NOVIT4 tilapia commercial farming techniques

(Baonghean) - NOVIT4 is a type of tilapia that is easy to raise, grows and develops quickly, has good cold tolerance and is highly adaptable to the living environment. It can be raised in saltwater, brackish water and fresh water.

This fish species has been completed by the Aquaculture Research Institute I in the process of seed production and commercial farming and transferred to many localities across the country. In Nghe An, this species has been successfully bred and commercially raised by Hop Tam Trading Joint Stock Company through the implementation of the Science and Technology project: "Application of science and technology advances to build a model of seed production and commercial farming of monosex NOVIT4 tilapia to serve economic and social development in Nghe An" in 2011-2012. Here is the process of commercial farming of NOVIT4 tilapia:

1. Technical requirements for pond construction

- Pond area: 1,000-5,000m2, pond depth 1.5-2.0m, bottom mud thickness 15-20cm.

- The pond must have solid banks, not be shaded, and ensure the pond surface is clear to increase the ability to dissolve oxygen from the air into the water. The pond bottom must be inclined towards the drainage at an angle of 3-5º.

- The water source for the pond must be proactive, the water quality must be uncontaminated, free of toxins, dissolved oxygen content 3mg/l, pH=6.5-8.

- Active drainage system.

2. Prepare the pond:

Drain the water, reinforce the pond banks, fill leaks, adjust the bottom mud layer, repair the banks and the pond's supply and drainage systems.

- Clean the pond bottom with lime powder at a rate of 7-10kg/100m2. After removing the lime, dry the pond bottom for 3-5 days. Apply base fertilizer and color.

- Compost manure thoroughly with 2% lime powder. Fertilizer dosage: 30-50kg/100m2 of pond, spread evenly over the bottom of the pond. Green manure: 30-50kg/100m2 of pond, bundled and placed in the pond. When the leaves are all rotten, scoop up the hard stems.

- Draining water into the pond: Water taken into the pond must be filtered through a net or filter.

- After taking water into the pond and soaking for 5-7 days, release the fish.

In case of industrial scale farming with high density, it is necessary to install a water circulation fan system to increase the oxygen content for the farming process.

3. Stocking and stocking season:

The fingerlings are of uniform size, without any deformities or defects, swim quickly and are disease-free. Before releasing the fingerlings into the pond, the fish should be bathed in 2% salt water for 5-6 minutes to eliminate parasites and prevent infection of scratches caused by transportation.

Farming season: In the North, the farming season is from March to November, in the South it can be farmed all year round. For the North, to ensure large commercial-sized fish harvests, it is necessary to proactively source fish seeds by storing them over winter and producing fish seeds in areas with hot water sources.

Stocking density: Stocking density depends on the expected size at harvest and productivity. Stocking density ranges from 3-5 fish/m2.

4. Care and management

4.1. Food:

Tilapia feed is mainly industrial feed and processed feed.

Industrial feed: Use floating pellets with a protein content of 20-30% to feed fish. Using industrial feed will be very convenient for managing and adjusting the amount of feed. Feeding regimen according to the manufacturer's instructions for each feed brand.

In case of taking advantage of available food sources in agricultural production, processed food can be used to feed fish as follows:

- Feed fish twice a day at 8am and 4pm.

- In the first month, you should use industrial feed at a rate of 5-7% of the fish's weight because in the first month, the amount of fish lost is the greatest.

- In the second month, feed at a rate of 4-5% of the fish's weight.

- From the third month onwards, feed at a rate of 3% of the fish's weight.

4.2. Pond management:

- Visit the pond every morning to promptly detect cases of fish floating, water color being too thick, sick fish, etc.

- Every 10 days, pull the net to check the fish's growth rate to adjust the amount of food accordingly.

- Regularly observe the water level in the pond to adjust in time. In the early stages, the pond should be kept green to create more natural food for the fish by adding inorganic fertilizer or manure. In the stage of large fish over 300g/fish, it is necessary to monitor the weather and climate to avoid the fish floating.

- In case of high density fish farming, it is necessary to arrange the water fan system as follows: Gradually increase the running time of the water fan in the following farming months, use the fan in the early morning from 3-8 am every day and when the weather is hot to stir the water, avoid stratification. Monitor the disease situation to have timely treatment measures.

5. Harvest

After 5-6 months of raising, the fish reach a weight of 400-500g/fish and can be harvested.

Le Van Hop (Hop Tam Trading Company)