FLOATING CATFISH FEED PELLET PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

Posted at 08:49h in Application

Nigeria is among the largest fish consumers in the world. Fish farming in Nigeria is increasingly
becoming a very lucrative business. There are two kinds of fish being commonly cultured: Tilapia and
Catfish. The article of Tilapia Pellet Processing have been updated last week, and today catfish
farming in Nigeria will show you in detail.

In Nigeria, because of the relative ease of catfish farming, the readily stable markets for catfish,
especially as catfish is a treasured delicacy in Nigerian cultures, catfish farming has built a huge
followers-base. The market price of African catfish is usually gauged per kg-weight of fish. This price
is different in Nigerian different areas. On the average catfish can be sold for N500/kg in Lagos,
N650/kg in Makurdi and 750/kg in Abuja. The market for catfish however is not lacking, regardless of
geographical location, difference hardly occur in catfish price: which is dependent on the dynamics
of demand and supply.

Catfish grown at high densities requires a nutritionally complete feed to produce good growth and
maintain good health. Fish feed is the major expense in fish framing. In order to minimize the cost of
input, it is wise to produce fish feed instead of buying from the market and a farmer can formulate
feed in a very cheaper rate than buying from the market. Quality fish feed can be formulated from
the local raw materials, but the problem of instability or non-floatability of these locally produced
feed caused farmers to depend on foreign pelleted feeds. Here Azeus will give your the professional
knowledge of making local floating catfish feed pellets in Nigeria.

I. Ingredients of Fish Feed

There are main ingredients for producing fish food. For some ingredient not available in the local,
you can use the close alternative of equally good nutritional value.
♦ Rice bran
The bran layer and germ of the rice. It is high in fat, which limits its use in catfish feeds.
♦Fish meal
Thought to be the best ingredients, due to its compatibility using the protein requirement of fish. It
is produced by cooking fish, rolling and pressing to remove water and oil, and then drying.
♦Soyabean meal
It is a major protein source for commercial catfish feeds in Nigeria, which contains 48% protein. It is
high in essential amino acids and it is both digestible and palatable. Please note that it is not the
same as the ones consumed by the human beings.
Notice that groundnut cake is cheaper, which can be used to replace a small portion of the soyabean
in feed. However, it has low lysine content (an essential amino acid) and is also vulnerable to
contamination with the mould Aspergilus flavus which produces aflatoxins. Therefore never use
mouldy groundnut cake or other mouldy foods.
♦ Cottonseed meal
It generally contains 41% protein but must not contain less than 36% protein. It is highly palatable to
catfish but is deficient in lysine. Cottonseed meal can replace about half the soybean meal in catfish
feeds.
♦ Maize
It can be used as the major energy source in feed, forming up to 30% of the total diet. During the
extrusion process maize can be cooked, which contributes to the improvement of digestibility.
♦ Groundnut cake
Containing 40% crude protein. Due to the fat content, use no more than 25% in total together with
full fat soybean meal.
Other ingredients can also be added for making fish feed, such as wheat offal, vitamins, growth
boosters.

II. Simple Feed Formulations for Catfish

Ingredient Inclusion level (kg/t)

Fry (to 1m Fingerling(to 3m Juvenile(to 5m Grower (to 8m Brood stock (8or 9m

m) m) m) m) m)

Fishmeal (72%) 450 400 300 200 350

Soybean meal 230 200 220 240 230

Groundnut cak
e 150 150 200 250 150

Maize 165 245 275 305 262.5

Premix 5 5 5 5 5

Total 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000

Total CP(%) 50 46 42 38 44

Please note that the premix is assumed to have an inclusion level of 5kg/t.

III. Priority of Extrusion in Fish Feed Production

Fish feed is usually processed by two ways: pelleting or extrusion. To get premium fish feed pellet,
extrusion is more popular than pelleting. Here are comparisons between extrusion and pelleting.
● Pellets produced by pelleting sink rapidly when thrown in pond or tank, any raw starch in the diet
is left uncooked, pollutes the water in the pond and tendency to crumble, produce much dust and
gets wasted due to inability to detect when the fishes are satisfied with feeding.
● Food extrusion is a process in which food ingredients are forced to flow, under conditions of
mixing, heating and shear, through a die that forms the ingredients. Extruded floating feeds are
favored by farmers in Nigeria because they allow observation of the feeding processing thereby
preventing wasteful feeding, facilitates the inactivation and destruction of heat labile anti-nutritional
factors and other contaminants and they are extremely stable in water.
Also higher temperatures employed during extrusion cooking facilitate the rupture of the cellulose
membrane surrounding the plant cell and individual starch granules of cereal and oilseeds, with
consequent starch gelatinization and increased carbohydrate and calorific bioavailability.

