How to manage pond fish in autumn? Getting them to fatten up is key

The golden autumn season is the peak period for fattening fish, and doing a good job of feeding and management during this period is the key link to increasing fish production and improving economic returns. The main measures are as follows:

1. Improve water quality. Maintaining good water quality is an important condition for promoting fish fattening, so new water should be added frequently to increase the dissolved oxygen content in the water. Generally, add new water once about every 5-6 days, with each water exchange of 15-25 cm. Sprinkle quicklime solution 2-3 times a month to eliminate bacteria and increase calcium. Generally, for a pond with a water depth of 1.5 m, use 10-15 kg of quicklime per mu each time.

2. Apply additional fertilizer to cultivate feed. In autumn, the air and water temperatures are the optimal temperatures for fish fattening. At this time, appropriately increasing the amount of fertilizer can accelerate the growth and reproduction of plankton and provide sufficient natural feed for fish. However, in early autumn the temperature is still relatively high, so fertilization should follow the principle of small amounts applied frequently to avoid deterioration of water quality and ensure the water remains fertile and fresh. Generally, fertilize once every 7-10 days, applying 2 kg of urea per mu of pond each time, so that the pond water remains oily green or tea green. By late autumn, after the water temperature drops, the application of organic fertilizer should be increased, generally applying about 250 kg of fermented manure per mu of water surface. The amount of fertilizer should not be too much either, and it is best to keep the pond water transparency at about 25 cm.

3. Feed reasonably. In autumn, the temperature drops noticeably, with a large temperature difference between day and night, so sufficient nutrition must be maintained. In addition to ensuring enough green feed, the amount of concentrated feed must also be increased. Before putting in concentrated feed, grass should be fed first to prevent grass carp from competing for the concentrated feed. Grass should be fed at a fixed location, and it is best to feed fresh and tender upland grass, aquatic grass, and green vegetable leaves, 2 times a day, with each feeding amount being eaten within 2 hours. It is best to rotate a variety of green grasses to increase the fish's appetite and reduce waste of grass feed. Leftover feed should be promptly removed. Supplementary concentrated feed should be increased gradually from less to more, fed once a day. From August to September, the daily amount of concentrated feed should be 3%-4% of the total. Entering October, it should be appropriately increased as the temperature drops, ultimately reaching 5%-9%, to ensure the nutritional needs for fish fattening. Concentrated feed can be selected according to local conditions, such as sprouted grain, cornmeal, soybean cake, wheat bran, and soybean residue. Sweet potato can also be steamed and mashed, then mixed with rice bran and cornmeal (the ratio of the three is 60:35:5), kneaded into balls, and fed on the feeding platform. If conditions permit, adding 1.5% salt gives better results. The feeding platform should be fixed at about 0.5 m underwater, and the feeding amount should be flexibly controlled according to the fish's daily feeding situation.

4. Prevent floating head. Entering autumn, for fish ponds with relatively high intensive culture density, due to large amounts of bait and fertilizer, high organic matter content, and frequent fish activity, oxygen deficiency and floating head are very likely to occur, so pond patrols should be strengthened. It is advisable to patrol the pond once in the morning and evening or once at night. Once it is found that fish suddenly eat less, feeding time is prolonged, and leftover food in the pond increases, especially if grass carp only carry grass and swim around the pond without eating, it indicates that oxygen in the water has begun to become insufficient. If splashes can be seen on the water surface during the day, and obvious waves can be seen on the water surface after the fish school is startled, it indicates that hidden floating head has already appeared. If measures are not taken in time, it is very likely to cause a pond-wide fish kill. When signs of floating head are found in fish, the fastest effective method is to promptly turn on the aerator to supplement dissolved oxygen in the water, quickly drain 1/2 of the pond water, add new water, and use 6-8 kg of quicklime or 2-3 kg of alum per mu, dissolve in water, and splash over the whole pond to regulate water quality.

5. Prevent and treat fish diseases. In autumn, fish have a strong appetite and are very prone to enteritis and gill rot, so prevention and treatment should be strengthened. At the feeding area, hanging baskets with bleaching powder can be used for disinfection, hanging 2-3 baskets per mu, each basket containing 100 g of bleaching powder and 150 g of 95% crystalline trichlorfon, continuously hung for 5-7 days.