in small ponds.
What is confusing is that from the lake, there are often big fish of these different kinds. This does not
mean that they grow fast. Some of the fish from the lake may be 5 years old when they are caught.
Many of these fish will not grow well in a small fish pond.

These fish are different, the same difference between a cow and sheep, a mouse and a dog. The
problem is that even if they look about the same, many of these fish do not grow very fast, and some
never get big at all.

Tilapia zilli, the reddish black one with white lips, does not grow fast. It will stunt in a pond, and have
lots of small fish when it is only a few inches long.

Most fish farmers who have problems with the choice of fish in their ponds are using haplachromis
species. These remain very small in fish ponds, they look like small tilapia so it is difficult to chose
them.
2.3 HOW TO TELL NILOTICA FROM OTHER SPECIES.

T. nilotica can grow up to 60 cm in length, and weigh over 5 kg. The colour is usually blue/grey, but
they can change colour with the back ground. Mature males often have a red colouration especially
around the head, mature females become a bit yellow.

The easiest way to tell nilotica from others is by the following:

blue/grey colouration

narrow black stripes all across the tail.

Small nilotica have a dark spot along the dorsal fin, this soon disappears as they grow and is gone
completely when they are adults. There are often some black spots on the tail end of the fish when it
is young. Do not use this to identify nilotica as most tilapia have the same spots.

3 NATURAL SPAWNING

When the fish are about 100 g, or the size of a child's hand, they become mature and can spawn. In a
pond, they can spawn at 50 g.

3.1 DETERMINATION OF SEXES

The males sexual organ is a long, white, thin protuberance with a small hole at the end, this is located
at the end of the intestinal cavity of the fish.

For the female, the opening is a cross cut at the same place.

To effectively sex fish, they have to be at least 25 g. Smaller fish are very difficult to tell the sexes
apart, and you shouldn't try as there will be too many mistakes.
3.2 NEST BUILDING

The male will build a nest that looks like a bowl. They build the nests in 40 cm of water. The male
stays in the nest and changes to a red and white colouration. This is a signal to the female that he is
ready to spawn. When a ripe female passes by, she will enter the nest and they will spawn.

Males are very aggressive in defending their nests, and will chase away other fish from the nest.

3.3 SPAWNING AND FERTILIZATION

When the female enters the nest, the two fish start swimming in circles. The female drops a few
eggs, and the male passes over them and fertilizes them. As the female comes around again, she
picks them up in her mouth. Spawning usually takes place at night. The whole process takes about 15
minutes.

After the female has shed all of her eggs and collected them in the mouth, she leaves the nest. The
male will be ready to spawn with another female. After about 2 weeks, the male gets tired and
abandons the nest. He will be ready to spawn again in a few more weeks, and will build another nest
in a new spot, or fix up the old nest.

3.4 INCUBATION

After spawning, the female spends the next few days incubating the eggs in her mouth. The female
changes to a yellow colouration with black stripes on the side. The lower jaw swells up to hold all the
eggs and becomes yellow.

The eggs hatch in 2 or 3 days depending on the temperature, but the new fish still have a yolk sac
and can't swim. In about 2 more days, the fish are ready to swim on their own.

3.5 CARE OF FISH FRY BY FEMALE

The female continues to take care of the small fish by keeping them safe in her mouth. The small fish
swim close to the mother, and when there is any danger, she snaps open her mouth and all the fry
swim into it for safety.

After about 5 days, the mother lets the fry go, and then they are on their own.

4 MANAGEMENT OF BREEDING PONDS

There are two main ways of managing a breeding pond. In both ways, there are many things in
common.

4.1 FERTILIZATION AND FEEDING

Fish in a pond are not like chickens in a compound where they can roam around and find their own
feed. The farmer has to feed the fish, or they will not grow and reproduce, and there will be nothing
but a few small fish at the time of the harvest.

4.1.1 IMPORTANCE OF MANURE

Manure is the key to producing lots of small tilapia. The manure works as a fertilizer for the pond,
and the fertilizer helps to grow the things that tilapia will feed on.

Manure is the easiest and best way to get good production from a fish pond, and it is strongly
recommended. The more manure, the higher the production.

4.1.1.1 KINDS OF MANURE

Chicken manure is highly recommended. It is very concentrated, and one needs less of this than
other manures. Cattle manure is not as strong, and one has to add a lot more of it to get a good
effect. Pig, sheep, goat, rabbit, etc. manure is also good.
Other things act as manure. Waste from killing cattle (blood, rumen contents) is very good for
producing fish.

4.1.1.2 RATES OF APPLICATION

The following rates for manure application are for 100 m2 of fish pond. These are the optimum rates.
Do not go over this as this will be too much and you might kill the fish. Even if you don't use this
much, use as much as you can find up to these limits.

Chicken: 1 litre pure manure/day/100 m2, 3 l poultry litter.

Pig: 1 bucket per day

Cattle: 2 buckets /day

Goats, sheep, rabbits, etc: 1 bucket per day.

Manure should be broadcast over the entire pond so it will work as a fertilizer.

