How to farm basa fish? A detailed explanation of artificial breeding methods
The basa fish is a very common and important freshwater fish in Southeast Asia. It belongs to the genus Pangasius and, unlike other fish, has no scales on its body. It is widely farmed in Vietnam, and although China previously could only import it from Vietnam, since China successfully bred basa fish in 2008, its artificial farming area has grown larger and larger. So how should we farm basa fish artificially? Let's take a look together below!
1. Farming environment
The basa fish is a tropical-temperature species, so it struggles to adapt to environments with lower water temperatures. We need to strictly control the water temperature, which must not fall below 22°C. Keeping the pond water temperature in the range of 25-29°C can increase the growth rate of basa fish. If the water temperature is below 15°C, the basa fish's appetite will drop severely, and it may even stop eating. At even lower temperatures, the growth of basa fish will be threatened. Try to create a pond environment similar to natural conditions, as this is beneficial to the growth of basa fish. Build the pond in a place with clean water quality, sufficient water sources and no pollution. The pond water should have moderate fertility and a good drainage and irrigation system. Determine the farming area according to the number of fish. The pH value should be slightly alkaline, the pond water depth must not be less than two meters, and there should be a certain degree of transparency for easy observation.
2. Pond clearing and water fertilizing
After determining the farming site, the pond must be disinfected before stocking. Drain the pond, expose it to the sun, then fill it with about 25cm of pond water and use quicklime powder for disinfection. One week after sprinkling, fill the pond water to 60cm and sprinkle an appropriate amount of aquaculture bacterial liquid. Then, before releasing the fry, add an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer and soybean milk according to the pond area. When various plankton appear in the pond, the fry can be released. After releasing the fry, deepen the pond water to 1.5-2 m and apply additional organic fertilizer as appropriate according to the fertility of the pond water.
3. Stocking density
Stocking density actually refers to the number of fish stocked. The level of density has a very large relationship with the growth of basa fish and the final quantity. We should reasonably control the farming density according to the pond area, the size of the fry, the surrounding environment and market demand. If the farming density is too high, it will greatly affect the growth of basa fish, causing competition for food, leading to insufficient nutrition, and the growth space will be too small, preventing normal growth. If it is too sparse, the basa fish cannot breed enough young fish, affecting the number available for market. Therefore, the number per mu should be controlled at around 4,800-5,100 fish, and a small number of other fish species can also be mixed in appropriately.
4. Daily management
Although basa fish do not have a high demand for oxygen, the dissolved oxygen content in the pond should still be properly controlled, with timely aeration. The mixed fish species should preferably be herbivorous. Patrol frequently, observe the growth and feeding of the basa fish, and periodically scoop out some to observe whether there are signs of disease. Change the water in time. When the fish can no longer be seen in the pond water, it is time to change the water, but it does not need to be changed for the whole pond. The amount of water changed depends on the water quality and transparency. Pay attention to regulating the water temperature, and do not let the water temperature become too low, as this will affect the growth of basa fish.
The above is a brief introduction to the artificial breeding methods for basa fish. The meat of basa fish is very delicious, and it has no fish scales, making it very easy to process. So its position in the market is now becoming higher and higher, but after all, it is still a newly emerging farming project, so there is still a certain farming risk. However, judging from the current market situation, there are still very promising farming prospects, since opportunity and risk coexist. Before farming, everyone should still carefully consider their own farming techniques, environment and funds.