What are the precautions for paddlefish farming?

The paddlefish is called the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula). It is a large freshwater commercial fish farming project and is also a very rare fish species at present. The paddlefish has no scales, very few bones, and its bones are transparent and edible, so it is also a favorite of chefs. The paddlefish on the market now are all farmed, so below the editor will teach you a few precautions to note during the process of farming paddlefish. Let's take a look and see whether you really understand paddlefish.

1. Pond clearing management

Paddlefish are generally farmed in ponds or cages. For cage farming, we only need to choose an area with good water quality and disinfect and clean the cages. For pond farming, we need to first choose a pond suitable for farming paddlefish, then disinfect it with quicklime. After disinfection, add fertilizer to replenish the fertility of the water body, and finally fill it with fresh water before farming. If the pond site is improperly chosen or improperly cleaned, it will affect the survival rate of the fry.

2. Fry selection

Fry selection is actually the same as for other fry. We should choose fry that are uniform in size, robust, in good spirits, free of pests and diseases, free of mechanical injuries, active in swimming, and good at feeding. Before stocking, the fry should be disinfected, and then a small amount of water from the pond should be taken for a trial culture. Only if there are no problems in the trial culture can they be put into farming.

3. Water quality management

Paddlefish have strong adaptability to the environment, but their requirements for water quality are also very strict. In particular, oxygen deficiency must never occur in the water, otherwise it can easily cause large-scale death. Generally, the pond water depth should be about 1.5 to 2 m. Next, we should equip an aerator to replenish oxygen in the pond in a timely manner. Also, generally change the water once every 10 to 15 days or so, and eliminate miscellaneous fish and remove weeds in the pond. Of course, it is also possible to properly cultivate some aquatic plants to regulate water quality and increase the oxygen content in the water body.

4. Farming methods

Paddlefish farming can be divided into monoculture and polyculture. For beginners, monoculture is recommended, as it is less likely to cause problems. If you are doing polyculture, then we need to pay attention to the mixing ratio and control the farming quantity. Generally, we mix silver carp and herbivorous fish for farming, with the ratio controlled at 1:1:8. At the same time, we also need to control the amount of aquatic plants to avoid eutrophication of the water body, which may lead to farming failure.

5. Feeding management

First of all, we should pay attention to the stocking density. For monoculture, generally about 40 to 100 fish are stocked per mu, while for polyculture, generally 20 to 70 fish are stocked. Next, pay attention to the water temperature, and reasonably control the feed supply according to water temperature, weather, water quality, and other conditions. Generally, we need to feed three times a day, at 7:30 in the morning, 11:30 at noon, and 6:30 in the afternoon respectively. Also, ensure balanced nutrition in the feed and do not change the feed frequently.

Now many areas farm paddlefish, but paddlefish on the market are still very scarce. One of the biggest problems is that the mortality rate in paddlefish farming is very high. For farmers, the annual losses are also very large, so we need to solve this problem through farming techniques to increase paddlefish production.