What Is the Price of Eel Fry? A Detailed Guide to Farming Methods
Eel is the general term for species under the order Anguilliformes, also known as white eel, river eel, and common eel. They usually spawn and breed in deep sea and grow in freshwater environments. They are nutritious, delicious, have few bones and plenty of meat, and help cool the body and relieve heat while nourishing and strengthening the body, making their farming value very high. Let us take a look at eel fry prices and farming methods below!
How much does one eel fry cost?
The price of eel fry is about 3 to 5 yuan each, but prices vary greatly depending on the size, variety, place of origin and purchase quantity of the eel fry. Moreover, eel fry cannot be bred by artificial propagation, mainly because eels have a very special life history that is hard to simulate in an artificial environment; in production, fry are mainly obtained through natural capture. At the same time, the sex of eels is determined by the acquired environment; when the population is small, the proportion of females increases, and when the population is large, it decreases.
Farming Conditions for Eels
1. Water source: In plains areas, river and lake water are mainly used, while in mountainous areas, stream water and spring water are mainly used. It is best to have groundwater so that deep well water can be extracted for backup. Suitable water quality has a pH value of 7 to 8, transparency of more than 20 cm, and no industrial sewage hazards.
2. Power supply: The farm needs sufficient power. Generally, each mu of eel pond needs an aerator with 1 kilowatt of power. An eel farm with an annual output of 100 tons of edible eels needs at least one 150 kVA transformer, and it must be ensured that there is no power outage year-round.
3. Other: The best soil for building the farm is loam. The terrain should be flat and the climate warm. If warm drainage water from a thermal power plant or hot spring water can be used, the benefits will be even more obvious. In addition, water and land transportation should be convenient to facilitate the transport of feed and commercial eels.
Are eel fry divided into ponds for domestication?
1. First-level pond: The first-level pond is used for training eel fry to feed and raising them to about 0.2 grams. At this stage, one kilogram of fry is about 7,000 to 8,000 fish, the area is 50 to 60 sq m, the pond depth is 0.8 to 1.0 m, and the water depth is 0.5 to 0.6 m.
2. Second-level pond: The second-level pond raises eel fingerlings weighing 0.2 to 2 grams. At this stage, one kilogram of fry is about 500 to 5,000 fish, the area is 200 to 400 sq m, the pond depth is 1.2 to 1.5 m, and the water depth is 0.8 to 1.0 m. Note that weight differentiation is severe at this stage, so ponds must be divided frequently.
3. Third-level pond: The third-level pond raises eel fingerlings weighing 2 to 20 grams. At this stage, one kilogram is about 50 to 100 fish, the area is 400 to 800 sq m, the pond depth is 1.4 to 1.5 m, and the water depth is 1.0 to 1.2 m.
How are eel fry stocked?
1. Stocking density: The stocking density of eel fry varies with different farming methods. Generally, the stocking density for still-water ponds is 150 to 300 grams per sq m, and for flowing-water ponds it is suitably 500 to 1,000 grams per sq m. Low-density stocking results in faster growth and a higher survival rate.
2. Disinfection of eel fry: Eel fry have a delicate constitution and are prone to abrasions during capture, temporary rearing and transport, which can lead to infection by water mold and bacterial diseases. Therefore, disinfection must be carried out at the time of stocking. One method is medicinal bathing in a container, and the other is splashing the medicinal bath over the whole pond.
3. Fry stocking: Eel fry can only officially begin feeding and growing when the water temperature is above 15°C. For open-air cultivation of eel fry and fingerlings, stocking is more suitable when the natural water temperature reaches above 13°C. After a short period of temporary rearing to adapt to the environment, eel fry can begin feeding when the water temperature rises.
Eel Farming Techniques
1. Water quality environment: Choose sea areas near estuaries with open water surfaces, good water quality, low wind speed, and water depth that can remain above 4 m at low tide to set up net cages. The water temperature range is required to be 8 to 30°C, the sea current speed below 1 m/s, and waters with a flow speed of 0.5 m/s are best.
2. Net cage specifications: Use 3×3×3 m or 6×3×3 m seamless mesh net cages. The mesh size is 0.5 cm for raising black fry and young eels, and 0.8 cm for adult eels. Inside the net cage, a 1×0.5×1 m multi-layer net frame is placed as a resting platform, and the open part of the net cage leaves a 15 cm anti-escape net brim.
3. Seedling stocking: Young eels are best for stocking eels. The stocking density is 150 fish per sq m. If there are no young eels and black fry are stocked instead, the density is 500 fish per sq m. Before stocking, eel fry should first be disinfected with a medicinal bath to prevent disease.
5. Water quality management: Water quality management in eel farming is especially important. The seawater specific gravity is required to be 1.01 to 1.02, dissolved oxygen above 5 mg per liter, and pH value 7 to 8.5.
6. Feeding feed: Feeding eels should follow the “four fixeds”.
① Fixed time: Except in early spring and winter, when feed is given once at 8 p.m. every day, at other times feed is given once at 5 a.m. and once at 8 p.m. each day.
② Fixed location: Feed on fixed feed platforms.
③ Fixed quality: Feed a complete compound feed supplemented with special multi-vitamins for eels.
④ Fixed quantity: The total daily ration is 15% during the adult eel stage, 3% during the young eel stage, about 5% during the black fry stage, and 0.5 to 1% during high temperatures and the overwintering period.
7. Timely pond division: After about one month of rearing, the density of eels increases greatly and individual differences become even more pronounced. They must be screened and divided into ponds for rearing in a timely manner, separated according to physical strength and individual size. During the screening and pond division process, operations should be careful and meticulous to avoid scratching the fish bodies.
8. Replacing net cages: To keep net cages clean and sanitary, prevent disease, and ensure unobstructed water exchange, net cages should be replaced in a timely manner. In summer and autumn, replace once every 10 days; in early spring and winter, replace once every 50 days. The replaced net cages should be cleaned thoroughly for next use.
9. Daily management: Implement group management of net cages, test water quality every day, keep detailed records of weather, water temperature, pH value, feeding, disease prevention and treatment, observe eel feeding and growth, and handle problems promptly when found.