IV. Floating Feed Pellet Making

The main process of floating fish feed contains: fish feed grinding→feed mixing→feed
extrusion→pellet drying→oil spraying process→pellet cooling and packing.
1. Grinding
Generally mix raw materials together before grinding.
The most common machine for grinding is the hammer mill. The particle size directly effects the
efficiency of pellet making. Once feeding into the crushing chamber, materials are smashed under
the high-speed rotation of hammers. With the high pressure and rapid-moving of airflow, the
smashed raw materials are further reduced into particle size or very small pieces for further
processing. There are different capacities of hammer mills for your demands.
Screen sizes recommended are as follows: for 2mm pellets, 0.75mm; for 3-5mm pellets, 1.0mm; for
bigger pellets, 1.0-1.25mm.
2. Mixing
Powdery feed materials need to be mixed thoroughly in the mixer to ensure a high-quality of
nutritional feed. Meanwhile premixes and other micro ingredients are added and mixed.
We provide feed mixer with a single-shaft and twin-ribbon. It reinforces convection, shearing, and
mixing effects and is an essential parts of the whole line.
3. Extrusion

Dry Extrusion Wet Extrusion

Extrusion, including dry extrusion and wet extrusion, is the only known way to make water stable
slow sinking or floating feed pellets. The general extrusion process involves a high temperature over
a short time. At the same time the material also undergoes relatively high pressure. The pressure
difference in the interior of extruder and the external environment will cause the extrusion of the
aquatic feed.
Notice: Dry type feed extruder for dry extrusion and wet type feed extruder for wet extrusion.
4. Drying
Fish feed pellets from pellet making machine need to lower high moisture and temperature. So dryer
should be equipped in the production line. The best and most gentle drying is obtained with a low
temperature dryer, <80℃, and long drying time. Here the multi-layer dryer is recommended for best
drying quality.
5. Oil Spraying Process
For acquiring better smell and taste, the oil spraying machine can be used to spraying oil to the
surface of fish feed pellets coming out of the dryer. It sprays atomized oil with high speed on the up
and down surface of pellets, and the excessive oil can be recycled through filter.
6. Cooling and bagging
By cooling pellets can be harden. Counter flow cooler is cooling type that commonly used in pellet
industry currently with the direction of the air and product of pellets in opposing directions.
The fish feed pellets are packaged in bags for further transporting and storage. Here you can opt
pellet packing machine which is suitable for weighing and bagging pellets.
The above processes, the main steps of making fish feed pellets, are suitable for other fish feed
production. With quality fish feed extruder and right feed formulation, you can make feed pellets
your wanted depending on the production procedure.

IV. Conclusion
Catfish farming expansion are held back as private sector fish farmers have faced major constraints
including lack of good fingerlings and quality feed. Challenges in making feeds in Nigeria are not in
sourcing the ingredient but on the techniques involved in formulation and processing.
For fish formulation, Azeus is glad to help you because
we can provide free formula after you make an order. We have help customers successfully
formulated a local floating fish feed with local fish feed stuffs found in Nigeria.
Fish feed processed by extrusion are found to exhibit floating characteristics. Extruded feed pellets
are more cost efficient, improve quality of ratio and increase profitability for farmers. Great demand
for fish feed in fish farming Increased the availability of indigenous feed production.

Catfish Feed Formula:

How to Formulate Feed
that Will Enhance Your
Profit
BY ENIOLA ABIODUN

ON FEBRUARY 1, 2016
IN CATFISH FARMING

Don't waste your time and money. Let me help you finally make a profit from
catfish farming. Click here to see how I can help.

Feed formulation is an integral part of catfish farming business, especially in

tropical Africa. This is due to the fact that imported fish feeds are always
expensive due to the cost of logistics on importation and weak local currency,
making the cost of such products skyrocket.
The environment in Africa allows individual farmers to formulate feed for their
fishes in order to reduce the cost of feed production and also to enjoy flexibility in
choice of feed ingredients for feed formulation. It has been observed that majority
of catfish farmers have little or no knowledge of this aspect of their business. As a
result of this, many gamble and some even depend on the judgment/choice of their
feed millers who are ready to exploit them for the purpose of making more profit.
Little wonder that some farmers fail at this critical point.
Ideally, your choice of feed ingredient and formula should be guided by the
following;

