How Do Rice Field Eels Reproduce? A Detailed Explanation of the Breeding Process and Methods

We have all eaten rice field eels; whether stir-fried over high heat or prepared in other ways, they are especially delicious. So do you know how rice field eels reproduce? Let's take a look!

1. How Rice Field Eels Reproduce

Rice field eels mainly reproduce by laying eggs. The spawning season of the swamp eel is roughly from June to August, and they generally develop at the water surface; both males and females have the habit of guarding the nest.

2. Steps for Raising Rice Field Eels and Earthworms Together in Flowing Water

1. Build the pond: Choose a place with flowing water year-round to build the pond. The pond is a cement pond; a pond area of 30, 50, or 80 sq m is all acceptable, the pond wall height is 80-100 cm, and an inlet and an outlet are set at diagonal corners, both fitted with anti-escape devices.

2. Pile soil: Pile several soil beds in the pond that are 1.5 wide and 25 cm thick. The distance between beds is 20 cm, and a distance of 20 cm is also maintained from the surrounding pond walls. The piled soil must be loam rich in organic matter, so as to facilitate earthworm reproduction and allow the rice field eels to burrow and hide.

3. Cultivate earthworms: After the soil is piled, keep the water depth in the pond at 5-10 cm, then place 2.5-3 kg of Taiping No. 2 earthworm stock per sq m of soil area, and spread a 4-5 cm thick layer of fermented cow dung on the surface of the beds to let the earthworms reproduce. After that, every 3-4 days, scrape off the upper layer of cow dung that the earthworms have eaten, and add 4-5 kg of new fermented cow dung per sq m. After about 14 days, the earthworms will have multiplied greatly, and the eel stock can then be introduced.

4. Stocking: The stocking density depends on the size grade of the eel stock. Calculated on the basis of the entire pond area, for those at 30-40 per kg, stock 4 kg per sq m; for those at 40-50 per kg, stock 3 kg per sq m. In this way, raising them from April to November gives a survival rate above 90%, with a size grade of 6-10 per kg.

5. Management: After the eel stock is introduced, keep the water depth in the pond at about 10 cm, and maintain a slight flow of water at all times. After that, every 3-4 days scrape off one layer of cow dung from the surface of the beds, then add 4-5 kg of fermented new cow dung per sq m, ensuring that the earthworms keep reproducing and are available for the rice field eels to feed on by themselves in the soil, with no other feed being given.