4.1.2 COMPOST CRIB

If you can't get enough manure, use what is called a compost crib. This is made by pushing sticks into
a corner of the pond so as to make a pile of compost.

4.1.2.1 WHAT GOES IN

In a compost crib, you can put things that take a long time to decompose and turn into fertilizer.
Unlike manure, compost takes several weeks to rot to the point where it can be used as fertilizer.
Leaves, rotten vegetables, chicken intestines, grass, cassava peels, banana peels, maize stalks and
leaves, wood ash, etc. can all go into a compost crib.

This compost crib works as a complement to the manure, not as a replacement. You should do both.

4.1.2.2 MANAGEMENT OF THE CRIB

Once a day when you visit the pond, take a stick and stir up the compost in the crib. This will help it
decompose faster. Keep adding material as it decomposes.

4.1.3 FEEDING

There are many feeds that are good for feeding nilotica. In addition to the manure which feeds the
fish by growing their own food in the pond, the farmer can make his fish grow faster and increase
production in the pond by giving food directly to the fish.

4.1.3.1 KINDS OF FEED AND FEEDING RATES

Rice bran, wheat bran, or maize bran are all good feeds for fingerling production.

Feeding rates: Bran should be given at a daily rate of 0.25 kg (1 kimbo) for every 100 m2 of pond. This
is enough to feed 20 males, 60 females, and their fingerlings.

Other feeds can be leaves (sikumuwiki), cabbage, or other spoiled vegetables. These are not nearly as
good for the fish as rice or maize bran, and should only be given in addition to the bran.

If it is available, you should feed the fish with spoiled omena, or dried shrimp from the lake. This is
the best food of all, but should be mixed with rice or maize bran. You don't need much, even 1 kg a
week will make a big difference in the way your fish grow.

4.1.4 STIRRING THE POND BOTTOM

Raking or disturbing the bottom to stir up the nutrients and manure over about of the pond daily
at 10:00 am will greatly increase the survival rate of the fish in fingerling ponds.

4.2 POND SIZE, DEPTH

Breeding ponds can be small. The minimum size is about 80 m2, and the biggest that is useful is
about 250 m2. If they are smaller, there is too much problems with predation, the fish tend to stunt
out, and the results are not very good. With bigger ponds, they are very hard to manage and net the
fish with only 2 or 3 people to help you.

T. nilotica spawns in water depth of 40 cm. An ideal spawning pond has this depth over most of the
pond area.

4.3 STOCKING RATIO

Breeding fish should be stocked at a ratio of 3 females to 1 male, 4 fish per 5/m2. This means that in
a pond of 100 m2, there should be 20 males and 60 females.

4.3.1 FISH SIZE

Fish for breeding should be about 75 to 100 grams when you stock them. They will grow in the pond,
and they will last at least 1 or 2 years when used for breeding.

5 MANAGEMENT LEVEL 1. USING ONLY 1 POND FOR FINGERLING PRODUCTION

There are two levels of management for fingerling production. In this first method, only one pond is
used for fingerling production.
Fish are stocked in one pond at the same ratio as above. The fingerling producer will seine out the
fingerlings when there is a client, and keeps the rest of the fingerlings along with the brood fish in a
pond.

5.1 ADVANTAGES

only one pond is necessary.

if you are only producing fish for your own ponds and perhaps one or two other farmers, this
management will produce enough for your needs.

5.2 DISADVANTAGES

the number of fingerlings produced over 1 year is not that much. If you are going to be producing
fingerlings for many farmers, you need to follow the second management method.

when fingerlings stay in the same pond with the brooders, there are many things that happen to
lower production.

The small tilapia are cannibals and eat the newly hatched fry.

Small fish eat much the same food in the pond. If there are too many fingerling in the pond, when
the newly hatched fingerlings start looking for food, there isn't enough for all the fingerlings and the
new ones die.

If there are a lot of fingerlings in the pond, the adults won't breed as much as in a pond with no
fingerlings.

6 MANAGEMENT LEVEL 2. USING 2 OR MORE PONDS FOR FINGERLING PRODUCTION

With this method, there are 2 or even 3 ponds used for fingerling production. There is the breeding
pond, and then one or more fingerling ponds.

After stocking the breeding fish, the farmer waits 6 weeks. The fingerlings are netted out and the
breeders returned to the pond. The fingerlings are about the same size and are all transferred into
one of the fingerling ponds. After 2 to 3 weeks, the breeding ponds are seined again and the
fingerlings either added into the first fingerling pond or into a second one. This process continues for
about 1 year; every 2 or 3 weeks, the fingerlings are removed from the breeding pond and placed in
a separate fingerling pond.

The fingerling production will start off slowly, and then increase for about 3 months. After this, it
starts to fall off. Anywhere from 6 months to a year later, it is necessary to drain the breeding pond
completely, check on the number of brood stock left, and then restock and start again.

Fingerling ponds are fed and fertilized just as the breeding pond.

6.1 ADVANTAGES

There is a much higher production of fingerlings from the breeders.

