What should be noted when raising rice field eels in ponds in autumn?

Autumn temperatures are suitable, making it the peak growing season for rice field eels. To achieve high yield and high efficiency in pond-cultured rice field eels, autumn feeding and management must not be delayed.

Improving water quality

Keep the water depth of the eel pond at about 30 cm, promptly remove leftover bait and debris from the pond, and maintain the water quality “fertile, lively, tender and refreshing”, with clear water color, appearing light brown or tender blue, and changing frequently, so that the pond water remains fertile without becoming stale. Change the water once every 1 to 2 days, regularly apply quicklime to adjust the acidity and alkalinity, and control the pond water pH between 7.0 and 7.8. Controlling water temperature: the optimal suitable temperature for rice field eel farming is 24 to 28 degrees C. In early autumn, temperatures are relatively high, and direct sunlight on the water surface will cause the water temperature to rise rapidly, affecting the appetite of rice field eels, inhibiting their growth rate, and even causing disease and death. During this period, the water temperature should be controlled below 28 degrees C, and the following methods can be adopted. 1. Add water: when the temperature rises to about 35 degrees C, release 1/3 of the surface water and add fresh water. If conditions permit, it is best to use a small-flow continuous water supply. Fresh water should be added slowly, flowing into the pond in a thin stream over a period of time, with a temperature difference no greater than 2 degrees C. 2. Shade: build a shade shed above the pond, covering 1/3 to 2/3 of the pond surface. Grapes, loofah, hyacinth bean and other cash crops can be planted beside the pond, so that the pond water maintains a certain amount of light while avoiding excessively high water temperatures. 3. Plant grass: plant water hyacinth, water lettuce and other aquatic plants in the pond water, with the aquatic plant area controlled to less than half of the water surface. Place a small amount of tiles, tree stumps and other objects in the pond for rice field eels to rest, hide and escape the heat. Strengthen feeding: in autumn, rice field eels feed vigorously, so a supply of high-quality and sufficient feed should be ensured to promote rapid growth of the rice field eels. Eel bait should mainly consist of fresh bait such as earthworms, fly maggots, snail and mussel meat, and livestock and poultry viscera, supplemented with an appropriate amount of wheat bran, cake meal, melons and fruits and other plant-based bait. Animal bait is generally washed clean, soaked for 3 minutes in a potassium permanganate solution of 200 mg per kg of water, then rinsed clean with clear water and placed on a bait platform sunk about 3 cm below the water surface. Generally, the daily amount of fresh bait fed is about 8 percent of the body weight of the rice field eels, and the amount of dry bait is half that of fresh bait. It is strictly prohibited to feed polluted or spoiled and deteriorated bait. Feeding should adhere to the principles of fixed time, fixed location, fixed quality and fixed quantity, with special attention to the feeding amount. If the food intake of the eels decreases due to severe weather, the amount of feeding should be appropriately reduced. Guard against escape: if the weather changes suddenly, the eels will feel uncomfortable and restless and will seize the opportunity to escape, especially during thunderstorms or heavy rain at night, when the possibility of escape is greatest. Therefore, frequently check whether there are cracks in the pond walls and bottom, whether the net at the drainage outlet is intact, and whether the water depth is close to the overflow level.