 Nutritional requirement of your fish stock

 The presence or absence of anti-nutritional or toxic factor

 Availability of preferred ingredient

 Palatability of available ingredient

 Cost and benefit of the available ingredients

 Available processing technology or method

Nutritional requirement of your fish stock: Adequate knowledge of ingredients
and nutritional value of various ingredients, coupled with the nutritional
requirement of your feed at various stages, will help you as a farmer to formulate a
quality feed. From ingredients combined, it is possible to calculate the crude
protein, energy, and fat in your feed either manually or by inputting it on a
dedicated computer program.
The presence or absence of anti-nutritional or toxic factor: Some ingredients
are better not used due to presence of certain anti-nutritional element(s) in them.
For instance, Soya Beans grain must be well processed to remove some anti-
nutritional elements in them. Some ingredients like GNC can also encourage the
growth of Aflatoxin, although this may not be a major concern in catfish farming
business unlike in poultry.
Availability of preferred ingredient: Certain ingredients are preferred over
others. This might not be unconnected with cost and availability of such
ingredients. When such ingredients are not available, a farmer is saddled with the
responsibility of choosing from a wide range of similar ingredients. For instance,
when flour or dough is not available, a farmer is faced with the challenge of
choosing from energy grains or processed tuber crops to complement the energy
requirements of the fish.
Palatability of available ingredient: An experienced catfish farmer understands
that catfishes have taste preferences, and he will ensure that he chooses from a
variety of ingredients that will suit the taste of his fishes. For instance, GNC has
better taste and aroma over its substitute Bernseed, and soya meal is preferred
above cotton seed.
Cost and benefit of the available ingredients: Cost factor, as well as benefit of
the cost, is an important factor that must be well considered in feed formulations.
The cost of 72% fish meal against its benefit might not make it the best alternative
where local fish meal is available, especially in a situation where most of the
imported fish meals in the market are adulterated. Also, there may be many ways
to meet up with the protein requirement for your fish but animal protein, especially
protein from fishes, must not be totally removed from the feed; the quality and
quantity must be well sustained regardless of your choice of ingredient.
Available processing technology or method: This is a crucial factor to be
considered when formulating your feed. Some ingredients should not be used at all
due to crude processing method which might have led to the loss of essential
nutrients. Maize should not be used at all if the feed miller does not possess the
technology to powder it because experience has shown that fish might not be able
to fully digest maize grain that is not well milled.

Nutritional Requirement for Catfish

Feed
Catfish feed requires certain nutrients that will help the farmer optimize the growth
as well as increase the profit on their catfish farming business. Below are the 4
classes of nutrients, in order of importance, essential in any feed formulation:

 Protein: This class of nutrient is required for building body tissue and
replacement of damaged tissue. It contains physiological molecules such as
hormones and enzymes. It can be obtained from plants and animals.
 Energy (Carbohydrate): This nutrition provides the energy needed for
catfishes. Grains of cereals and cassavas are the major source of this nutrient.
 Vitamins and minerals: Growth, health, and body process are controlled by
this class of nutrition. For example, organic and inorganic chemicals are found
in vitamin and minerals.
 Fat: Fat contains vital fatty acids and also enhances energy delivery in feed.
There is a need to understand nutritional contents of available feed ingredients so
as to understand and select appropriately ingredients that will meet the nutritional
needs of your catfish. Each class of nutrition is analyzed separately below:
Nutritional Level of Animal Proteins
Energy Crude
Animal Fats Calcium/Phosphorus Methionine Lysine
Level Protein
Protein (%) (%) (%) (%)
(mj/kg) (%)

Meat
11.2 50 – 51 10 8 0.7 2.6
meal

Blood
15.2 88 – 90 1 0.4 0.6 7.1
meal

Feather
13.7 80 – 85 7 0.4 0.6 2.3
meal

Poultry
13.1 60 – 64 13 2.0 1 3.1
meal

Fish meal 5 55 – 75 3 1.0 1.5 2

Nutritional Level of Plant Proteins

Plant Energy Calcium Methionine
Protein (%) Lysine (%)
Protein (cal/kg) (%) (%)

Soybeans
44 – 48 2557 0.20 3.2 1.4
meal

Cottonseed
40 – 41 2350 0.66 4.2 1.4
meal

Sunflower
46 – 47 2205 0.30 3.5 2.3
Meal
GNC 45.6 – 61.8 3860 1.7 3.2 1.0

Nutritional Level of Energy Base Ingredients

Ingredients Protein (%) Energy (cal/kg) Calcium (%) Lysine (%)

Wheat 13 3153 0.05 0.5

Sorghum 9.0 3263 0.02 0.3

Maize 8 – 11 3200 0.5 0.27

Cassava 2.5 1601 1.6 0.07

From the nutritional table of certain feed ingredients, a sample of simple catfish
feed formula can be generated thus:

Sample 1:
Ingredients Quantity (kg)

Maize/Wheat/Cassava Flour (any of the three) 25kg

Soya/Sunflower/Cotton seed (Soya preferred) 30kg

GNC/Benseed (either of the two) 20kg

Fish (72%) 25kg

Fish Premix 0.5

Lysine 0.1

Methionine 0.1

Vitamin C 0.1

Salt 0.2

DCP 1

TOTAL 102kg

Sample 2:
Ingredients Quantity (kg)

