Tilapia Fish Feed Formulation: Best Ingredients to Help in Total Fish Production

The aquaculture industry used over 60.8% of total fishmeal production cost equating to 3 million fishmeal tons globally. To make matters worse, some farms in Ghana have closed down because of the high fish feed price. These statistics are a clear indicator of how important to have a more economical plan like making your fish food. And remember a 15kg fish feed can sustain 1 pond for just a week when used properly.

For a small to medium-sized fish farmer, the feeding rate will be too high and pricey. When we focus on tilapia, they can survive on grains, supplements, or algae, helping you to cut costs and make your margin. What’s more, this fish is easier to grow than the rest whether you are using floating or sinking feed. In this post, we will show you how to make the right fish formulation, the ingredients to use, and also how to feed tilapia in different stages.

Ingredients for Making Tilapia Feed

Tilapia are omnivores freshwater fish meaning they also eat green vegetation, algae, and aquatic plants like duckweed and watermeal. Apart from these greens, they can consume grains such as soybean, groundnut, and even wheat. So as a fish farmer, you might be asking yourself this question, What are the components of tilapia feed? Luckily, we have the right calculations for accurate fish meals to help in fish growth and growth.

Common tilapia feed ingredients include

Do you know carbs play an important role in fish feeding by acting as a good energy source while impacting body composition? That’s right. You can use starchy options like rice bran, great for digestibility as well as growth. A corn gluten feed is perfect for large tilapia because of its high protein and energy level. For a low-cost fish meal, consider cassava which offers energy but low essential nutrients. Other carbohydrate alternatives include peas, barley, and sorghum.

Remember, tilapia should use not more than 40% digestible carbs to avoid impacting their growth, production, and health negatively. Also, processed cassava is better for utilization, and adjusting the carbohydrate content will help you monitor fish performance.

Using Protein Fish Meal for Sustainability

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Tilapia feed ingredients vary when you consider several factors like the type of tilapia and age. This means different dietary and nutrition needs especially between grower and finisher fish meals. Also, factor in your farming system if raising the fish in tanks, ponds, or pens. More factors like species and feeding habits, that will help you know the type of fish meal to feed, can be found here.

Proteins act as a building block for your fish’s muscle tissue for better body composition and optimal growth. In the same instance, the proteins help in tissue repair, hormone production, and enzyme improvement. This is great for better fish metabolism and ensures you reduce feed waste.

Types of Protein in Tilapia Feed

We will focus on animal and plant-based fish-feed protein meals. The former includes:

• Meat and bone: Small amounts of this meal are recommended after heat-treating to prevent disease spread.
• Fishmeal: Although this food is unsustainable and pricey, it’s highly digestible. What’s more, your fish get better amino acids.
• Feather fish food: Lastly, this type is more sustainable but you have to supplement amino acids because of its low digestibility. Fortunately, there are ways you can improve the digestibility by degrading the keratin protein.
• Plant-based proteins: The plant-based proteins for tilapia fish ingredients include soybean, cottonseed flour, and groundnut meal.

Other ingredients:

Some additional or alternative ingredients include vegetable oils that provide energy and fatty acids. When you use binders and antioxidants, they help improve pellet quality. What’s more, probiotics come in handy for better fish gut health as well as digestion.

How to Feed Tilapia in Different Growth Stages

Feeding tilapia is based on fish health, water quality, and formulated ingredients in each growth stage. Make sure you adjust the mixture, feeding frequency, and quantity to meet your farm’s specific needs. Here’s a guideline to make the process easier:

Fry:

When it comes to fry fish, you should only feed them a maximum of 10% of their weight.

• Fishmeal: 15%
• Soybean meal: 35%
• Wheat bran: 30%
• Barley meal:8.5%
• Corn meal: 5%

Only use the above formulation for net tank culture or seawater tilapia for the best results.

Fingerlings:

Follow this sample for fingerlings aged 2-12 weeks

• Soybean meal: 35%
• Rice bran: 25%
• Corn gluten meal: 20%
• Fishmeal:10%

This formulation has enough energy, nutrients, and protein for the best growth and development.

Juveniles:

• Rice bran: 1.88%
• Soybean: 0.48%
• Cornmeal:2.56%
• Fishmeal: 0.34%

Remember to adjust the mix depending on the feeding frequency, growth rate, and size of the fish farm.

Adults:

Lastly, we have the formulation for adult tilapia which are 6 months old and above.

• Rice bran: 50%
• Soybean meal:20%
• Fishmeal:5%
• Sunflower meal:15%

Additional Tips:

• Monitor water quality and ensure it has the right Ph and acidity levels. If ammonia rates rise, adjust the feeding rates
• You can use fresh veggies like fruits for added fiber and vitamins
• Check the fish health while amending the formulas as required

Following these guidelines can help in the fish’s growth up to the mature stage. Moreso, they will receive the best nutrition leading to optimal health, yield, as well as good development.

Conclusion

You never know what is inside the store-bought tilapia feed ingredients and that’s why self-sustaining aquaponics is the way to go. Not only ensures the fish meal is chemical-free but also helps keep the cost down. Using recommended ingredients like rice bran, corn gluten, barley, and aforementioned products will give you peace of mind in the fish production process.

Remember, always consult a professional or feed specialist for better guidance if unsure of the way forward. They’ll provide you with a tailored plan that fits your individual goals. What’s more, optimizing tilapia feed can guarantee good fish health, growth, and financial success.