How to Raise Thailand Snakehead? Detailed Explanation of Farming Models

Thailand snakehead is a new species in aquaculture, with high market prices. Some estimate it is the best species for future freshwater aquaculture. Many farmers want to raise it but do not know how. Based on the specific conditions of the Yellow River Delta region, the author introduces several farming methods for Thailand snakehead to meet the requirements of farmers in different regions and environmental conditions.

1. Pond Farming

The pond area for raising Thailand snakehead is preferably about 3 mu, usually no larger than 8 mu; the pond water depth is required to be 1.5m, with little silt and a good water source. For first-time farming of Thailand snakehead, it is advisable to choose the one-time grow-out method, with a fry stocking density of 3000 fish/mu to 3500 fish/mu.

Before releasing the fry, the pond must be cleared and disinfected to remove wild miscellaneous fish in the pond. Artificial fish nests must be placed on the pond bottom. Plastic pipes with a diameter of 11cm and a length of 35cm can be used, with two 2m-long wooden strips tying 9 plastic pipes into a row, placing about 80 rows per mu. The artificial fish nest pipes must be 20cm off the pond bottom, fixed with stakes and slightly tilted, to avoid mud and fish accumulating inside the pipes. Placing artificial fish nests in the pond is an important means of effectively expanding the ecological farming area, increasing farming density, and raising farming output.

When the pond water temperature stabilizes above 22°C and basic food organisms are easy to cultivate in the pond water, the fry can be released. The pond water depth can be maintained at 1.0m, with plastic film used to partition off 1/3 of the water surface. According to the fertility of the pond bottom, apply 250kg to 500kg of fermented manure or organic fertilizer in the 1/3 water surface, and release the fry after 5 to 7 days. If the basic food organisms in the entire pond are sufficient and the resources of freshwater shrimp are abundant, the method of partitioning the pond with plastic film for fertilizing the water may not be used. When releasing the fry, the water temperature inside the fry bag and the pond water temperature should not differ by more than 2°C.

Due to the particularity of the scales on the body surface of Thailand snakehead fry, fry with a body length of 3cm or more are easily scratched during transportation. If the fry are not properly disinfected before stocking, the farming survival rate will be reduced. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase fry with a body length of 2cm to 2.5cm that have been disinfected before packaging and can be directly stocked. The fry are concentrated in 1/3 of the pond water surface for the first stage of cultivation. When the basic food organisms in the pond water are sufficient, they can grow to a body length of 3cm after 1 week of stocking, and after 1 month the body length can reach 4cm to 5cm. At this time, the plastic film partitioning the pond can be removed to let the fry enter the large pond for the second stage of cultivation.

When the fry are concentrated for the first stage of cultivation, live food organisms can be cultivated in the other 2/3 of the pond water surface. The live food organisms are best fry of fish species with small body size and strong reproductive capacity, with a stocking density of no less than 10,000 fish/mu. When the fry enter the second stage of cultivation, simultaneously release freshwater shrimp fry that can naturally reproduce under freshwater conditions, with a stocking density of no less than 500,000 fry/mu, or release desalinated Macrobrachium rosenbergii shrimp fry in batches, and feed shrimp feed regularly and quantitatively according to the @#@234@#@ standard. The fry of Thailand snakehead prey on shrimp fry, fish fry, small shrimp, and small fish in the pond. After 3 to 4 months, they can grow to a body length of 10cm to 12cm and a body weight of 20g to 30g, and then move on to grow-out farming. During this period, the farming survival rate is generally above 80%. During the grow-out farming period, 50 to 100 silver carp can be polycultured per mu of pond, which helps control water quality.

In the later stage of farming, when natural food organisms in the pond water are insufficient, frozen fresh fish chunks, compound feed, or artificially synthesized powdered feed with a protein content of no less than 38% should be provided in a timely manner. When feeding, feeding platforms should be set up, with 6 to 8 hanging baskets per mu, and the hanging baskets about 20cm from the pond bottom, to accommodate the characteristic of Thailand snakehead not liking to swim. Place processed block feed or frozen fresh fish chunks in the hanging baskets, and increase or decrease the feeding amount as appropriate according to the feeding situation of Thailand snakehead. The remaining bait can be poured into the pond after observation to feed small fish and small shrimp. Polyculturing small fish and small shrimp with Thailand snakehead forms a good food chain. Small fish and small shrimp are not only the best food organisms for Thailand snakehead, but also effectively clean up remaining bait and maintain stable water quality. After 6 to 7 months of farming, Thailand snakehead can reach commercial specifications. The feed conversion ratio for farming with small miscellaneous fish is 6 to 8, and the feed conversion ratio for farming with artificial compound feed is 2 to 2.5.