Maize 20

Poultry meal 15

Fish meal (72%) 10

Blood meal 5

Soya 30

GNC 20

Fish premix 0.5

Lysine 0.1

Methionine 0.1

Vitamin C 0.1

Salt 0.2

DCP 1

TOTAL 102kg

Preparing Your Own Fish Feeds1

Juli-Anne B. Royes and Frank Chapman2

Introduction

Most fish farmers and ornamental fish hobbyists buy the bulk of their feed from commercial
manufacturers. However, small quantities of specialized feeds are often needed for experimental
purposes, feeding difficult-to-maintain aquarium fishes, larval or small juvenile fishes, brood fish
conditioning, or administering medication to sick fish. In particular, small ornamental fish farms with
an assortment of fish require small amounts of various diets with particular ingredients. It is not cost
effective for commercial manufacturers to produce very small quantities of specialized feeds. Most
feed mills will only produce custom formulations in quantities of more than one ton, and medicated
feeds are usually sold in 50-pound bags. Small fish farmers, hobbyists, and laboratory technicians
are, therefore, left with the option of buying large quantities of expensive feed, which often goes to
waste. Small quantities of fish feed can be made quite easily in the laboratory, classroom, or at
home, with common ingredients and simple kitchen or laboratory equipment. This paper presents
examples of 1) Experimental and practical fish feed blends or formulas that are nutrient balanced
and adaptable to particular conditions; 2) The formulation and preparation of a semi-purified
ornamental African cichlid fish diet that can be used in the laboratory or when small quantities of
feed are needed; 3) The preparation of a gelatin-based diet that is often used to administer
 medicines or other chemicals. Background information on nutrition, feedstuffs, and feed
formulations are presented with emphasis primarily on the feeding of ornamental “aquarium”
fishes.

Nutrition and Feedstuffs

Nutrients essential to fish are the same as those required by most other animals. These include
water, proteins (amino acids), lipids (fats, oils, fatty acids), carbohydrates (sugars, starch), vitamins
and minerals. In addition, pigments (carotenoids) are commonly added to the diet of salmonid and
ornamental “aquarium” fishes to enhance their flesh and skin coloration, respectively. The general
proportions of various nutrients included in a standard fish diet are given in Table 1. One of the best
descriptions of the essential nutrients for fish and the nutrient content of various ingredients
is Nutrient Requirements of Fish, a publication by the National Research Council available free on the
Internet at http://www.nap.edu/.

Table 1.

General amounts of nutrients incorporated into diets for growing fish.

Nutrients Requirement (percent by dry diet)

Proteins (10 essential amino acids):

lysine, phenylalanine, arginine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, threonine, 32–45%

tryptophan, and histidine

Fat: Used as a source of energy and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In general, 4–28%
freshwater fish requite fatty acids of the linolenic (w-3) and linoleic (w-6) series. (should contain at least 1–2% of the w-6
Saltwater and coldwater fish require EPA and DHA (w-3). or w-3 essential fatty acid series)

Carbohydrates: These are an inexpensive source of energy and is a binding

agent. No essential requirements have been identified. These are poorly digested
10–30%
when fed raw. Highest digestibility is achieved when cooked. Major
carbohydrates are starch, cellulose, and pectin.

Minerals: Some 20 inorganic mineral elements, including calcium, phosphorous, 1.0–2.5%

magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, and selenium. fed as a multi-mineral premix

1.0–2.5%
Vitamins: These are inorganic substances required in trace amounts that can be
divided into fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble (vitamins C fed primarily as a multi-vitamin premix.
and the B-complex [thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin C and choline are added
cyanocobalamin, niacin, biotin, folic acid, choline, and myoinositol]). separately from the premix because of
their chemical instability.

In their natural environment fish have developed a wide variety of feeding specializations
(behavioral, morphological, and physiological) to acquire essential nutrients and utilize varied food
sources. Based on their primary diet fish are classified as carnivorous (consuming largely animal
material), herbivorous (consuming primarily plant and algae), or omnivorous (having a diet based on
both plant and animal materials). However, regardless of their feeding classification, in captivity fish
can be taught to readily accept various prepared foods which contain the necessary nutrients.

Increased understanding of the nutritional requirements for various fish species and technological
advances in feed manufacturing, have allowed the development and use of manufactured or
artificial diets (formulated feeds) to supplement or to replace natural feeds in the aquaculture
industry. An abundant supply of feedstuffs are available, and farmers and hobbyists are now able to
prepare their own fish feeds from locally available ingredients.

Proteins and Amino Acids. Fish meal, soybean meal, fish hydrosylate, skim milk powder, legumes,
and wheat gluten are excellent sources of protein. Additionally, the building blocks of proteins (free
amino acids) such as lysine and methionine are commercially available to supplement the diet.

Utilizing raw fish as a main ingredient in fish feeds has long been recognized to be harmful to the
health and growth of fish due primarily to the presence of the anti-nutrient, thiaminase. Thiaminase,
an enzyme that destroys thiamine (vitamin B-1), one of the essential water-soluble vitamins, is
mostly found in freshwater fish and is destroyed by heat (i.e., cooking). Other concerns related to
using raw fish in diets include the spread of infectious diseases such as mycobacterium and botulism.
In preparing diets, preferential use of marine fish is suggested to minimize thiaminase activity, and
raw fish could be steamed or poached.

Lipids. Oils from marine fish, such as menhaden, and vegetable oils from canola, sunflower, and
linseed, are common sources of lipids in fish feeds.

Carbohydrates. Cooked carbohydrates, from flours of corn, wheat or other “breakfast” cereals, are
relatively inexpensive sources of energy that may spare protein (which is more expensive) from
being used as an energy source.

Vitamins and Minerals. The variety and amount of vitamins and minerals are so complex that they
are usually prepared synthetically and are available commercially as a balanced and pre-measured
mixture known as a vitamin or mineral premix. This premix is added to the diet in generous amounts
to ensure that adequate levels of vitamins and minerals are supplied to meet dietary requirements.

