A Detailed Guide to Efficient and Practical Yellow Catfish Farming Techniques

The yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), commonly known as "yellow wax ding," typically weighs 200-300 grams. Its flesh is tender with few bones, its flavor is delicious, and it has no scales. It not only has nourishing properties but also holds relatively high medicinal value, with a market price of 20 yuan/kg.

I. Fry and Fingerling Rearing

1. Pond Preparation

Fry and fingerling ponds should ideally be 2500-4000 sq m, with a water depth of about 1.5 m. After clearing the pond and filling it with water, apply 300-500 kg of decomposed livestock and poultry manure per 667 sq m to cultivate plankton for the fry to feed on.

2. Fry Stocking

When large numbers of Daphnia appear in the pond, the fry can be stocked, generally at 40,000-60,000 fry per 667 sq m.

3. Feed Feeding

In addition to natural food organisms, paste-like feed should also be provided appropriately. Small fish and shrimp, snails and clams, and other animal-based feed can be processed into a paste and fed twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, with the evening feeding being the main one. The daily feeding amount is 2%-5% of the fish body weight.

4. Water Quality Management

Generally, change the water once every half month, replacing 1/4-1/3 each time, to keep the water fresh and lively and promote fry growth.

II. Adult Fish Rearing

1. Pond Conditions

Yellow catfish have strong adaptability and do not demand high water quality. Any earthen pond or cement pond with sufficient water sources, no pollution, and good water quality is suitable. The area should ideally be 300-2500 sq m, with a water depth of about 1.5 m. 10-15 days before stocking fish, apply 80-100 kg of quicklime per 667 sq m evenly across the entire pond to disinfect and sterilize. Three days later, apply 300-500 kg of decomposed pig and cattle manure per 667 sq m to cultivate natural food organisms, while filling with water to a depth of 50-80 cm. After 7-10 days, fingerlings can be stocked.

2. Fingerling Stocking

Generally, 2000-3000 yellow catfish fingerlings weighing 10-20 grams each can be stocked per 667 sq m of water surface, and they can grow into adult fish averaging about 150 grams by the end of the year. To make full use of water space and food organism resources and to facilitate water quality regulation, 600 silver carp fingerlings with a body length of 15 cm, 200 bighead carp fingerlings, and 200 one-year-old grass carp fingerlings can be polycultured per 667 sq m. Note that before stocking, fingerlings should be soaked in 3%-5% salt water for 10-15 minutes. The yellow catfish fingerlings should be stocked first, and other fingerlings 10-15 days later, to benefit the growth of the main cultured fish.

3. Bait Feeding

Since yellow catfish are omnivorous, in artificial rearing they can be fed animal-based bait such as small fish, small shrimp, snail and mussel meat, livestock and poultry processing scraps, and fish meal, as well as plant-based feed such as soybean cake, peanut cake, wheat bran, and soybean dregs. Artificial compound feed can also be used. A reference formula is: fish meal 15%, soybean cake 35%, wheat bran 30%, corn 5%, pagoda tree leaf powder 5%, barley 8.5%, growth hormone 1%, salt 0.5%. The daily feeding amount is 5%-7% of fish body weight. Adjust flexibly according to water temperature, water quality, weather, and the fish's feeding situation. Generally, feed once daily at 9-10 AM and once at 4-6 PM, with 1/3 of the amount in the morning and 2/3 in the afternoon. For grass carp polycultured in the pond, green feed can be given 1-2 hours before feeding the yellow catfish.

4. Water Quality Regulation

Generally, in May-June, add fresh water once every 15-20 days; in July-September, add water once every 7-10 days, adding 10-15 cm each time, maintaining a transparency of about 35 cm.