When the farmer wishes to sell fingerlings, he just has to net them from the fingerling pond and
supply them directly to the client. There is no need for disturbing the breeders.

When the farmer stocks the fingerling pond, he can count them so he knows about how many he
has for sale.

Be careful with this. The number of small fingerlings you put into a fingerling pond will be less than
what you finally sell. To be safe, figure that only half will survive.

6.2 DISADVANTAGES

The farmer needs several ponds to do this successfully.

 Even if there are no clients to buy the fingerlings right away, the farmer has to continue to net the
ponds every 2 or 3 weeks to keep the breeding ponds fully productive. This means that the fingerling
ponds become filled with lots of fingerlings of different sizes.

Fish that have been in the fingerling ponds for over 3 months should be removed as they will have
become stunted. Stunting means that even at a small size, the females are ready to breed.

Male fingerlings, no matter how old they are, can still be grown into good sized fish. A population
of fingerlings that is 3 months old in the fingerling pond should be sexed; the males sold or reared,
and the females disposed of.

7 FISH HANDLING

The major problem with dealing with fish fingerling production and sales is that there is a lot of
necessary handling of the fish. There are a few facts about fish that the farmer must keep in his head
at all times. If you forget the way fish live and stay healthy, you will kill them. If you know what you
are doing, there is no problem with catching, sorting, sexing, and transporting fish.

7.1 BASIC FISH PHYSIOLOGY

The following are the things that the farmer has to keep in mind to successfully raise and sell
fingerlings.

7.1.1 OXYGEN

Fish need to breathe just like people. They need oxygen, which is a major part of the air that we
breath. Instead of lungs, fish have gills, but they do the same job.

For the fish to breathe, there must be a lot of fresh air (and oxygen) stirred into the water. It
dissolves in water just like salt.
There are two ways that air (oxygen) gets into the water. One is through green plants and algae in
the water. When the sun hits the plants, they grow and produce oxygen that is then available to the
fish.

The second way that air gets into the water is through stirring and contact with the air that we
breathe. By stirring, shaking, or mixing the water, air gets dissolved in to it.

If there is no air in the water, then the fish will suffocate, just as if you were to put your head under
the water.

When fish lack air, you will see them come up to the surface of the pond or bucket and gulp air
down. If they can't do this, they will die.

7.1.2 WASTE MATERIALS

As fish are breathing, they release CO2 and ammonia through the gills. This can build up in the water
and kill the fish. Another thing that is released by fish is their waste. Some of this waste is a poison to
the fish, and if there is too much of it, it will kill them.

In a fish pond, there is no problem because there are bacteria and plants that use these poisons as
fertilizer, and they are taken out of the water and don't harm the fish.

However, once the fish are taken out of the pond and put into a container such as a bucket, there is a
much higher concentration of waste materials and there is a chance that this can poison the fish.

7.1.3 STRESS

When fish are frightened, there heart beats faster, they breathe faster, and they run around and use
a lot of energy. This is called stress. There is more CO2 and ammonia released, and this makes the
water go bad quickly. The fish are also very weak and they can die from being over tired.

7.1.4 TEMPERATURE
A fishes body takes on the same temperature as the water around it. In hot water, the fish is hotter,
and his whole body speeds up. As the water is cooler, the fish is slower, and his heart rate is less.

There is more air (oxygen) in the water when the water is cooler. There is less air as the water warms
up. Since the fish are more active in warm water, and there is less air in the water, warm water can
be dangerous to the fish.

Because the fish takes the same temperature as the water, there can be a problem if there is an
abrupt change in temperature, from hot to cold, or cold to hot. Fish can die very quickly if you
change the temperature of the water too suddenly.

7.1.5 INJURIES

Fish have a complex skin. There is the skin it self, covered with scales. These help protect the fish
from injury. On top of the scales is a mucous membrane that help protects the fish from disease. If
this is disturbed, then the fish is open to infection.

You can disturb this membrane by touching the fish with dry hands. The mucous comes off in your
hands, and the fish is then in danger of getting sick. Always use wet hands and nets to touch the fish.

7.2 NEED FOR CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

The farmer always has to keep in mind the environment where the fish are living. This is the most
important part of keeping fish healthy particularly when you are handling them.

7.2.1 CLEAN WATER

Use as clean water as possible. Muddy water will kill the fish quickly. For buckets, containers, and
transport cans, get water from the inlets or from another pond when handling fish.
7.2.2 WATER MIXING AND CIRCULATION

When fish are in a confined place such as a bucket or transport container, the most important thing
to keep in mind is the mixing of water and air. The water and air can be mixed by motion, the water
splashing around in the container as the vehicle or bicycle moves. Don't worry about the fish being
moved around. They don't mind.

If the fish are in a bucket, you can mix the water with your hand by splashing it around. This will help
keep the fish from being stressed.

In a long transport of over 1 hour, it is possible to change the water in a stream.