Pigments. A variety of natural and synthetic pigments or carotenoids are available to enhance
coloration in the flesh of salmonid fish and the skin of freshwater and marine ornamental fish. The
pigments most frequently used supply the colors red and yellow. The synthetically produced
pigment, astaxanthin (obtained from companies such as Cyanotech and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.),
is the most commonly used additive (100–400 mg/kg). Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae such
as Spirulina), dried shrimp meal, shrimp and palm oils, and extracts from marigold, red peppers and
Phaffia yeast are excellent natural sources of pigments.

Binding Agents. Another important ingredient in fish diets is a binding agent to provide stability to
the pellet and reduce leaching of nutrients into the water. Beef heart has traditionally been used
both as a source of protein and as an effective binder in farm-made feeds. Carbohydrates (starch,
cellulose, pectin) and various other polysaccharides, such as extracts or derivatives from animals
(gelatin), plants (gum arabic, locust bean), and seaweeds (agar, carageenin, and other alginates) are
also popular binding agents.
Preservatives. Preservatives, such as antimicrobials and antioxidants, are often added to extend the
shelf-life of fish diets and reduce the rancidity of the fats. Vitamin E is an effective, but expensive,
antioxidant that can be used in laboratory prepared formulations. Commonly available commercial
antioxidants are butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and
ethoxyquin. BHA and BHT are added at 0.005% of dry weight of the diet or no more than 0.02% of
the fat content in the diet, while ethoxyquin is added at 150 mg/kg of the diet. Sodium and
potassium salts of propionic, benzoic or sorbic acids, are commonly available antimicrobials added at
less than 0.1% in the manufacture of fish feeds.

Attractants. Other common additives incorporated into fish feeds are chemoattractants and
flavorings, such as fish hydrosylates and condensed fish solubles (typically added at 5% of the diet).
The amino acids glycine and alanine, and the chemical betaine are also known to stimulate strong
feeding behavior in fish. Basically, attractants enhance feed palatability and its intake.

Other Feedstuffs. Fiber and ash (minerals) are a group of mixed materials found in most feedstuffs.
In experimental diets, fiber is used as a filler, and ash as a source of calcium and phosphorus. In
practical diets, both should be no higher than 8–12% of the formulation. A high fiber and ash
content reduces the digestibility of other ingredients in the diet resulting in poor growth of the fish.

Other common feedstuffs used in ornamental fish diets include live, frozen, or dried algae, brine
shrimp, rotifers or other zooplankton. The addition of fish or squid meal will enhance the nutritional
value of the diet and increase its acceptance by the fish. Fresh leafy or cooked green vegetables are
often used. Although vegetables are composed mainly of water, they contain some ash,
carbohydrates, and certain vitamins. Kale, dandelion greens, parsley, and turnip greens are examples
of relatively nutritious vegetables.

Feed Formulations

With few exceptions, feeding a single type of food is neither complete nor balanced and does not
supply all the nutrients a fish might need in its diet. Hence, two or more ingredients should be mixed
into homemade, laboratory and commercial feed formulations. A diet may be formulated to
supplement natural foods already available in the production system or as a complete formulation
when no other foods are provided. A complete diet must be nutritionally balanced, palatable, water
stable, and have the proper size and texture. If natural foods are not incorporated in ornamental fish
diets, the feed must be supplemented with natural or synthetic pigments.

The nutrient composition of numerous feedstuffs can be found in the literature and on the Internet.
Two books that deal almost entirely with nutrient composition of feedstuffs are 1) Handbook on
Ingredients for Aquaculture Feeds and 2) Standard Methods for the Nutrition and Feeding of Farmed
Fish and Shrimp. Another book, which is available free on the Internet is United States-Canadian
Tables of Feed Composition, found at http://nap.edu/. Also, available through the Internet is the
information provided by the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory
at http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=80-40-05-25.

Feeds are formulated to be dry, with a final moisture content of 6–10%, semi-moist with 35–40%
water or wet with 50–70% water content. Most feeds used in intensive production systems or in
home aquaria are commercially produced as dry feeds. Dry feeds may consist of simple loose
mixtures of dry ingredients, such as “mash or meals,” to more complex compressed pellets or
granules. Pellets are often broken into smaller sizes known as crumbles. The pellets or granules can
be made by cooking with steam or by extrusion. Depending on the feeding requirements of the fish,
pellets can be made to sink or float.

Flakes are another form of dry food and a popular diet for aquarium fishes. Flakes consist of a
complex mixture of ingredients, including pigments. These are made into a slurry which is cooked
and rolled over drums heated by steam.

Semi-moist and wet feeds are made from single or mixed ingredients, such as trash fish or cooked
legumes, and can be shaped into cakes or balls.

Feed Preparation

There is no single way for the preparation of formulated fish feeds; however, most methods begin
with the formation of a dough-like mixture of ingredients. Ingredients can be obtained from feed
stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and specialty stores such as natural food stores, as well as from
various companies that may be found through the internet.

