How To Make Fish Feed Pellets

In the vast world of aquaculture, the quality of fish feed pellets directly affects the growth of fish and the efficiency of aquaculture. Whether it is a large-scale farm or a small-scale family farm, in-depth mastery of fish feed pellet production technology is undoubtedly the key path to successful aquaculture.

In the following, we will analyze all aspects of the production of high quality fish feed pellets, from the careful selection of raw materials to the reasonable choice of processing equipment.

Types Of Fish Feed Pellets

Fish feed pellets can be categorized into three types according to their floating and sinking characteristics, and each type of pellet has different applications and fish needs. Choosing the right type of fish feed pellets is crucial to improve the efficiency of aquaculture.

Floating Fish Pellets

Floating fish feed pellets are specially designed for tilapia, carp and other fish that like to feed on the surface of the water. They float steadily on the surface of the water, allowing farmers to clearly observe the feeding of fish and greatly reduce feed waste. This not only facilitates farming management, but also ensures that every portion of feed is fully utilized, improving farming efficiency.

Sinking Fish Feed Pellets

Sinking fish feed pellets are ideal for bottom-dwelling fish such as catfish. These pellets sink quickly to the bottom and precisely meet the feeding needs of bottom feeders, avoiding competition for food and reducing feed wastage, so that bottom feeders can easily obtain adequate nutrition.

Slow Sinking Fish Feed Pellets

Slow sinking fish feed pellets have a slow sinking rate, which makes them an excellent choice for rainbow trout, salmon and other fish that feed at different water levels. It provides these fish with more feeding time and a more suitable feeding environment to meet their diversified dietary needs.

Raw materials for fish feed pellets

Protein

Protein is an important and indispensable ingredient in fish feed, which includes animal protein and plant protein. Animal proteins, such as fish meal and meat and bone meal, have high nutritional value and can provide fish with essential amino acids. Vegetable proteins such as soybean meal and cottonseed meal are also high quality sources of protein at relatively low cost.

Energy supplements

Energy supplements are mainly carbohydrates, commonly grains such as wheat, corn and rice and their by-products, as well as animal fats and vegetable oils. These substances provide energy to fish and reduce the use of protein for energy supply, thereby increasing protein utilization and promoting fish growth.

Minerals and vitamins

Minerals and vitamins play a vital role in the growth and health of fish. They replenish various trace elements and vitamins needed by fish during the growth process, strengthen the fish’s immunity and prevent diseases. Common sources of minerals include fishmeal, shellfish meal, bone meal, etc., while vitamins can be added through specialized vitamin premixes.

Colorants

Pigments can enhance the appetite of fish and improve their feeding motivation. Common pigments include synthetic astaxanthin and natural pigments such as those from algae, shrimps and red peppers. These pigments not only improve the color of the feed, but also positively affect the growth and health of the fish.

Key Steps In Making Fish Feed Pellets

The process of making fish feed pellets includes several key steps such as raw material preparation, crushing and mixing, pellet molding, drying and cooling. The precision of each step has a direct impact on the quality and performance of the final pellets.

500-1000KG/H Floating Fish Feed Production Line

Raw Material Preparation

The first step in making fish pellets is to carefully prepare the raw materials. Common ingredients include fishmeal, soybean meal, wheat flour, fish oil, vitamins and minerals. These ingredients need to be mixed in specific proportions to ensure that the fish receive a complete and balanced nutrition for healthy growth.

Crushing And Mixing

The ingredients are pulverized to a uniform size, which helps the fish to digest and absorb them better. Then, professional feed mixers are used to fully mix the crushed ingredients so that the various nutrients can be evenly distributed, thus ensuring that each piece of feed has the same high quality and nutritional value.

Pelleting

Pelleting process needs to be completed with the help of fish feed pelletizer. The mixed ingredients are compressed and extruded in the pelletizer to form cylindrical pellets, which are then cut into appropriate lengths by means of a cutter. Precise control of parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity and cutting speed are essential in this process, as different types of fish feed pellets have different requirements for these parameters.

Drying and cooling

Once the pelletizing is complete, the pellets need to be processed using a dryer and cooler. The purpose of drying is to remove excess water from the pellets and reduce their moisture content, thereby increasing their stability and preventing mold and mildew. The purpose of cooling is to return the pellets to room temperature for subsequent storage and use.

Exclusive Formula For Different Fish Species

Different species of fish have different nutrient requirements, so a proper formulation is essential. Below is a reference of feed formulas for several common fish species:

Catfish Feed Formula

The catfish feed recipe is 24% corn, which provides some energy for catfish . Soybean cake or sunflower seed is 29%, which is a good source of vegetable protein. Fishmeal, at 24%, is rich in animal protein and meets the protein needs of catfish. There is also 1% of vitamins, 1% of inorganic salts, 1% of calcium phosphate (DCP) and 1% of antibiotic residues. These ingredients are mixed in specific proportions to fully satisfy the nutritional needs of catfish during the growth process and help them grow healthily.