7.3 COUNTING

When counting fingerlings, keep your hands wet. If you are counting a lot of fingerlings, (over 400), it
is better to use a tea strainer or scoop net to estimate the number. This method is much faster, it
doesn't stress the fish as much as counting 1 by 1, and is very accurate. One can always give an extra
scoop to make up for any mistakes.

When you are going to transport fish for sale, the fish should be counted in the presence of the
farmer at your farm as you put them in the containers for transport. Don't try to count the fish when
you arrive at the farmers pond for stocking. The fish are very tired and stressed after their transport,
and you may kill them.

7.4 SEXING FINGERLINGS

If the farmer raises all male fish, they grow much faster then if they are mixed with the females.
There is some demand for all male fish, but the fingerling supplier must sell these for more than
mixed fingerlings because of the wasted females.

7.4.1 SIZES
Tilapia fingerlings can be sexed if they are about 20 g in size. Below this, it is very difficult, and too
many mistakes can be made.

7.4.2 WHAT TO DO WITH FEMALES

One big mistake that fish farmers make is to keep the female fingerlings and try to raise them. The
females only grow about as fast as the males, they will breed in the pond and fill it with small fry.
The same pond where the females are kept could be used for fry production or production of table
size fish. Don't try to sell female fingerlings to other farmers. Since they won't grow fast, the farmer
will be discouraged, he will think you cheated him (which you did).

It is a good idea to keep a few (5 or 10) of the best looking, biggest and healthiest females for
replacing breeding stock. The rest should be disposed of as soon as possible.

Female fingerlings should be sold for consumption, eaten by yourself, or dried, pounded, and fed to
the male fish or breeding pond.

8 PENS AND CAGES

Another good way of handling fish in a pond is through the use of pens or small cages. The
environment for the fish is good, there is less stress, and the farmer has several hours to work with
the fish with out killing them.

8.1 DESIGN AND PRINCIPLE

A cage or pen is a simple basket or container made out of fish net. The idea behind this is that the
open mesh allows clean water with oxygen to circulate among the fish in the pen, so they are not
stressed.

The fish themselves stir up the water in the pen and mix this water with fresh water from outside the
pen.
8.2 PLACEMENT IN THE PONDS

Pens should be placed near the inlets of the ponds to insure that clean water is circulating through
them.

If this isn't possible because of the distance, etc. then the pen should be placed away from the bank
again to allow for the best water circulation.

9 USING NETS TO CATCH FISH IN A POND

The only practical way to catch fingerlings and fish from a pond is through the use of a net. Nets are
expensive, but if they are properly cared for, they can last several years.

9.1 GENERAL CARE OF FISH NETS

There are 3 things that will destroy fish nets.

Sun light. If left for a long time in the sun, the nets become very weak. If a net is left in the sun for
10 days, it will loose about half of it's strength and tear easily.

Wetness. If the nets are put away when they are still wet, they will rot. If a wet net is put away,
with in 1 month it will be completely ruined.

Rats/mice. Rats and mice are attracted to fish nets by the smell of the fish. They can chew holes in
the net.

To keep nets properly, after each use, the net should be washed in clean water so there is no fish
smell on them. The nets should be dried in the shade, not in the sun. When completely dry, the nets
should be hung up in a place where the rats and mice will have a difficult time getting to them.
No matter what you do, your fish net will get holes in it. These should be patched as soon as you see
them. There is nothing more wasteful then pulling a torn net with holes through a fish pond. You
stress the fish, you miss a lot of them, and you have to net the pond many times instead of just a few
times.

9.2 HOW TO CATCH FISH SAFELY IN A POND

Most fishing nets are used to kill fish, and they are designed to do just that. For fish farming, the
opposite is true; the farmer wants to keep his fish healthy, alive, and with out any injury.

When handling broodfish and fingerlings with a fish net, it is best to think of the net as a large pen or
cage. You pull the net through the pond to concentrate the fish into a smaller pen made out of the
net.

After pulling the net through the pond, the net should be held in a place where the water is clean
and there is good circulation. The fish should have enough room to move around so they are not
suffering. A good place is near the water inlet.

It is important to seine carefully. Stretch the net down the middle of the pond and pull the net from
the middle of the pond to the sides. Don't pull the fish out of the water with the net. Keep the net in
the water with all the fingerlings, brood stock, tadpoles, etc. so there is good water circulation.

Work quickly! Remove the brood stock and return to the pond immediately. Lift out the fingerlings
with a small scoop net, estimate their number, and transfer them immediately in buckets to the
fingerling production pond or into the transport container.

Seine the shallow end of the pond first, then both sides working down toward the deep end. Don't
attempt to catch all the fish in the pond at once - do it in small portions.

10 TRANSPORT

Transport of fingerlings is fairly easy if the farmer keeps in mind the basic principals of keeping fish
alive and healthy.
10.1 CONTAINER DESIGN

Transport containers are designed to allow as much contact with the water and air as possible. They
are strong enough to be carried on a bicycle.

Metal containers will rust. Dry them carefully.

10.2 IMPORTANCE OF CIRCULATION

For the fish to survive during transport, the water must splash around in the container. If the water
isn't splashing enough with the motion of transport, then the person transporting the fish must
splash the water by hand.

