Key points of management measures for growing out golden apple snails
The management of the grow-out stage of golden apple snails is related to the economic benefits of farming them, so the management of the grow-out stage of golden apple snails must be handled well. So how should the grow-out stage of golden apple snails be managed?
1) Stocking density: generally 1000 young snails per square meter. In addition, 5 fingerlings of silver carp and bighead carp can be polycultured, but omnivorous and carnivorous fish must not be present. Aquatic plants such as algae, water hyacinth and Azolla should be grown on the pond surface for the river snails to eat, for shade from the heat and for habitat.
2) Water quality: the water source for farming river snails is best unpolluted water from rivers and ditches, because the water from these sources has a suitable water temperature and is rich in dissolved oxygen and natural food. During the feeding and management of river snails, the water depth can be kept at 30--40 cm, and it is generally required to change the water 2 times per week. The suitable pH value of the pond water is 7--8. When the pH value is low, apply 0.15—0.18 kg of quicklime per square meter, applying once every 10—15 days. When the pH value is high, apply 0.05-0.06 kg of dried chicken manure per square meter of pond, applying once every 10 days, for 2—3 consecutive applications. It is strictly forbidden to apply pesticides in the snail farming field, or to let water sources carrying pesticides flow in.
3) Topdressing in the grow-out management of river snails: for newly built farming ponds, before stocking river snails, 100-150 kg of decomposed compost can be applied per 100 square meters of pond to improve the soil. The method of making compost is: pile rice straw, quicklime and chicken manure layer by layer alternately on land, seal it with plastic film, and use it after it is fully decomposed. During the river snail farming process, a certain amount of farmyard manure should be applied as appropriate according to the water quality to breed plankton, so as to ensure that the river snails can often have sufficient natural food.
4) Prevention of escape: river snails have the habit of climbing over water to escape, so the escape-prevention facilities at the water inlet and outlet must be repaired frequently.
5) Prevention of natural enemies in the grow-out management of river snails: do not mix omnivorous and carnivorous fish such as common carp and black carp into the pond, so as to avoid harming the river snails. Birds, cats, rats, moles and other animals will eat or harm river snails, so measures must be taken to prevent their harm. (6) Harvesting in the grow-out management of river snails: after 1 year of careful rearing, river snails can generally reach more than 10 grams each. The pond can be drained for harvesting, and at the same time river snails with a large size can be selected as parent snails for breeding.