The dough is started with blends of dry ingredients, which are finely ground and mixed. The dough is
then kneaded and water is added to produce the desired consistency for whatever fish is going to be
fed. The same dough may be used to feed several types of fish, such as eels and small aquarium fish.

Pelleting or rolling converts the dough into pellets or flakes, respectively. The amount of water,
pressure, friction, and heat greatly affects pellet and flake quality. For example, excess water in the
mixture results in a soft pellet. Too little moisture and the pellet will crumble.

Proteins and especially vitamins are seriously affected by high temperatures. Therefore, avoid
storing diet ingredients at temperatures at or above 70°C (158°F) and do not prepare dry feeds with
water at temperature higher than 92°C (198°F).

Tools and Storage Procedures

Making your own fish feed requires few specialized tools. The tools are used primarily for chopping,
weighing, measuring ingredients, and for blending, forming and drying the feed.

Most of the utensils needed will already be in the laboratory or kitchen. Multipurpose kitchen
shears, hand graters, a paring knife, a 5-inch serrated knife, a 6- to 8-inch narrow-blade utility knife,
and a 10-inch chef knife for cutting, slicing, and peeling can be used. A couple of plastic cutting
boards protect the counter and facilitate handling the raw ingredients. Heat resistant rubber
spatulas, wooden and slotted spoons, long-handled forks, and tongs are very good for handling and
mixing ingredients. A basic mortar and pestle, electric blender, food processor, or coffee grinder are
very useful to chop or puree ingredients; use grinder sieves and mince die plates to produce the
smallest particle size possible. A food mill and strainer such as a colander or flour sifter help discard
coarse material and obtain fine food particles. For weighing and measuring ingredients, dry and
liquid measuring cups and spoons, and a food or laboratory bench scale are required. Other utensils
include plastic bowls (1½, 3, 5, and 8 quarts) for weighing and mixing ingredients, a thermometer,
and a timer. A 3-quart saucepan and 10-inch stockpot are good for heating gelatins and cooking raw
foods such as vegetables and starches. The ingredients and blends may be cooked in a small electric
or gas burner. A few trivets to put under hot pans will protect counters and table tops.

Ingredients may be mixed by hand using a rotary beater or wire whisk; however, an electric mixer or
food processor is more efficient. After mixing, a dough is formed that can be fashioned into different
shapes.

A pasta maker, food or meat grinder will extrude the dough into noodles or “spaghetti” of different
diameters. As the noodles emerge from the outside surface of the die, they can be cut off with a
knife to the desired length or crumbled by hand, thus making pellets. A potato ricer also serves to
extrude the dough into noodles of the same size. For making flakes, a traditional hand-cranked or
electric pasta maker will press out the dough into thin sheets.

The pellets or thin sheets can be placed on a cookie sheet and dried in a household oven on low heat
or in a forced-air oven. A small food dehydrator also performs the task quite well. To add extra oil
and/or pigments to pellets, a hand-held oil atomizer or sprayer can is useful. To separate pellets into
different sizes, a set of sieves (e.g., 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mm) is required.

Freezer bags serve to store the prepared feeds, and using a bag vacuum sealer will greatly extend
the shelf-life of both ingredients and the feed. The feed can be stored double bagged in the freezer
but should be discarded after 6 months. Ideally, dried larval feeds are not frozen but stored in the
refrigerator for no longer than 3 months.

A finished diet, especially used for experimental purposes, should be analyzed for nutrient content
(proximate analysis: crude protein, energy, moisture, etc.). In addition, anyone intending to make
his/her own fish feeds with unfamiliar ingredients should have them analyzed prior to their use.

Sample Formulations and Recipes

There are numerous recipes for making fish feeds, and it is beyond the scope of this publication to
present them all. Presented here are examples of a purified, a semi-purified, and three practical
diets that can easily be adapted to feed a wide variety of fishes (Table 2). Purified and semi-purified
diets are used primarily in experimental formulations to study the effects a nutrient, such as the
amount or type of protein, may have on the health and growth of fish.

One simple formulation, which is used traditionally to feed ornamental fish in ponds, consists of a
mixture of 30% ground and processed oats or wheat and 50% of fish meal or pellets from a
commercial manufacturer. By weight, approximately 2–3% of fish oil, and a 0.3% vitamin and a 1%
mineral premix are added to the mixture. This mixture is blended with water and can be formed into
dough balls of different sizes.

Following Table 2 are two sample fish feed recipes. These are:

1. A semi-purified diet, developed to determine the optimum protein level required by young
ornamental African cichlid fish (Royes, unpublished Dissertation). This diet also can be used
as a basis for feeding other types of ornamental fish in the laboratory. The cichlid feed recipe
was derived principally from salmonid formulations and uses casein as the purified protein
source. The ingredients in the recipe are listed under major nutrient categories such as
 proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Pigments are added to enhance the
coloration in these ornamental fish.

2. A gelatin-based diet, developed for difficult to feed fishes by the National Aquarium in
Baltimore (from Francis-Floyd and Reed, 1994). In this diet, gelatin is the primary binder.
This recipe can be modified and supplemented with a variety of ingredients. Supplemental
or replacement ingredients are presented. Gelatin-based diets are popular in the aquarium
fish industry and useful for preparing medicated feeds at home.

