What are the pond management methods for turtle farming?

As people's living standards continue to rise, turtles have gradually become one of the most common dishes, and have gradually made their way into major hotels and some ordinary restaurants; therefore, turtle farming has gradually become widespread.

Pond management methods for turtle farming  

1. Practice polyculture of turtles and fish, using fish to regulate the water and using high-quality water to raise turtles. Stock filter-feeding fish to control plankton and bottom-feeding fish to control organic matter. For each mu of water surface, stock 150-200 silver carp, 80-100 bighead carp, and 150-200 crucian carp or local pond catfish.  

2. Frequently add and change new water, and preferably maintain a slight flow of water. Turtles are very sensitive to water level; when changing water, note that the water temperature change must not exceed 5°C.  

3. When the air temperature drops, because first-year hatchlings do not have the adaptability for hibernation, they can be overwintered directly by using a simple plastic-film shed to let in light and raise the temperature. Pumping air from outside the shed film into the water with an air pump can increase the dissolved oxygen content in the water and prevent the stocked fish from gasping at the surface.  

4. Frequently remove and replant water hyacinth to keep the water clean; when removing and replanting, avoid turning the turtles over, which would affect normal breathing.  

5. Every 10-15 days, splash quicklime or beneficial microecological preparations to regulate and improve the substrate and water quality.  

6. Providing sufficient and nutritionally complete special feed is the primary condition for promoting stable and rapid growth of turtles, and is also the foundation and key to successful turtle farming.  

For feed selection, it is best to mainly use complete special compound feed for turtles, supplemented with a small amount of fresh, tender and clean plant-based bait. It can be fed at multiple points on the feeding platform at 6-7 a.m. and 5-6 p.m. each day, and the feeding time should be determined according to the season. The feeding amount is equivalent to 2%-5% of the turtle's body weight. Usually, external disturbance to the turtles should be minimized as much as possible, and the feeding habits of turtles should be fully followed to achieve reasonable, timely, sufficient and scientific feeding. 

What food do turtles eat  

The usual food for turtles can include: pork, mutton, animal offal, breadworms, earthworms, live fish, shrimp meat, dried small shrimp, vegetable leaves, rice, melons and fruits, and so on. Or go to a pet market to buy small fish and let the turtles catch and eat them themselves, so as to stimulate the turtles' desire to eat.  

For the meat foods fed to turtles, it is best to use raw meat, and for insect foods, it is best to use fresh and live ones. The raw meat fed should be soft in texture, with no salt or other salty substances added, and it is enough to ensure there is sufficient drinking water.

Precautions for using water to raise turtles  

During the rearing process, if there is a filter in the container, it is not necessary to change the water every day. Usually, replace 1/2 or 1/3 of the water every half month, then add fresh water. However, if the turtle is kept in a tank and also eats in the same tank, and the leftover food is difficult to clean up thoroughly or may pollute the water quality, then the frequency of water changes should be increased as appropriate. You can also change 1/3 of the water every day. If there is no filter, it should be determined according to how clean the water is.  

If the water is to be completely replaced, it is best to let tap water sit for one or two days to achieve the effect of dechlorination. Complete water changes are generally done once every 10-15 days in summer. If the water color is brownish green or blue-green, it indicates that the water is too “fertile”, and all the water should be changed promptly. From June to September, because the temperature is relatively high, water changes should preferably be carried out 3-4 hours after feeding. In winter, during the turtle's hibernation period, water can be changed less often or not at all. Rainwater is not necessarily clean; during collection and storage, a large amount of bacteria may multiply.

Types of turtle feed  

1. Nutritional supplement turtle feed can supplement the trace elements needed by turtles. When feeding live feed, nutritional supplements can be sprayed on the surface of the food, for example, spraying calcium solution on foods such as crickets and apples to prevent turtles from frequently getting sick due to a lack of trace elements.  

2. Special turtle feed is divided into plant-based feed and meat-based feed. Plant-based feed is suitable for feeding turtles that are mainly herbivorous. Feed for raising large carnivorous fish will also be favored by carnivorous turtles. Feed for goldfish, because it has a relatively strong smell and sinks, is suitable for use in the early stages of raising turtles. To prevent some large turtles from becoming obese, feed for raising koi can also be used.  

3. The main ingredient of dried turtle feed is dried products of some seafood, but this kind of feed contains too much salt; if it is only used as supplementary feed rather than as the main feed, that is also acceptable. Some river shrimp can be used often; many turtles like to eat this kind of feed.  

4. Live feed. This mainly includes small goldfish, river fish, small fish, shrimp, and also some insects such as crickets and grasshoppers. If some types of turtles mainly feed on insects, they are relatively difficult to raise, so insect foods can be used as their snacks.  

5. Vegetables and fruits. When feeding vegetables or fruits to those aquatic turtles, be sure to cut the vegetables and fruits into a size that can be swallowed in one bite. Otherwise, it will only pollute the water quality and prevent the turtles from eating. In addition, it should be cleaned up immediately after eating.  

6. Fish slices and meat slices. Meat and fish bought from supermarkets or fresh fish shops can be used, but at most they can only serve as supplementary food. When choosing fish, avoid those types that contain a lot of fat. For meat, parts such as intestines or liver can also be used, but they must be cut into a size that can be swallowed in one bite; otherwise, the water quality will deteriorate quickly.

In the process of farming turtles, the construction of a turtle farming pond is necessary, but when building a turtle pond, farmers should follow the principle of being economical and suitable; however, the management of the turtle pond still involves certain techniques and methods.