How to Feed Tilapia at Different Stages

Tilapia can eat a variety of foods. In artificial rearing conditions, farmers can feed tilapia any kind of material such as wheat, corn and paddy cakes. These are high-quality feeds for tilapia.

Different varieties of tilapia have different nutritional needs at different stages of their growth. Tilapia fry require 35% to 40% protein, while fish over 50g need 20% to 25%. O.aureus fry has a 36% protein requirement, while fingerlings and adults have 26% to 36% respectively. Tilapia feed must contain no more than 25% crude protein; intensive culture should have a ratio of 1:2.8-3.4. The content of animal and vegetable protein should not exceed 4%. The requirement for mixed inorganic salts is 3% to 5%. The acceptable range of phosphorous is between 0.54% and 1.14%. Natural bait can be fed to tilapia under pond conditions. The amount of vitamin added to intensive farming is approximately half that of carp. However, it can be supplemented with green feed.

The following is a detailed guide on how to feed tilapia

• The tilapia body should reach 150 grams before the protein content is increased to 32%-35%. Daily feeding amounts should not exceed 3%-5% of total weight. Rich water cultivation is also possible, using animal waste to grow biological feed fish. The manure spreads once per week, approximately 100kg-150kg each Mu (about 666m3).
• When the tilapia body is at 250g/tail, it enters the stage of mid-term cultivation. Farmers should then change the feeding method and use all-price tilapia feed instead of animal manure. The theory of feeding is to feed the fish twice daily at 9 and 5 p.m. The amount of fish feed should be 3% to 4 percent of the fish’s weight.
• The individual should reach 300g. At this point, the fastest growth period begins. Daily feeding amounts should not exceed 1%2% of the fish’s weight and feed must contain at least 35% protein. Feeding fish should be done five times per day. Farmers should feed fish as much feed as they need to help them grow faster. In seven to eight months, it can grow to more than 1kg/tail. Fresh water should be maintained in the middle and later stages to maintain a healthy appetite so that rapid growth can occur.

There are currently two types of artificial diets for tilapia feed. One is regular pellet and one is extruded pellet. The fish feed extruder machine can produce 0.75 to 1 kg of tilapia feed that feeds 0.5kg of tilapia. The tempering temperature for ordinary pellets should be maintained between 8095. Superfine grinding is used to produce extruded tilapia food. More than 80% can pass 80 mesh screen. The feed looks great. The feed is also very durable and can last for a long time.

The average particle size of extruded or ordinary pellets is between 0.9-15mm. It is easiest to measure the fish’s mouth caliber and determine the size of feed pellets. Extruded feed costs more than ordinary pellets. However, extruded fish food has a better effect than ordinary pellets and is much more cost-effective.

The production and use of expanded tilapia food has been very popular. You can mix different raw materials to make the feed according to where you get the feed and what your Tilapia needs are.