Table 2.

Ingredients1 and their proportions (percent of dry weight) in five diet formulations. These
formulations can be modified to feed fish in the laboratory or small farm. Modified from DeKoven et
al.2, 1992; Various sources3, 4; Meyers and Brand5, 1975; Lovell6, 1989.

Practical Diets
Ingredients1 Purified2 Semi-purified3
Basal4 Flake5 Dough6

Fish meal – 25.0 23.0 34.0 65.0

Shrimp or krill meal – – 11.0 11.0 –

Soybean meal (48% protein) – – 25.0 5.0 5.0

Wheat middlings – – 10.0 – –

Vitamin-free casein 31.0 40.0 – – –

Wheat gluten or starch gluten 15.0 12.8 – 20.0 –

Soybean lecithin 5.0 – – – –

Dextrin 27.0 – – – –

Egg white or albumen 4.0 – – – –

Fish oil (cod or menhaden) 5.0 2.5 4.0 1.5 5.0–2.0 kg per 10 kg of mix

Corn or soybean oils 2.0 2.5 – – –

Pregelatinized potato starch – – – – 22.5

Corn – – 10.0 – –

Beef heart meal – – 5.0 – –

Liver meal – – 2.0 – –

Rice bran – – – – –
Yeast protein or extract – – 2.0 20.0 3.0

Vitamin premix 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 0.5

Stay-C (stabilized Vitamin C) 4.0 0.4 1.0 2.0 –

Mineral premix 3.0 1.0 1.0 – 2.0

Choline chloride – .08 – – –

Agar or Carrageen – – 3.0 3.5 –

Carboxymethyl cellulose – 3.0 – – –

Non-nutritive bulk or cellulose 3.0 10.5 – – –

Spirulina or Astaxanthin – – 0.5–1.0 0.05 –

BHA 0.02 – – – –

Water – – – – 8–10 kg per 10 kg of mix

1
Ingredients can be obtained from a number of suppliers. The following list is not all inclusive and does not represent
endorsement of a manufacturer or supplier.

• Fish meal and fish oils: Omega Protein, Inc.

• Fish hydrosylate: International Proteins Corp.

• Casein, soybean meal, wheat and corn starches, carboxymethyl cellulose, and choline chloride: ICN Biomedical, Inc.

• Soybean oil: Sigma-Aldrich Co.

• Mineral and Vitamin premixes: Ziegler Brothers, Inc.

• Astaxanthin, Spirulina: Cyanotech and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd.

• Stay C: Hoffman-La Roche, Ltd.

Catfish Nutrition: Feeds - By Mississippi State University –

Since cultured catfish get only a small portion of their food nutrients naturally, they must be fed a
complete feed.

That is, one formulated to provide all required nutrients in the proper proportions necessary for
rapid weight gain, high feed efficiency, and a desirable composition of gain (high protein gain and
low fat gain). Feed cost is about half of variable production costs in catfish culture, so as a catfish
producer, you should carefully consider feed selection and use.

Feed ingredients

No one feed ingredient can supply all of the nutrients and energy catfish need for best growth.
Commercial catfish feeds contain a mixture of feedstuffs and vitamin and mineral premixes that
provide the right essential nutrients as well as the energy necessary to use the nutrients. The
amount of each feed ingredient depends on several factors, including nutrient requirements,
ingredient cost, availability of each ingredient, and processing characteristics.

Protein and energy supplements

Feedstuffs containing 20 percent crude protein or more are considered protein supplements. Protein
supplements may be classified as animal or plant proteins. Animal proteins used in animal feeds
come from inedible tissues from meat packing or rendering plants, milk products, and marine
sources. Those used in catfish feed include marine fish meals, catfish offal meal, meat and
bone/blood meal, and poultry byproduct meal.

Animal proteins are generally considered to be higher quality than plant proteins. Animal protein is
essential in the diet of fry and small fingerling catfish. Fish meal prepared from whole fish appears to
be a better protein supplement than other animal proteins. But fish meal does not appear to be
essential in the diet of catfish after they reach a size of 6 to 7 inches. Animal proteins can be
replaced by plant proteins in catfish food fish feeds without affecting growth and feed efficiency.

The main plant protein sources used in catfish feeds are oilseed meals, such as soybean meal,
cottonseed meal, and peanut meal. Some other oilseed meals could be used but are not generally
available on a timely basis and at an economical cost per unit of protein. Abrief description of
various animal and plant protein sources that can be used in catfish feeds is given in the chart on the
next page.

Energy supplements are feedstuffs that contain less than 20 percent crude protein. The include grain
and grain byproducts and animal fat or vegetable oil. It is important to include nonprotein energy
sources in catfish diets because they are the most economical source of energy, and they prevent
dietary protein from being used for energy. Energy sources typically used in commercial catfish feeds
include corn, corn screenings, wheat grain, wheat middlings, rice bran, milo, animal fat, and fish oil.
Premixes

Vitamin and mineral premixes are generally added to catfish feeds. They provide more vitamins and
minerals than what is needed for growth to make up for any losses that may occur during feed
manufacture or storage. They are made from high quality ingredients, using forms of vitamins and
minerals catfish can readily digest.