Tilapia Feed Formulations

Tilapia feed is available in various formulations. Formula 1: rice bran accounts for 45%, providing certain energy; soybean cake accounts for 35%, supplementing vegetable protein; silkworm pupa powder accounts for 10%, which is a high-quality animal protein; echinaceous powder accounts for 8%, which can provide some special nutrients; bone meal accounts for 1.5%, which is used to supplement calcium and other minerals; salt accounts for 0.5%. The feed factor of this formula is 2.27. Formula 2: 35% soybean cake, 30% wheat bran to provide energy and dietary fiber; 15% fishmeal to ensure protein supply; 8.5% barley flour, 5% maize flour to provide energy for tilapia; 5% edible leaf meal to supplement vitamins and other nutrients; 1% bone meal and 0.5% salt. The feed coefficient of this formula is 2.5. Farmers can choose the suitable formula flexibly according to the actual breeding situation and demand to achieve the best breeding effect.

Carp Feed Formula

Carp feed consists of 50% soybean cake as the main ingredient, which provides a large amount of vegetable protein; 15% wheat bran and 15% rice bran, which provide energy and dietary fiber; 15% fishmeal, which supplements the animal protein; 1% vitamins and 1% inorganic salts, which guarantees all the nutrients needed for the growth of the carp; 1% antibiotic residues, which help to prevent diseases; and 2% binder, which allows the feed to be shaped better. This classic combination of formulas provides adequate nutrition for carp and promotes their rapid growth.

Grass Carp Feed Recipe

Grass carp feed formula 1: 40% rice bran, 38% wheat bran, both of which provide energy and dietary fiber for grass carp; 10% soybean cake, which supplements vegetable protein; 10% fish meal, which provides animal protein; and 2% yeast, which regulates intestinal flora. The feed coefficient of this formula is 1.9, and if some green fodder is added, the feed coefficient will become 2.2. Farmers can adjust the formula reasonably according to the actual situation to meet the growth demand of grass carp.

Key Points Of Formula Adjustment

The feed formula is not set in stone, but should be flexibly adjusted according to the actual local conditions, fish growth stages and changes in nutritional requirements. For example, supplement methionine and lysine and other essential amino acids at the right time. At the fry stage (5 – 20g), the protein content of the feed should be maintained at 30% – 32%, which can be gradually reduced as the fish grows, down to a minimum of 22% – 26% when the fish exceeds 500g. Similarly, the lipid content of the feed should be adjusted according to the size of the fish, generally at 4% – 6%. In addition, minerals such as calcium and phosphorus may be added as required. Feed formulations usually use locally available ingredients such as fishmeal, miscellaneous fish, soybean meal, soybean cake, rice bran, broken rice, tapioca, bone meal, etc. to reduce costs and ensure nutrient availability.

Advantages of making your own fish feed pellets

Making your own fish feed pellets not only helps aquaculturists reduce costs, but also improves the science of aquaculture management and reduces waste and water pollution.

Easier Feeding And Management

Homemade fish feed pellets have good floating properties and can remain stable on the surface or in the water for a long time. This eliminates the need to set up a special feeding platform and allows farmers to feed at regular intervals. At the same time, the fish will swim to the surface of the water when feeding, so it is convenient for farmers to observe their feeding situation, adjust the feeding amount in time, and better grasp the growth and health of the fish.

Reduce Feed Waste

Floating feeds have excellent water stability and can float in water for a long time without dissolving. This effectively avoids the loss of nutrients and the phenomenon of feed sinking into the mud, greatly reducing the degree of feed waste. Floating fish feeds have been tested to save about 10% of feed costs compared to powdered or hard pellet feeds.

Reduces Water Pollution

Since homemade fish feed pellets are not easily dissolved in water, it avoids the problem of residual fermentation of feeds in water, and reduces the consumption of oxygen in water by organic matter, thus effectively reducing the pollution of water bodies. This is not only conducive to the healthy growth of fish, but also protects the aquaculture environment and realizes sustainable development.

Strong Palatability And Easy To Absorb

The fish feed pellets extruded by high temperature and high pressure kill various microorganisms, insect eggs and pathogenic bacteria during the production process, which improves the quality of the feed. At the same time, this processing method also enhances the palatability of the feed, making it easier to be digested and absorbed by the fish, which contributes to the rapid growth and healthy development of the fish.

