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Rabbit Cultivation Guide
Tilapia Cultivation
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Tilapia cultivation is not difficult. Tilapia is still a relative with tilapia fish. These two fish have similar characteristics. Easy to breed and have good adaptability. In the wild, tilapia are found in freshwater waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs and swamps. The optimal temperature for the growth of tilapia ranges from 25-30oC with a water pH of 7-8. Tilapia fish including all-eating animals or omnivores. Natural food is plankton, plankton, aquatic plants and various other aquatic animals. Artificial feed for tilapia cultivation should contain around 25% protein. The cost of feed for tilapia cultivation is relatively cheaper. Unlike the cultivation of carp or catfish which require feed with high protein content, around 30-45%. To start tilapia cultivation, there are several important factors that must be considered, namely seed selection, pond preparation, feeding, and disease management.
Choosing tilapia seeds
Seed selection is an important factor that determines the success rate of tilapia cultivation. For maximum results, you should use male fish seeds. Because the growth of male tilapia is 40% faster than female tilapia. Tilapia cultivation in monosex (all sex) is more productive than mixed. Because tilapia has the nature of easy spawning (mating). So that if the cultivation is carried out in a mixed manner, the fish's energy will be used up for spawning and the growth of fish weight will be slightly hampered. Currently, many provide monosex tilapia seeds. If it is difficult to get it, monosex tilapia seeds can be made yourself. The method can be seen in the article on tilapia hatchery cultivation.
Preparation of aquaculture ponds
Tilapia cultivation can use various types of ponds, ranging from soil ponds, cement ponds, tarpaulin ponds, floating nets to brackish water ponds. Of the many types of pools, the earth pool is the most widely used because it is quite easy to make and the construction cost is cheap. Please see how to make an earthen pond. Another advantage of an earthen pond is that it can be a place to grow various plants and animals that are useful as natural food for fish. So it can reduce the cost of buying artificial feed or pellets. To start tilapia cultivation in soil ponds, it is necessary to take steps to prepare the soil. Starting from drying, plowing the soil, liming, fertilizing to irrigation. Here are the steps:
The first step is drying the bottom of the pool. The pool is dried by drying. Drying usually lasts for 3-7 days, depending on weather conditions. As a rule, drying is sufficient if the surface of the soil looks cracked, but not to stone. When stepped on it still leaves footprints as deep as 1-2 cm.
Next, the soil surface is plowed or hoeed to a depth of approximately 10 cm. Garbage, gravel and other debris are cleaned from the bottom of the pool. Also clean the black mud that smells bad, usually comes from the rest of the feed that is not used up.
Ponds that have been used usually have a high acidity level (low pH), less than 6. Even though the optimal pH conditions for tilapia cultivation are in the range of 7-8. To neutralize it, do liming with dolomite or agricultural lime. The dose of liming is adjusted to the acidity of the soil. For soil pH 6 as much as 500 kg/ha, for soil pH 5-6 as much as 500-1500 kg/ha, for soil pH 4-5 as much as 1-3 tons/ha. The lime is stirred evenly. Try to let the lime get into the soil surface as deep as 10 cm. Then let stand for 2-3 days.
After that do fertilization. Use organic fertilizer as basic fertilizer. The type can be compost or manure. Giving organic fertilizer is useful to restore soil fertility. The dose is 1-2 tons per hectare. Fertilizer is spread evenly at the bottom of the pond. Leave it for 1-2 weeks. After that, if deemed necessary, chemical fertilizers can be added in the form of urea 50-70 kg/ha and TSP 25-30 kg/ha, let stand 1-2 days. The purpose of fertilization is to provide nutrients for animals and microscopic plants in the pond environment. So that these animals or plants can be used as natural fish food.
The next step, the pool is filled with water. Irrigation is carried out in stages. First, drain the water into the pond as deep as 10-20 cm. Leave it for 3-5 days. Allow sunlight to penetrate the bottom of the pond perfectly, to give the algae or other aquatic organisms a chance to grow. After that, fill the pool until the water level reaches 60-75 cm. How to treat soil ponds in more detail can be seen in the preparation of soil ponds for fish farming.
Distribution of tilapia seeds
Ponds that have been filled with water as deep as 60-75 cm are ready to be stocked with tilapia seeds. The stocking density of soil ponds for tilapia cultivation is 15-30 fish/m2. Assuming, the size of the seed is 10-20 grams/head and will be harvested with a size of 300 grams/head. Before the seeds are stocked, they should go through the adaptation stage first. The point is that the fish seeds get used to the conditions of the pond, so that the risk of death of the seeds can be reduced. The trick, put the container containing the tilapia seeds into the pond water. Leave it for a few hours. Then tilt or open the container. Let the fish come out and let it go by itself.
Tilapia fish farming maintenance
After all the preparations are done and the seeds have been sown into the pond, the next step is to take care of the fish until they are harvested. The three most important things in the maintenance of tilapia aquaculture are water management, feeding and pest and disease control.
a. Water management
In order to maximize the growth of tilapia cultivation, monitor the quality of the pond water. The parameters that determine water quality are oxygen content and water pH. It is also possible to monitor CO2, NH3 and H2S levels if possible. When the oxygen content in the pond decreases, increase the circulation of water by increasing the flow of water discharge. If the pool already contains a lot of NH3 and H2S which is marked by a foul odor, immediately replace the water. The trick is to remove of dirty water, then add new water. Under normal circumstances, in a 100 m2 pool, set the water flow to 1 liter/second.
b. Feeding
Feed management is very important in tilapia cultivation. The cost of feed is the largest cost component in tilapia cultivation. Give feed in the form of pellets with a protein content of 20-30%. Tilapia requires feed as much as 3% of its body weight every day. Feeding can be done in the morning and evening. Every two weeks, take a sample of tilapia at random and then weigh it. Then adjust the amount of feed that must be given.
Calculation of the dose of tilapia aquaculture feed:
In one pond there are 1500 tilapia measuring 10-20 grams / head.
Average fish weight → (10+20)/2 = 15 grams/head.
Calculation of feed → 15 x 1500 x 3% = 675 grams = 6.75 kg per day
Check the fish weight every two weeks to adjust the amount of feed.
c. Pest and disease control
As previously mentioned, tilapia is a hardy fish. Under normal circumstances, tilapia disease is not much of a concern. However, if tilapia cultivation has been carried out intensively and massively, the risk of disease attacks must be watched out for. The spread of fish diseases is very fast, especially for the types of infectious diseases that are contagious. The medium of transmission is usually through water. So it can reach one or more pool areas. For further explanation please read the pests and diseases of tilapia.
Tilapia fish harvest
The time required for tilapia cultivation from seeding to harvesting refers to market needs. The size of tilapia for the domestic market ranges from 300-500 grams/head. It takes time to keep tilapia from 10-20 grams to 300-500 grams