How much do pomfret fry cost? A detailed guide to farming methods

Pomfret is the collective name for near-shore, mid- and lower-water fish of the order Perciformes, family Stromateidae, also known as mirror fish, flat fish, and changhougui, among others. It shows seasonal migration, feeds on small fish, jellyfish, diatoms, and other organisms, and has tender flesh and rich nutrition. Its edible benefits include replenishing qi and nourishing blood, tonifying the stomach and enhancing essence, lubricating the joints, and strengthening the tendons and bones. Its farming prospects are very broad. Below, let us take a look at pomfret fry prices and farming methods!

How much does one pomfret fry cost?

Note: Pomfret is a large fish of tropical and subtropical regions that serves both as food and as an ornamental fish. The price of its fry varies greatly depending on the fry variety, specification, market, and purchase quantity, among other factors. The above prices are for reference only. Please rely on the actual price when purchasing.

What farming varieties of pomfret are there?

1. Silver pomfret: Silver pomfret is a warm-water, mid- and lower-water fish. It usually disperses and inhabits waters with slow currents at a depth of 5-110 m. It is active in the upper and middle water layers in the morning and at dusk, likes to gather in groups in shaded places, and forms more concentrated schools during neap tides. It is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region.

2. Golden pomfret: Golden pomfret is a warm-water, upper- and middle-water fish. It inhabits the tropical, subtropical, and temperate sea areas of the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. It has a relatively large body size and generally does not form large schools. In spring and summer, it migrates from the open sea to coastal waters, and in winter it migrates again to the deep-water areas of the open sea.

Farming methods for golden pomfret

1. Fry selection: Artificial breeding technology for golden pomfret is already quite successful, so the fry are relatively uniform in size. It is enough to select fry that are robust and lively, with an intact body, normal skin color, and large specification. The ideal size for farmed fry is generally around 5 cm.

2. Pond selection: For golden pomfret farming ponds, choose a location with convenient transportation, sufficient sunlight, suitable water depth, an intertidal zone, abundant water sources, good water quality, and no pollution sources. At the same time, it is best to choose a place with relatively abundant brackish water sources or convenient groundwater sources.

3. Pond conditions: Golden pomfret farming ponds require a regular pond shape, preferably facing the sun, rectangular, and running east-west. The size should depend on the farming method and supporting facilities, and it is better to be larger than smaller. The water depth should be more than 1.2 m, with no seepage, and aerators should also be provided.

4. Stocking preparation: In addition to thoroughly turning over the pond and exposing it to the sun, common pond-clearing drugs for golden pomfret farming ponds include quicklime, tea seed meal, bleaching powder, croton, and ammonia water. Apply base fertilizer to cultivate natural food organisms. Ten days after disinfection, use a few fish to test the water, and plan to stock fry 24 hours later.

5. Fry stocking: Stock golden pomfret fry while avoiding high-temperature weather or overly cold weather. The density is 1000-1500 fry/mu. When feeding feed, it is best to carry out domestication. The feeding amount is determined by the reduction of floating extruded feed on the water surface, generally with complete consumption within 1 day as the standard.

6. Daily management: Throughout the entire farming process of golden pomfret, apply fertilizer and increase oxygen in a timely manner according to the transparency of the pond water. Pay attention to observing weather, water quality, fish feeding activity, and growth conditions, and take corresponding measures promptly when problems are found.

Farming methods for freshwater white pomfret

1. Pond conditions: For freshwater white pomfret, a pond area of 5-10 mu is suitable, and the water storage depth should be more than 1.5 m. Fifteen days before stocking fry, splash the entire pond with 30-40 kg/mu of tea seed cake or 60-75 kg/mu of quicklime to clear the pond.

2. Water temperature control: Freshwater white pomfret is a warm-water fish, with a suitable growth temperature of 15-30°C. When the water temperature is below 12°C or above 36°C, it will freeze to death or be scalded. Therefore, cold-proof sheds are generally built during farming.

3. Stocking density: The stocking density of freshwater white pomfret should be determined according to actual conditions. Usually, 1500 summer-fry red pomfret fingerlings around 3 cm are stocked per mu, together with about 150 silver carp, bighead carp, common carp, crucian carp, and other fish.

4. Feed selection: Freshwater white pomfret has low feed requirements, and a crude protein content above 25% is sufficient. According to local conditions, peanut cake, rapeseed cake, bran cake, distiller's grains, and wheat bran can be selected, and mixed feeding is best. Livestock and poultry feed and manure or complete compound feed can also be used.

5. Feed feeding: Freshwater white pomfret feed should be given at fixed times, fixed locations, with fixed quality, and in fixed amounts. When the water temperature is above 20°C, the daily feeding amount is 4-5% of fish body weight. When the water temperature is 15-20°C, the daily feeding amount is 2-3% of fish body weight. When the water temperature is below 15°C, there is no need to feed.

6. Water quality management: When the transparency of a freshwater white pomfret pond is greater than 30 cm, an appropriate amount of fermented chicken manure or pig manure should be applied to make the water quality “green, tender, and refreshing”, with transparency of around 20 cm being sufficient.

7. Disease prevention and control

① Ichthyophthiriasis: Before entering the pond, soak in 2 ppm mercurous nitrate for 1-2 hours; after entering the pond, splash 0.1-0.15 ppm mercurous nitrate over the entire pond.

② White skin disease: Splash 1 ppm bleaching powder over the entire pond, or soak in 12.5 ppm chlortetracycline or 25 ppm oxytetracycline for 30 minutes.

③ Bacterial gill rot disease: After onset, splash 0.025 ppm furazolidone over the entire pond, once every other day, for two consecutive times.

④ Saprolegniasis: Splash 0.1 ppm methylene blue over the entire pond, once a day, for two consecutive days, or soak in 3-4% salt water for several minutes.

⑤ Trichodiniasis and chilodonelliasis: Splash a mixture of 1.2-1.5 ppm copper sulfate and ferrous sulfate (5:2) over the entire pond.