2. Pond Cage Farming

When Thailand snakehead enters the grow-out period, using ground cages to capture large-sized fry and transferring them by size into cages set up in the same pond is a farming method that solves the size differences in one-time grow-out and allows batch harvesting for market. Usually, the pond area for cage farming is 6 mu to 8 mu, with a water depth above 1.5m, and the stocking density of Thailand snakehead is 10 fish/sq m to 20 fish/sq m. Fry that suffer body surface injuries during capture should be treated with immersion disinfection. In high-temperature seasons, the water temperature at a depth of 1m in the pond should not exceed 32°C. Duckweed, water hyacinth, and other plants can be grown on the water surface for cooling, or flowing water methods and impeller aerators can be used to improve water quality and provide timed aeration.

The cage material is made of knotless netting. For fry of 30g to 50g per fish, the mesh size of the netting used is 1.5cm; for fry of 100g per fish, the mesh size of the netting used is 2.5cm. Cage specifications can be selected according to conditions as 3m x 4m or 4m x 6m. Floating materials are used so that the cage mouth is 20cm above the water surface, and the cage bottom is 20cm from the pond bottom. According to the size of the cage, place 3 to 4 rows of artificial fish nests and 1 to 2 hanging baskets as feeding platforms inside. The surroundings of the cage must be cleaned frequently to remove moss and other attachments on the netting, so as to keep water flow inside and outside the cage unobstructed, and promptly use a water pump to suck out debris at the bottom of the cage. Feed twice a day, and increase or decrease the feed amount according to the actual feeding situation of the fish. After 6 to 7 months of farming, Thailand snakehead can reach commercial specifications.

3. Cement Pond Farming

Using soft-shelled turtle farming facilities with heat preservation conditions to farm Thailand snakehead can not only make idle greenhouses effective again, but is also a good way to gradually realize industrialized farming of Thailand snakehead. It is suitable for farming Thailand snakehead in regions with low temperatures in winter and spring. The cement pond area should be no less than 30 sq m. For large-sized fry of 30g to 50g per fish and above, the stocking density is 8 fish/sq m to 15 fish/sq m. After mastering the technical characteristics of farming, the stocking density can gradually reach 30 fish/sq m to 50 fish/sq m. No artificial fish nests are placed in the cement pond; feeding platforms are placed for feeding. Feed once every afternoon, and check and clean the feeding platforms the next day. Use measures such as micro-circulating water or timed aeration and oxygen supplementation, and regularly discharge waste to prevent water quality deterioration. In ponds where freshwater shrimp reproduce in large numbers, Thailand snakehead farming begins in September to October when the fish are transferred to greenhouse farming after pond harvest, and the fish can reach commercial specifications the following year.

4. Polyculture

1. Fish-fish polyculture In farming ponds mainly raising tilapia and pufferfish, under the condition of feeding artificial compound feed, there are usually many freshwater shrimps, which are excellent food organisms for Thailand snakehead. Thailand snakehead fry can be released at the same time at 50 fry/mu to 80 fry/mu. A small number of artificial fish nests are placed in the farming pond, and at harvest, 20kg/mu to 30kg/mu of Thailand snakehead can be harvested at the same time.

2. Fish-shrimp polyculture Polyculturing Thailand snakehead in shrimp ponds saves investment and yields good benefits. Shrimp ponds should have little silt, mainly raise shrimp, and at the same time carry out intermediate temporary rearing of Thailand snakehead fry. Thailand snakehead has good salt tolerance. In culture ponds of whiteleg shrimp or Macrobrachium rosenbergii, 10 to 15 days after shrimp fry are stocked, when the pond water salinity is 2‰ to 5‰, Thailand snakehead fry can be directly released. The fry stocking density is 100 fry/mu to 200 fry/mu, and the fry mainly prey on shrimp fry with small size and slow growth. When harvesting shrimp, Thailand snakehead caught should be disinfected promptly. Because Thailand snakehead has the habit of burrowing into mud and remaining still, careful capture is also needed after pond drying. Fry farmed for 3 months usually reach a body length of 9cm to 10cm and can be transferred to pond cage farming.