Practical Fish Farming Video Tips

Practical takeaways

• Watch for reduced feeding, sluggish swimming, unusual clustering, surface gasping, or sudden behaviour changes.
• Test dissolved oxygen first, followed by ammonia, nitrite, pH, and temperature.
• Increase aeration if available, inspect pumps and power supply, and remove dead fish promptly.
• Pause or reduce feeding while investigating, and avoid adding chemicals based only on guesswork.
• Record test results, actions taken, and fish response to help identify recurring problems.

Practical takeaways

• Use pellet sizes that catfish and tilapia can take comfortably, while limiting excessive fines and uneaten feed.
• Estimate biomass and apply a chosen feeding rate to control the ration; the script’s 100 kg biomass at 2% example produces a 2 kg illustrative ration, not a universal recommendation.
• Split and distribute feed evenly when practical, and stop or reduce the next portion when feeding response slows.
• After feeding, observe the water and record the date, quantity, feeding response, and mortalities.
• If growth is poor, check water quality, oxygen, stocking density, and fish health before increasing feed.

Practical takeaways

• Reduce or pause feeding temporarily if fish begin gasping after feeding.
• Check that aeration is working, especially after power interruptions, and improve water movement without overstressing the fish.
• Remove visible waste and inspect areas with poor circulation, unusual smell, or excess organic waste.
• Assess water temperature because warmer water holds less oxygen.
• If gasping continues, test the water and seek technical guidance before losses become serious.

Practical takeaways

• Test ammonia, nitrite, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen instead of checking only one parameter.
• Watch for gasping, unusual weakness, poor feeding, fish gathering near inflows and sudden losses.
• Investigate recent overfeeding, dead fish, heavy stocking, poor filtration, low water movement or water changes.
• Reduce stress by removing dead fish and uneaten feed, improving aeration and water movement, and temporarily stopping or reducing feeding when appropriate.
• Record test results, timing and fish behaviour to track the situation, and avoid adding treatments blindly.

Practical takeaways

• Choose fingerlings that are reasonably similar in size to reduce competition, cannibalism and uneven growth.
• Watch how the fish swim and respond when the water is disturbed; sluggish or poorly coordinated fish need closer attention.
• Reject or question fish with bent or abnormal bodies, wounds, missing fins, skin lesions, unusual discoloration or dead fish in the container.
• If feeding is demonstrated, look for active interest in feed.
• Before payment, ask about transport time and water management, count the fish, confirm the agreed size and obtain acclimation instructions.