What do mandarin fish eat to grow up, earthworms or feed?
Mandarin fish, also known as the Chinese perch, is a relatively common fish species in our country, and it is quite popular because it is rich in protein, vitamins and trace elements. So what do mandarin fish eat to grow up? Earthworms or feed?
The species of bait fish for mandarin fish include: silver carp, bighead carp, mud carp, mud carp (Cirrhinus mrigala), Thai mud carp, crucian carp, common carp, etc. The feed conversion ratio is generally 4-5. According to the growth specifications and food intake of mandarin fish, use ponds 3-4 times the area of the mandarin fish pond to cultivate and produce sufficient bait fish to feed the mandarin fish.
Feed combinations required by mandarin fish at different stages:
1. Early-stage bait fish: in the pond preparing to stock mandarin fish, pre-stock 1-2 million fry (fish fry) per mu of silver carp, bighead carp, mud carp, mud carp (Cirrhinus mrigala), Thai mud carp, crucian carp, etc., as early-stage bait fish for mandarin fish. Feed coarse feed such as peanut bran and wheat bran. After 15-20 days of cultivation, when the bait fish grow to a body length of 1.5-2.5 cm, use 0.7 ppm copper sulfate and 0.5 ppm strong chlorine disinfectant for disinfection and insect removal, then 2-3 cm specification mandarin fish fry can be stocked for cultivation.
2. Mid-stage bait fish: in ponds of the four major Chinese carps, polyculture 200,000-300,000 fry per mu of mud carp, mud carp (Cirrhinus mrigala), Thai mud carp, etc. Special ponds can also be used to cultivate fry such as silver carp, bighead carp and crucian carp as bait fish for large-specification mandarin fish.
3. Late-stage bait fish: in addition to self-production for self-supply, they can also be purchased externally. The late stage of farming generally enters winter, and mud carp bait fish are prone to freezing to death, so some cold-tolerant bait fish such as silver carp, bighead carp and crucian carp should be cultivated and prepared in sufficient quantities to overwinter, to serve as reserve bait fish for mandarin fish in winter and spring.
Feed management:
1. Feeding: adopt the method of feeding bait fish at intervals. In the early and late stages of farming, feed once every 7-10 days; in the mid stage, feed about once every 5 days. The ratio of mandarin fish to bait fish should be maintained at 1:5-10. Too few bait fish will affect the feeding and growth of mandarin fish, while too many can easily cause oxygen deficiency and surfacing, which is unfavorable to the growth of mandarin fish.
2. Water quality management:
Add and change new water frequently, especially from June to September, add and change new water once every 5-7 days, 15-20 cm each time, so that the pond water remains fertile, lively, refreshing and tender, promoting the healthy growth of mandarin fish. Submerged plants such as eelgrass and Hydrilla verticillata can be planted around the pond to provide hiding places for the fish and also play a role in purifying water quality. Splash quicklime water once every 15-20 days, 15-20 kg each time. Turn on the aerator promptly and reasonably to increase the dissolved oxygen content of the pond water and prevent fish from oxygen deficiency. At the same time, some oxygen-increasing agents should be prepared to rescue fish when they surface due to oxygen deficiency.