Techniques for Farming Eel Fish in the Tank
Eel farming is a profitable business. That is why this freshwater fish is chosen by many farmers around the world to be farmed. People love eating this slender fish as it has the delicious taste and is full of nutrients. There have been many farmers that can be successful by farming eels. Why not become one of them? These eel farming techniques will help you.
The place for farming eel fish
There are two places familiarly used by eel farmers: the pond and the tank. If you are still new in this business, it is better for you to use a tank or plastic container because they are cheaper than the pond. There are some ways of preparing the tank for eel farming.
1. Clean the tank
2. Make a longitudinal hole on the side of the tank
3. Put the tank on the flat ground
4. Build sewer on the bottom of the tank
5. Give mud, fertilizer, straw, and starter microorganism at the bottom of the tank
Choosing good fingerlings
The seed can be bought at the nurseries. These are some categories of qualified seed.
1. Free from disease
2. Active and aggressive
You should also choose seeds that have the same size because bigger eel could hurt the smaller eels and they will be more dominant when competing for food.
Entering the fingerlings to the tank
It is suggested to spread the eel in the morning or afternoon to prevent them getting stress because of the hot sunlight. However, this strategy is not essential if you keep the tank indoors. Eels need more space to grow. For eel that length around 10—12 cm, you can put 500—100 fingerlings/m2. Make sure to adjust the water circulation. Eel cannot live in heavy stream water as their natural habitat is in a rice field and calm water.
Feeding the eels
Eel eats zooplankton, worms, fish larvae, and insects. The food given must be 5—20% of the weight of the eels. For eel age 0—1 month, you could give them 0,5 kg food. Add the food supply to the formula when they grow up.
Harvesting eels
The eel fish can be harvested after 3—4 month. However, eel to be imported should be around six months old. When harvesting the eels, you may find some small eels. It is up to you whether you want to harvest them or leave them and sell those eels until they turn bigger.