Seven Practical Tips for Loach Farming

1. Pond environment: The pond should be close to a water source so that the pond can be regularly refilled with water. Generally, a pond area of 1-3 mu is sufficient. The pond water depth should preferably be 50-60 cm, with a flat bottom and no silt. Take good anti-escape measures. For each mu, use 50 kg of quicklime mixed with 15 kg of bleaching powder to disinfect the pond.

2. Apply sufficient base fertilizer: Before stocking loach fry in the pond, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied to cultivate biological bait. Poultry and livestock manure can be used. Usually, the fertilizer applied is 10-15 kg per sq m. 3. Fry stocking: Stock 40-50 loach fry of 3-4 cm per sq m of water surface. When the loach fry are put into the pond, they need to be soaked in 3-5% salt water for 5-10 minutes to avoid diseases such as water mold. 4. Feeding: Generally, feed a compound feed with a protein content of 30%. The amount fed is about 4%-5% of the body weight of adult loaches. When the temperature reaches 25°C-28°C, loaches eat more, so appropriately feed a little more to help the loaches grow better and faster. When the water temperature is above 30°C or below 10°C, the feeding amount should be reduced accordingly. Adhere to the “four fixed” feeding principles, and generally feeding in the evening is best. 5. Water quality management: The pond water should preferably be yellow-green, with a transparency of 20-25 cm. When the water color turns tea-brown, dark brown, or the dissolved oxygen in the water is below 2 mg/L, change the water in time. Regularly use beneficial microbial preparations to keep the water quality fertile, lively, tender, and refreshing. 6. Daily management: Monitor the pond water temperature in real time. When the water temperature is above 30°C, add new water to lower the water temperature and increase the dissolved oxygen in the water. In addition, do a good job of patrolling the pond, and once a problem is found, solve it immediately. 7. Technical points and precautions: Anti-escape facilities must be complete, the quality of loach fry must be strictly controlled, feed inspection must be careful, waste is strictly prohibited, and water quality and diseases must be well controlled.