10.3 IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURE

Cooler water is best. If it is very hot out, it might be a good idea to wrap the container in a wet sack
to keep it cool. Keep the container in the shade as much as possible.

You can transport more fish more safely if the water is cool. If it is warm, put less fish in the
container.

10.4 TIME/DISTANCE LIMITS

Fish can safely be transported for about 1 hour in a container if the water is clean and cool. On a
bicycle, this means about 15 km.

11 STOCKING IN GROW OUT PONDS

When the fish arrive at the pond that is to be stocked, the first thing to do is check the temperature
of the pond and the water in the container. If they are about the same, then pour the water and fish
quickly from the container into the fish pond.

If the water in the pond is much colder or much warmer, take a small bucket and start mixing water
from the pond into the container, pouring the water so there is a lot of air mixed in with it. Do this
for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then release the fish into the pond.

In most cases, the temperature shock will not be enough to kill the fish if they are poured directly
into the pond. You risk killing the fish more by keeping them in the transport container too long.

12 BUSINESS ASPECTS OF FRY SALES

Selling tilapia fingerlings to other farmers is a good business and the fish farmer can make good
money doing this. Normal business practices are the same.

Supply what the farmer wants. Give good quality fingerlings, and your reputation as a supplier will
grow, and you will have more business. Give poor quality fingerlings (mostly females, stunted fish,
wrong species) and you will have no clients.

Don't sell what you don't have. Before taking any money, be sure you can deliver what was paid
for.

12.1 KEYS TO SUCCESS

The key to successful fry production is enough feeding and manuring. Fish do not enjoy weekends
and holidays and should be feed every day.

12.2 PROBLEMS

In the wild, there is a very heavy mortality of small fish fingerlings. Nature takes care of this by the
fish producing large numbers of small fish per adult.
At fish ponds, the biggest problem is birds. One large bird can eat 50 fingerlings a day. Don't just
watch them, chase them off. They can be caught by using fish hooks and a small, live fingerling. Keep
the grass around the ponds slashed to help keep away snakes and other predators.

12.3 RECORD KEEPING

All fish farmers should keep records on the farming activity. This is particularly true if you are
producing and selling fingerlings.

12.3.1 WHY KEEP RECORDS?

The records will tell you how you have been doing, if it is worth your time, and above all, how to
improve. Many farmers think that if they keep records on the financial returns of their farm, they will
be somehow taxed or made to pay.

This isn't true. With fish farming and fingerling supply, if the farmer is successful and can prove it by
his records, there is a good chance that he can be helped further. This might mean bank loans, loans
to expand the business, help from the project in improving production, referring new clients to him,
etc.

In the absence of good records, it is very difficult for anyone to help.

12.3.2 WHAT RECORDS TO KEEP?

Keep records on the following:

pond stocking; dates, numbers.

pond feeding and fertilization; when did you feed or fertilize, how much did you put in, how much
did it cost.
 seining records: how many fingerlings were taken out of a pond (breeding pond or fingerling pond)
and what day.

sales: who got the fingerlings, how much did he pay, what problems if any.

12.4 SALE PRICES

Once the ponds are constructed, producing fingerlings is not very expensive. The only recurring costs
are feeding and perhaps some labour to help in seining. The project now sells fingerlings at the below
prices:

mixed male and female tilapia fingerlings: Ksh 1.00 / piece

all male fingerlings : Ksh 2.00 / piece

Transport charges using a vehicle are Ksh 1.00 / piece, but with this charge, we insure that the
fingerlings arrive safely or we replace them for free.

We have no control or say over what the private producer charges for his or her fingerlings. Please
note, however, if you charge more than this, the farmer will most likely come to project centres to
get his fish supplies. If you charge less, he will prefer to come to you.

APPENDIX B: FISH TRANSPORTING CANS

NOTES:

Material Used: Galvanized Steel

Cost: Kshs. 700.00

 Holding handles to fit four fingers

Previous Page Top of Page

Home

Business

Seeds of Gold

With circular cages, we keep over 200,000 fish

Friday June 17 2016

Michelle Mbeo (centre), Gilbert Mbeo (right)

Michelle Mbeo (centre), Gilbert Mbeo (right) and Ronald Cruz (left), at the Lake View Fisheries
hatchery in Mfangano Islands. They produce 200,000 monosex tilapia fingerlings monthly, which they
hatch and rear in cages in Lake Victoria. PHOTO | ELIZABETH OJINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

Each cage has four nets in total. One that holds the fish, another that keeps water predators at
bay, the third one holds feeds so that they do not spill out while finally the outer one covers the
cage, preventing predators like birds.

They get over 100,000 fingerlings per month, which are sold to farmers from Sh5 to Sh10,
depending on their sizes.

Their company was recently ranked third under the Small and Medium-Size Enterprise category
during the Green Innovation Awards by National Environment Trust Fund.

Farmers need licences and permits to practice cage fish farming.

Advertisement
By ELIZABETH OJINA

More by this Author

The water rises up and down creating beautiful waves as the wind blows soothingly from the lake.

