A Detailed Guide to High-Quality Loach Varieties and Farming Techniques

Loach is a fish of the family Cobitidae with exceptionally delicious meat, and it is a much-loved delicacy. It is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron and nucleosides. Eating it regularly can effectively boost the body's antiviral capacity and lower blood lipids and blood pressure, and people call it the "ginseng of the water." So what high-quality loach varieties are there? What are loach farming techniques like? Let's go and take a look!

1. What high-quality loach varieties are there?

⟦NL> 1. Northern loach

The northern loach, also called pike, nile gouzi or flower loach, is mainly distributed in areas such as the Irtysh River in northern Xinjiang. They usually live in clear, cold water bodies and feed mainly on crustaceans, insects and so on. The northern loach generally spawns from early May to mid-June, is quite numerous, and has delicate, tasty meat; people also often dry it into fish jerky to eat.

2. Chinese sand loach

The Chinese sand loach has a rather cute common nickname, "Chuanjin Mei" (Golden-Dressed Girl), and it is a species unique to China. Its appearance closely resembles that of the loach, and it often keeps company with mud and sand, so people also call it the sand loach. The Chinese sand loach has delicate meat and a delicious flavor, and therefore has high edible value. In addition, it also has high ornamental value. It has a slender body, rather gorgeous body coloration, and beautiful markings on its body surface, so the Chinese sand loach is also kept by people as an ornamental fish.

3. True loach

The true loach is the most common loach variety, with a very wide distribution range in China; whether in lakes, ditches, rice paddies, ponds or reservoirs and other freshwater waters, they can be found. The true loach has a cylindrical body shape and looks rather plump and full, so people also call it the "meat loach."

2. Loach farming techniques

1. Suitable growing environment for loach

The loach rearing environment should be chosen in a wind-sheltered, sunny place close to a water source. It is generally recommended that farmers choose a shaded, comfortable and quiet living environment.

2. Seed selection

Choose loach seeds that are robust in constitution, highly active, smooth on the body surface, and free of disease and injury.

3. Seed disinfection

Before stocking the seeds, it is best to soak them in 2%-3% salt water for 5-10 minutes to kill the pathogens on their body surface.

4. Stocking density

During loach farming, if the stocking density is low, it causes a waste of water resources, while if the stocking density is too high, it easily leads to disease in the loach. Generally, summer fry with a body length of 3-4 cm are stocked at 100-150 per sq m, and seeds with a body length above 5 cm can be stocked at 50-80 per sq m. When conditions are good, the stocking amount can be appropriately increased; otherwise it should be appropriately reduced.

5. Feed management

Loach is an omnivorous freshwater economic fish, and it especially likes to eat water fleas, tubifex earthworms and other plankton, but animal feed generally should not be fed alone, otherwise the loach easily overeats, the food is not digested, intestinal respiration is abnormal, and it dies from "bloating." Feed that is rotten, smelly or spoiled must absolutely not be fed, otherwise the loach is prone to diseases such as enteritis.

6. Water quality management

During farming, doing a good job of water quality cultivation is an effective measure for reducing farming costs. At the same time, it meets the physiological and ecological requirements of the loach, can make up for the shortcomings of incomplete nutrition and uneven feeding of artificial feed, and can also reduce the occurrence of disease and increase yield. After the loach is stocked, apply topdressing in good time according to the water quality conditions, so as to maintain a certain fertility of the water quality and keep the water body always in a lively and refreshing state.

In summary, if farmer friends want to farm loach, it is best to master professional farming techniques and management methods. We hope this article is helpful to everyone.

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