How Do Tilapia Overwinter? A Detailed Guide to Farming Methods

Tilapia is a freshwater fish with relatively good sales these days, and it is very simple to raise in normal times, without requiring farmers to worry too much. As long as you feed it on a fixed schedule and in fixed amounts every day and change the water in time, it is fine. But once winter comes, feeding management needs to be strengthened, otherwise the tilapia will die in large numbers, because winter temperatures are relatively cold and not very suitable for tilapia growth. So many farmers get especially worried whenever winter approaches, and some even net out and sell the small tilapia to reduce losses. So today Qinong Net will teach everyone how to farm tilapia in winter.

1. Feed in appropriate amounts

Once winter comes, the constitution of tilapia declines, and its immunity becomes very poor. In particular, the cold resistance of tilapia is very weak, so as winter approaches we should feed the tilapia an appropriate amount of food, at least so that it has a relatively good body before overwintering. This can improve its cold resistance to a certain extent. During this period we mainly feed nutritional feed. After entering winter, the appetite of tilapia becomes smaller, and generally we only feed on clear days, so that they can eat a little more to maintain their strength and get through the winter.

2. Water quality regulation

We all know that in normal raising, the water in the pond cannot be too deep; it is generally about one to two meters. But in winter we need to raise the water level appropriately, so that the water temperature at the bottom of the pond stays at around 18°C, so that the tilapia will not freeze to death. Second, we should apply fertilizer to the pond in appropriate amounts, so as to ensure the fertility of the water and the number of plankton in the pond. As winter is about to pass, there will be a large number of parasites and bacteria in the pond, so at this time we need to sterilize and kill insects in the pond, so as to prevent bacterial infection in time. If we find dead tilapia, we need to take timely measures, replace the pond water, refill it with new water, and then carry out insulation treatment.

3. Insulation management

In winter, the most important thing for tilapia is insulation treatment. Generally, we dig a well beside the pond. We all know that well water is warm in winter and cool in summer, so this is very helpful for tilapia farming. During overwintering, we can inject the water from the well into the pond, which can raise the temperature of the pond water to a certain extent. Second, build windbreak walls around the pond, which can block the effect of wind on the water temperature at the bottom of the pond. Third, we can set up a frame and use relatively light-transmitting plastic film, which can also reduce bacterial infection, achieving two goals at once. Finally, plant some floating plants in the pond, which can purify the water quality and maintain the water temperature to a certain extent.

4. Feeding medicated bait

Of course, since the cold resistance of tilapia is weak, its body functions weaken in winter, so in normal feeding we can feed an appropriate amount of medicated bait for strengthening the constitution. This can improve the constitution of the tilapia to a certain extent, at least so that it will not freeze to death so quickly in winter. So we generally mix Chinese herbal medicine with feed and then feed it, continuously for about four or five days, and basically there will be no big problem.

5. Reasonable density

Winter temperatures are relatively low. When farming, net out some tilapia that can be sold. If they are all about the same size, then they should be divided into ponds for raising, because once winter comes, the oxygen at the bottom of the water is not as plentiful as usual, and fish must have sufficient oxygen to live. The oxygen in the pond cannot satisfy such a large number of fish, so generally we need to divide the number normally raised into two groups and raise them separately, which can reduce the mortality rate of tilapia to a certain extent.