Standing on the shores of Lake Victoria at Ramba Beach on Mfangano Island, Homa Bay County, one
appreciates the beautiful work of nature.

It is on this magnificent beach that a family has taken cage fish rearing to a new level.

Jutting out of the waters are two circular cages, which Thomas Wafula, the cage manager at Lake
View Fisheries Ltd that owns them, says are made from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) material in
a technology mostly applied in mariculture.

Wafula is dressed in a black wetsuit, a mask and a scuba tank ready to begin work on inspecting the
cages.

After a 10-minute motorboat ride, he reaches the two cages.

Related Content

A lesson on keeping fish from students

Get the tips, from fish farming to rearing indigenous chicken

How I burnt my fingers keeping the wrong breed of fish for two years

Group finds room in ponds for marine fish

Soon, he plunges inside the waters of one of the cages and after about five minutes, he re-emerges
showing a thumb sign, an indication that all is fine.
I do this every day in both cages to inspect them, feed the fish and check on how they are doing. We
feed the fish three times a day, at 9am, 2pm and 5pm, says Wafula, noting that besides the circular
cages, the farm also has a tilapia hatchery, two metal cages and 31 ponds.

With a capacity of 25 tonnes, the circular cages that are covered with a green net, have a diameter of
20 metres and depth of 6 metres.

Each cage has four nets in total. One that holds the fish, another that keeps water predators at bay,
the third one holds feeds so that they do not spill out while finally the outer one covers the cage,
preventing predators like birds, explains Wafula.

The farm keeps a total of about 200,000 fish in the cages, half of the figure in each.

We start by hatching the fingerlings using the re-circulation technology from a breeding stock of
2,000 tilapia that produce over 100,000 mono-sex fingerlings in a month, says Dr Gilbert Mbeo, 34,
one of the directors of Lake View Fisheries, noting they sell the fingerlings to farmers from Sh5 to
Sh10, depending on the size.

BIG CAPACITY

Ronald Cruz, an aquaculture expert and the farm manager, says they collect the tilapia breeding
stock from various fish farms in the region and from the lake.

Once the fries are about a month old, we transfer them to the nursery where we feed them with
mash and small pellets for two months until they reach 5g. We then transfer them to the circular and
metal cages.

He notes the circular cages have large capacity compared to square ones. The HDPE cages can
withstand strong ocean or lake waves that often damage such structures, he offers.

The farm stocked the circular cages, which cost about Sh1 million each and were erected in the lake
in February, with mono-sex tilapia fingerlings in April and they expect to harvest in September at
400g when they would have matured.
The company has two such cages each with capacity of 5 tonnes of fish.

Michelle Mbeo, a co-director of Lake View Fisheries feeds the fish in the metal cages. The company
has two such cages each with capacity of 5 tonnes of fish. PHOTO | ELIZABETH OJINA | NATION
MEDIA GROUP

According to Cruz, they mainly feed the fish on floating pellets which they import from Israel due to
low quality feeds in the market, making them mature at six months, instead of eight.

They have been harvesting from earthen ponds and the other two square cages measuring 4m by
4m, with a stock density of 7,000 fish each.

We sell the fish at Sh300 per kilo. On the other hand, processed fish from which intestines and
scales have been removed, goes for Sh600 a kilo, offers Dr Mbeo, adding they sell the fish to hotels
and traders in Mbita, Kisumu, Kakamega and Nairobi.

They harvest using hand nets that are cast inside the cages and ponds, an exercise that is normally
done very early in the morning when the fish are mobile.

Our first harvest from the two square cages was in February where we got 10,000 tilapia fish, says
Cruz, noting they plan to increase the total number of cages to 52 with targeting production capacity
of 10,000 tonnes of fish in the next five years.

PIONEER AQUACULTURE ENTERPRISE

Lake View, according to Dr Mbeo who works as a neurologist in the US, but was recently in the
country on holiday, spends Sh500,000 on feeds per month both for the hatchery and cages.

We use approximately 250 and 400 20kg bags in the hatchery and cages respectively.

Dr Mbeo says he and his sister started the agribusiness in 2013 on small-scale out of passion for fish,
and have managed to turn it into a pioneer commercial aquaculture enterprise using latest
technology.
We visited Mfangano Island, our ancestral home, sometimes in 2010 and went back to the US with
several ideas to pursue. My brother, Gilbert, has always been passionate about fish farming, chips in
Michelle Mbeo, the co-director, who works at an information technology firm in the US.

Through research, the siblings have learned a lot about pond and cage fish farming.

We realised that in a small area in the lake, we can keep a large number fish using the cages
compared to the ponds, says Michelle, 35, adding they have 31 employees and they do a lot of
video-conferencing to know what is happening on the farm.

Thomas Wafula, the cage manager at Lake View Fisheries Ltd, dives to inspect the cages where the
fingerlings are kept.

