Loach breeding methods and techniques

Loach is a fish that has the habit of spawning multiple times. In the natural environment, their breeding cycle begins in early April, reaches the peak of spawning from May to June, and the entire breeding season can last until September. The water temperature suitable for loach breeding ranges from 18℃ to 30℃, while the most ideal breeding water temperature is between 22℃ and 28℃. There are many friends in our country who are raising loaches . Let’s learn about loach breeding methods and techniques below.

1. Pond conditions

Pond type: Loach breeding ponds are divided into seedling ponds and adult fish ponds. The recommended area for seedling ponds is 30 to 60 square meters, with a water depth of 15 to 40 centimeters; the area for adult fish ponds is 100 to 200 square meters, and large adult fish ponds can reach 600 to 700 square meters, with a water depth of 30 to 40 centimeters.

Pond size: The recommended pond area for breeding loaches is about 1 mu, preferably rectangular, and avoid being too large. The recommended area of ​​the cement pool is 100 to 150 square meters, and the seedling pool can be smaller, 30 to 50 square meters is suitable, and the pool depth is usually 50 to 100 centimeters.

Water source requirements: Loaches can be cultured using unpolluted natural water sources or tap water. Suitable aquaculture water should have dissolved oxygen exceeding 3.0 mg/L, pH between 6.0 and 8.0, and a transparency of approximately 15 cm.

Soil selection: Loach grows in clay soil, has a yellowish body color, plump meat, softer bones, and better flavor; while loach grown in sandy soil has a darker body color, less fat, harder bones, and a slightly inferior taste.

Anti-escape measures: Given that loaches have a strong instinct to burrow holes and escape, special attention should be paid to anti-escape design when building ponds to prevent loaches from escaping through holes and to prevent harmful organisms from entering the breeding area.

2. Stocking management

Pond cleaning: For old ponds, air them out 30 days before adding loach fry to the pond to reduce the number of microorganisms. Before the loach fry are put into the pond, the silt on the bottom of the pond should be thoroughly removed, pond leaks should be checked and repaired, and the water inlet and outlet pipes should be ensured to be unobstructed.

Pond cleaning and disinfection: Carry out thorough pond cleaning and disinfection to eliminate pathogens. Drain water before stocking and remove possible pests such as snakeheads and other prey. Fifteen days before stocking, use chlorine dioxide for disinfection at a dosage of 3.75 kg/hectare to kill bacteria, parasites and other pests.

Watering and fertilization: 3 to 5 days before seedlings are released, apply decomposed human and animal manure as base fertilizer, with a dosage of 3.0 to 4.5 tons per hectare. The pond water is then filled to a depth of approximately 30 cm to cultivate natural food organisms. When the water color turns green and the transparency reaches 15 to 20 centimeters, loach seedlings can be released.

Water treatment: When farming loaches on a large scale, recycling water is a common practice, so the farming water must be treated scientifically. According to current aquaculture practices, using physical methods to treat aquaculture water is an effective way to ensure that the water quality is suitable for loach growth.

3. Breeding management

Seedling selection: Choose loach seedlings from nearby breeding farms, and select seedlings that are vigorous, healthy, disease-free, and of uniform specifications. 300 loach seedlings per kilogram are released per acre, with a quantity of about 280 to 300 kilograms.

Seedling disinfection: Soak seedlings in 4-5% salt water for 5-10 minutes before stocking to reduce the occurrence of diseases. If cooling measures are taken during transportation, appropriate amount of water should be added when stocking the seedlings to buffer the changes in water temperature.

Water color adjustment: The ideal water color of a loach pond is yellow-green, and the transparency is controlled at 20 to 30 cm. Adjust the amount of fertilizer according to the transparency to maintain appropriate water color and transparency.

Fertilization strategy: Apply organic fertilizer once every 15 days, about 15 kg per mu. Depending on the water color, apply appropriate amounts of urea or ammonium bicarbonate to keep the water yellow-green.

Regular disinfection: Use chlorine dioxide for disinfection once every two weeks from June to October. If the water quality is eutrophic, microecological preparations such as Bacillus, photosynthetic bacteria, etc. can be used in combination.

Water temperature control: The most suitable water temperature for loach growth is 18-28℃. When the temperature is above 30℃, the pool water needs to be replaced and the water depth needs to be increased to lower the water temperature and increase the dissolved oxygen.

Daily management: Check the feeding table every day and observe the feeding situation. Regularly use quicklime and bleaching powder to spray the entire pool and disinfect the eating area. Prevent hypoxia and ensure good water quality.

Fishing time: Loach can be fished after 8 to 10 months of breeding. Under high-yield conditions, the yield can reach 500 to 800 grams per square meter, and the yield per mu is about 350 to 450 kilograms. When the loach reaches about 15 cm in length and weighs 10 to 15 grams, it can be sold as a commodity.

4. Disease prevention and control

1. Fin rot

Symptoms: The fins, abdominal skin and area around the anus of the diseased loach become congested and ulcerated, the tail fin and pectoral fins turn white, and there are edema and erythema on both sides of the fish body.

Prevention and control: Use 1 gram/cubic meter of bleaching powder or 0.1 gram/cubic meter of furazolidone to spray the entire pond.

2. Red fin disease

Symptoms: The skin on the fins or part of the body peels off, the muscles rot, the anus becomes red, and blood spots appear. In severe cases, the fins fall off, the fish stops eating, and death may occur.

Prevention and treatment: To avoid fish injury, disinfect with 4% salt water before stocking.

3. Printing disease

Symptoms: The lesions are oval or round, swollen and erythematous, mainly located at the base of the caudal peduncle.

Prevention and control: Use 1 gram/cubic meter of bleaching powder or 2-4 grams/cubic meter of gallnut to spray the entire pond.

4. Trichodiniasis

Symptoms: Sick loaches eat less, swim alone, and have dense parasites on their bodies. If not treated, they may die.

Prevention and control: Use quicklime when cleaning the pond, and spray 0.7 grams of crystal trichlorfon per cubic meter of pond water throughout the pond.

5. Parasitic diseases

Symptoms: The sick loach is thin and often floats on the water surface. It has increased mucus on its body surface and may circle around on the water surface or be restless.

Prevention and control: Use 0.7 g/m3 of copper sulfate and ferrous sulfate mixture to spray the entire pond.

The above is an introduction to the key points of loach breeding technology. You need to refer to it in combination with the actual situation. Loach breeding is a meticulous process and you have to work hard if you want to raise it well.