A Detailed Guide to Icefish (Noodlefish) Farming Techniques

The icefish is a translucent fish that can be farmed in both freshwater rivers and saltwater, with tender, delicious flesh that is very popular, and it has many common names. So today, let us walk you through icefish farming techniques!

1. Pond requirements

To farm icefish, the first step is to build a pond suitable for icefish growth. You can choose a pond that has been used for farming before, ensuring the pond water is clean, the site is sheltered from the wind, there is ample sunlight, and there is good drainage and irrigation capacity. Control the pond area and number according to the farming quantity, and the pond water depth must not be less than 2 m. There should be a certain amount of aquatic plants in the middle of and around the pond. Icefish are very fragile, so we cannot polyculture them with carnivorous and omnivorous fish, to avoid these fish attacking and eating the icefish. Disinfect and clean the pond three days before stocking.

2. Seedling cultivation

First, prepare a seedling cultivation pond, turn over the mud at the bottom of the cultivation pond, then carry out comprehensive and thorough disinfection before adding an appropriate amount of clean fresh water. Because icefish seedlings have relatively strong growth capacity, ordinary pond water cannot be used for cultivation, so fertilized water must be used. The young fish feed on rotifers and various nauplii, and begin feeding about 9 days after hatching. After they start feeding, bait must be put in promptly; if they do not eat for more than three days, it will lead to death. Therefore, before the young fish start feeding, sufficient fertilizer must be applied to ensure there is enough bait after the young fish start feeding. During the cultivation period, fertilizer should be applied frequently, and the amount of fertilizer should be controlled according to the water color and water volume, ensuring the transparency of the pond water is above 35 cm.

3. Adult fish farming

Adult fish have strong growth capacity, and their growth rate will also speed up noticeably. Therefore, fertilizer should be applied frequently to cultivate plankton. Well-rotted fermented farmyard manure can be used as fertilizer; control the application amount well and adjust it appropriately according to water quality and farming quantity. Then, during the farming process, prevent gasping for air at the surface, because icefish have very high dissolved oxygen requirements for growth. If icefish gasp at the surface and it is not dealt with in time, it may cause death on a large scale. When the surface gasping is severe, reduce the amount of fertilizer to avoid excessive plankton, change the water regularly, and use aeration equipment to increase oxygen in time.

4. Feeding management

The feeding habits of icefish change at a certain stage, gradually shifting from plant-based feed such as cladocerans to carnivorous feed. We should regularly observe the growth of the icefish. When we find that most icefish have a body length close to about 0.8-1 cm and a small amount of fish and shrimp in their stomach and intestines, it indicates that the icefish are already in the period of dietary transition. At this time, we should add an appropriate amount of small fish and shrimp smaller than the icefish to the feed to promote the growth of the icefish. Pay attention to the quantity of fish and shrimp to prevent overcrowding. In May-June, introduce an appropriate amount of pregnant freshwater shrimp; the young shrimp that hatch will be just right for the icefish to eat.

The above is the icefish farming technique we have compiled for you. We hope it can help you!