Thomas Wafula, the cage manager at Lake View Fisheries Ltd, dives to inspect the cages where the
fingerlings are hatched and bred. PHOTO | ELIZABETH OJINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Their efforts are paying off as the company was recently ranked third under the Small and Medium-
Size Enterprise category during the Green Innovation Awards by National Environment Trust Fund, a
state corporation charged with spurring sustainable development. She admits that keeping fish in
cages is an expensive venture.

DWINDLING STOCK

We started the fish venture with a capital of about Sh100,000, then mainly keeping fish in ponds.
We then brought in our parents and pumped in more cash from our savings to go into cage farming,
says Michelle, noting expensive feeds are one of their biggest challenges.

They later injected more money that went into getting right licences and permits from National
Environment and Management Agency, community sensitisation, construction of a hatchery, more
fish ponds, administration block, training staff and buying necessary machinery and feeds.

Dr Tsuma Jembe, a senior Research Scientist at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, says
cages curb over-fishing rampant in the lake, which has led to dwindling tilapia stocks.
When using cages, one should watch the depth of the water, circulation of water currents,
temperatures, and oxygen level to enable fish to breathe. Watch for the maritime routes. That way
you dont block vessels, he explains, noting farmers need licences and permits to practice cage fish
farming.

****

Other side

Diseases to watch out for

Bacterial tail and fin rot are common diseases which attack fish reared in both ponds and under
the cage system.

Fin rot is associated with polluted and unsanitary conditions in hatcheries.

Though bacteria are the causative agent of tail and fin rot, pathogenic protozoans and fungi may
be involved.

Related Stories

19/6/2015

A lesson on keeping fish from students

Carrying a fishnet and a bucket in his right hand, Edwin Kidas, a Form Two student at Lions Day High
School in Kisumu County leads his colleagues to the institutions fish pond.

7/8/2015 Get the tips, from fish farming to rearing indigenous chicken

29/8/2014 How I burnt my fingers keeping the wrong breed of fish for two years

10/4/2015 Group finds room in ponds for marine fish

14/11/2014 Fisherfolk cast aside nets for hoes to fight hunger

by Taboola
Sponsored Links

You May Like

Grace Kahaki On Her "Explosive" New BeginningsShowmax.com

This invention is going wild on the internet. The effect? GeniusECOCUT pro

The Ultimate Way to Save on Hotelstripsinsider.com

Flight Prices You're Not Allowed to SeeSave70.com

Flight Prices You're Not Allowed to See.Save70.com

Get Your Showmax Free Trial VoucherShowmax.com

In the headlines

Uhuru, Ruto defend military

President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses Nyamira County residents

Ruto tells Nasa leaders to stop rushing to courts if they have no political support.

Embattled Trump replaces chief of staff

A combined picture of former White House Chief

Scaramucci publicly described Priebus as a "paranoid schizophrenic" in a foul-mouthed tirade

IEBC denies Aukots claims on ballot papers

Wafula Chebukati: Were ready for polls

How presidential ballots will be tracked

10 die in road accidents in Kisii and Narok

Nasa dossier on plot to 'rig' polls - VIDEO

NLC defends title deeds revocation

Seeds of Gold

Farmer by night

Seeds of Gold

Why not become wildlife vet? It can be adventurous journey

Seeds of Gold

French beans turn villagers export farmers

Seeds of Gold

Ask your Agronomist: Understanding blend and compound fertilisers

Seeds of Gold

Vet on call: Watch out for this harmless pig disease

Seeds of Gold

Diary of a Poultry Farmer: Light management for layers from week one

Seeds of Gold

Grooming your best chicken for the show

LATEST NTV VIDEOS

NASA raises fresh allegations on KDF involvement in poll rigging

Step by step voting process explained before August elections

IEBC chair says KIEMS kit will reduce cases of fraud

NASA and Thirdway Alliance claim their agents found ballot papers already printed

Mandago endorses ODM ward aspirant

Watch More Videos

Contact Us FAQ E-papers About Us Business Daily Daily Monitor Nairobi News NTV The Citizen The
EastAfrican

By Taboola

Home
About Us

Products & Methods

Services

Activities & Projects

Affiliates

Contact Us

More

ALPHALAPIA

FISH FARMING CONSULTING, FISH MARKETING & TURNKEY PROJECTS FOR Tilapia, Catfish, Carps

Cages Tilapia fish farming

By: Uri Ben Israel an Aquaculture expert

Raising fish in cages is a successful system used in many parts of the world. It has replaced the
traditional fish-growing method of earth ponds. Its advantages are well recognized and it is widely
spread all over the globe. The first and most important advantage is the unlimited amount of water
surrounding the cages. This unlimited water supply provides vast amounts of oxygen and running
water, which is necessary for productive fish farming. In addition to that, the financial investment in
such a system is much lower. This system of cages is simpler in daily operation in comparison to any
other commonly used method of growing fish.

Site Selection and Placement of Cages

Large bodies of water tend to be better suited for cage culture than small ponds, because the water
quality is generally more stable and less affected by fish waste. Exceptions are entropic waters rich in
nutrients and organic matter. Small (1 to 5 acres) ponds can be used for cage culture, but provisions
for water exchange or emergency aeration may be required. Cages should be placed where water
currents are greatest, usually to the windward side. Calm, stagnant areas should be avoided.
However, areas with rough water and strong currents also present problems.