Fish Feed Machine Types

Dry Fish Feed Extruder

Dry Fish Feed Extruder

Dry fish feed extruder is cost effective and easy to operate. It does not need to be equipped with a steam boiler, which makes the installation and use of the machine easier. This type of extruder is suitable for small and medium scale fisheries and is especially good at producing floating pellets, which can meet the production needs of small and medium scale farmers.

Wet Fish Feed Extruder

Wet Fish Feed Extruder

The wet fish feed extruder is equipped with a conditioner and a steam boiler for finer treatment of the raw material. This machine produces high quality floating and sinking pellets for large scale farming operations. The pellets it produces have uniform size and higher nutritional value, which can meet the needs of large-scale, intensive farming.

How to Choose the Right Fish Feed Pellet Machine

Capacity Requirement

According to the scale and size of aquaculture, accurately assess the production capacity of the required fish feed pellet mill. For small-scale farming or family farming, you can choose equipment with smaller production capacity; while for large-scale commercial farming, you need to choose equipment with larger production capacity and high production efficiency to meet the farming demand.

Pellet Type Compatibility

Ensure that the fish feed pellet mill you choose is capable of producing the type of pellets that matches the feeding habits of farmed fish, i.e. floating or sinking pellets. Some machines have adjustable features that allow them to produce multiple types of pellets, which gives them an added advantage when choosing a machine.

Pellet Size And Shape Flexibility

Prefer a machine that has the flexibility to customize pellet size and shape. Different species of fish require different pellet sizes and shapes, and equipment with this flexibility can better adapt to the dietary needs of various fish species and improve feed utilization.

Energy Efficiency

When selecting equipment, its energy consumption should be fully considered. Choosing equipment with high energy efficiency not only reduces long-term operating costs, but also conforms to the concept of environmental protection. Some advanced equipment adopts energy-saving technology, which can effectively reduce energy consumption while ensuring production efficiency.

Material Durability And Quality

The quality and durability of the material of the equipment is directly related to its service life and production stability. Choosing a fish feed pellet mill made of high-quality and durable materials can ensure that the equipment is not easy to break down during long-term use, and reduce the cost of repairing and replacing the equipment.

Convenience Of Operation And Maintenance

Equipment that is easy to operate and maintain can greatly improve production efficiency. When choosing equipment, pay attention to whether the operation interface is friendly and easy to start. At the same time, whether the maintenance of the equipment is convenient, whether the parts are easy to replace, these factors will affect the experience of using the equipment and productivity.

Budget Constraints

When purchasing a fish feed pellet mill, it is important to plan reasonably according to your budget. Consider both the initial investment cost of the equipment and its long-term operating and maintenance costs. Within the budget, choose cost-effective equipment to maximize the investment benefits.

Conclusion

Making high-quality fish feed pellets is a systematic project that requires comprehensive consideration of many aspects such as raw material selection, formula design, production process and equipment selection. Only through reasonable operation and scientific management can we make high-quality feed to meet the nutritional requirements of fish. This will not only improve the aquaculture yield and quality and reduce the aquaculture cost, but also reduce the negative impact on the environment and realize the goal of sustainable aquaculture. Whether you are new to aquaculture or a seasoned professional, mastering these key knowledge and techniques will lay a solid foundation for your success in aquaculture.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best way to store fish feed pellets?

Fish feed pellets should be stored in a dry, cool and ventilated place, avoiding moisture and high temperature. Packing should choose moisture-proof and insect-proof materials to ensure the freshness of feed and no loss of nutrients.

2. How to judge the quality of fish feed pellets?

High quality fish feed pellets should be uniform in color, free of peculiar smell, hard and unbreakable. Feed quality can also be judged by observing whether the size and shape of the pellets are consistent. For floating pellets, checking whether they can float stably on the water surface and are not easy to sink is also a measure of quality.

3. Is it possible to use the machine to produce different types of fish feed pellets?

Yes, but different types of fish pellets (e.g. floating and sinking pellets) usually require different equipment and techniques. For example, making floating pellets requires the use of an expander, whereas submerged pellets require the use of a conventional pellet mill. Therefore, the choice of equipment should be based on specific production requirements.

4. How can the water solubility of fish feeds be improved?

Increasing water solubility can be achieved by improving feed processing, e.g. by using finer grinding techniques and more efficient mixing techniques. In addition, choosing the right ingredients and optimizing formulations are also key to improving water solubility.

5. What is the optimal storage time for fish feed pellets?

Generally speaking, the shelf life of fish feed pellets is 6 months to 1 year, but the humidity and temperature of the storage environment will affect its quality. Therefore, it is better to use it up within the shelf life to avoid the loss of feed nutrients or mold after the storage period.

You may also like...

Get a Quick Quote