Cages may be moored individually or linked in groups to piers, rafts, or lines of heavy rope suspended
across the water surface. At least 5 meters should separate each cage to optimize water quality. The
cage floor should be a minimum of 4 meters above the bottom substrate, where waste accumulates
and oxygen levels may be depressed. However, greater depths promote rapid growth and reduce the
possibility of parasitism and disease.
Grow-Out

The optimum fingerling size for stocking in final grow out cages is determined by the length of the
growing season and the desired market size. The shorter the growing season, the larger the
fingerlings must be at stocking. The use of male populations, which grow at 30-40% the rate of
female populations, will result in larger fish, greater production and a reduction during the grow-out
period.

Recommended stocking rate of tilapia fingerlings depends on cage volume, desired harvest size and
production level, and the length of the culture period.

Water exchange is less frequent in large cages, and therefore the stocking rate must be reduced
accordingly to fish size.

In tropical or subtropical regions with a year-round growing season, a staggered production system
could be used to facilitate marketing by ensuring regular harvests, e.g., weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
The exact strategy will depend on the number of cages available and the total production potential of
the body of water.

Anchor
Daily Operation

The cage system is serviced by a number of floating elements. The work between the cages is
performed using motorboats. The use of motorboats serves several purposes: stocking fish into the
cages, harvesting fish from the cages, extracting fish to the processing plant, transferring fish
between the cages, feeding the fish and a vast number of other activities requiring movement
between cages and shore. In addition, the motorboat is used to move the whole cage to the shore
for harvesting, restocking or net preparation.

Stocking and harvesting fish can also be done by using special fish tanks on the service boats that
contain water with oxygen, which comes from a special bottle of oxygen. The extraction of the fish is
done part by hand and part by mean of a special device for the extraction of fish called the
Archimedes Screw (Fish Elevator).

At a central point in the lake a wharf will be located to serve the cages by the boats. The wharf will
be the main service point which will concentrate all cage related matters such as loading and
unloading of food sacks, fuel station, repair and maintenance of the cages, exit point for the divers
and a place to tie up the boats at night, and to leave extra floating technical elements.
From time to time, when the cages are emptied of fish, the nets will be transported to shore and
washed in a specially designated facility. The fish farm will be serviced by a number of divers whose
role will be to watch for damage to the cages, repair the nets in case of tears caused by predators or
by any other causes.

fish Harvesting

Contact Us

Growing fish in Cages system

Mooring System Diagram

Share

Elevator for fish harvesting

Total production
Total production in cages increases as the stocking rate is increased. However, there is a density at
which tilapia become too crowded and water quality within the cage deteriorates to a point that
causes a decline in growth rates. In cages, production should be limited to 30 -50 kg per cubic meter.
Tilapia continues to grow above these levels at gradually decreasing rates, but they convert feed
poorly, and the risk of loss due to oxygen depletion or disease is greater. For maximum turnover of
marketable fish, it is best to limit production to levels that do not depress growth. The total number
of cages that can be deployed in a lake and therefore total fish production, is primarily a function of
maximum allowable feeding rate for all cages in that body of water. The total feed input is related to
number and size of fish in the cages (the biomass) and is limited by surface area of the pond.

Cages advantages and disadvantages

Some advantages are:

Flexibility of management

Ease and low cost of harvesting

Close observation of fish feeding response and health

Ease and economical treatment of parasites and diseases

Relatively low capital investment compared to ponds and raceways

Some disadvantages are:

Risk of loss from poaching or damage to cages from predators or storms

 Less tolerance of fish to poor water quality

Dependence on nutritionally-complete diets

Leveling turned over This may occur when anaerobic material flows up from the bottom of the
lake, increasing toxic chemicals and lost of oxygen in the water.

The cage has three main parts. The outer part which floats on the water surface is made from 2-3
HDPE tubes. The diameter of the tubes is 250mm and they compose the upper floating base (as seen
in the pictures) to which the fish growing net is tied.

The second component is the net, where the fish are kept and grown. The net is completely
submerged under water in a depth as determined by the farm's requirements.

The third component is the mooring system located at the bottom of the lake which anchors the
cage system to the designated location above water surface. The mooring system is anchored to the
bottom with heavy anchors (as illustrated below). Out of this anchoring system are a number of
cables protrude which connect to the cages and thus anchor the cage so that it cannot move. This
system is designed to withstand strong winds and large waves. A number of mooring systems will be
placed in several locations in the lake. Each of the systems will carry 24 cages. Each system will be
named so it will be characterized and identified by the farm's computer.

Copyright 2016 Alphalapia All Rights Reserved. 2, Kfar Tavor, Israel Tel: +972 52-555-
4731 Mail: uribenis@gmail.com
 SHPiGEL

Wix Facebook page

Wix Google+ page

Web site buildier and SEO for UK and SA