Feed formulation

Catfish feeds have generally been based on a fixed formula with little use of a least-cost approach as
is used in other animal industries. To use a least-cost computer program to formulate feeds,
manufacturers must know the cost of feed ingredients, the nutrient concentrations in feedstuffs,
nutrient requirements and nutrient availability from feedstuffs, and nutritional and nonnutritional
restrictions.

Use of least-cost feed formulation is limited because we dont know much about the nutrient levels
that bring maximum profit in relation to levels that result in best weight gain, we cant store large
number of different ingredients at the feed mills, and getting a wide assortment of feedstuffs on a
timely basis is a problem. But we can use a simple application of least-cost feed formulation used to
formulate catfish feeds. Here are some examples of restrictions placed on nutrients and feed
ingredients for least-cost formulation of catfish feeds.

Feed manufacturing

Feed manufacturing puts mixtures of feedstuffs and feed additives into a usable form. The main goal
in making feedstuffs is to increase profits of animal production by increasing the nutritional value of
the feedstuff or a mixture of feedstuffs. Depending on the animal species, this process may range
from a simple reduction of particle size to forming feed pellets through steam pelleting or extrusion.
Catfish feeds are unique compared to feeds used for terrestrial animals grown for food because
catfish feeds must be pelleted, water stable, and generally made to float on the water surface.

Thus most commercial catfish feeds are manufactured by extrusion. If a particular feed additive will
not withstand extrusion, the feed may be manufactured by steam pelleting into a sinking pellet. Fat
is typically sprayed on the feed pellets before shiping to reduce feed dust (fines).

Catfish feeds

Catfish feeds provide all the nutrients catfish need in a highly digestible form. Several feedmills
manufacture catfish feeds. Commercial catfish feeds are similar in composition, are of high quality,
and provide for rapid, efficient growth. Following are some examples.
Source: University of Minnesota AgEcon - July 2006
Striped catfish - Feed formulation

Live food

Live food such as Artemia, Moina, rotifers, etc. is important for achieving the best fish growth and
development during the larval stage, especially for the first few days post-hatching. Formulated
starter feeds are available for larvae of striped catfish, but poor growth performance and high
mortality of larvae have been observed (CAB International, 2006). Moreover, striped catfish larvae
are cannibalistic in nature and therefore have to be reared in ponds to avoid mass mortality during
the first week after hatching. Natural feed in ponds can be generated by good pond preparation (e.g.
fertilization and/or stocking of Moina at 20–30 kg/ha prior to stocking of fish larvae; CAB
International, 2006). However, many nursery farms apply a combination feeding of natural food
(Moina, Artemia, etc.) with commercial soybean meal and soybean milk in the form of an emulsion
or with commercial feeds (Bui et al., 2010) (Table 9).

Formulated feed

Formulated feed is used in intensive striped catfish farming in order to achieve high yields and to
reach marketable size in a short culture period. The productivity of striped catfish in pond culture
varies between 70 and 850 tonnes/ha/crop (Phan et al., 2009). However, this high productivity
requires the use of formulated feeds to provide enough required nutrients for the fish; natural food
is not important in this farming system.

The MPF is formulated from various feed ingredients which are chosen based on their availability,
price and quality. MPFs are produced for different size classes – there are 6 to 19 MPF size classes
depending on the manufacturer (Tables 10). The FMF is formulated from locally available and cheap
ingredients such as rice bran, broken rice, trash fish, etc. In some cases vitamins, minerals and
digestible enzymes are added into the diet.

Feed ingredients

Sources and quality of feed ingredients used to formulate striped catfish feeds are very diverse and
include both locally produced and imported ingredients. Major feed ingredients are rice bran
(different types), fishmeal, meat bone meal, blood meal, soybean meal, soybean cake, canola meal,
cassava, oils, etc. (Table 7). For example, there are many kinds of fishmeal, including local fishmeals
with protein levels ranging from 35 to 65 percent, and imported fish meals. The prices of feed
ingredients depend on their quality and on seasonal fluctuations. Fishmeal is normally used only in
small amounts (less than 10 percent in the diet, depending on fish size) in order to reduce feed cost.

Tran et al. (2010b) found that defatted soybean meal protein could replace fishmeal protein at up
to 60 percent without amino acid supplementation, or at up to 70 percent with amino acid
(methionine and lysine) supplementation in formulated diets of 2–4 g striped catfish. Tran et
al. (2010a) reported the digestibility of major feed ingredients for striped catfish fingerlings (Table
11).

Feed formulation
Normally, the protein level in formulated feeds is about 30–32 percent for the nursery stage (5–20
g). This value decreases with increasing fish size, the lowest value (22–26 percent) occurring at a size
of >500 g. Similarly, the lipid level of the diet changes with fish size appropriate to the requirement,
which varies from 4–6 percent. Two essential amino acids which are often supplemented in the feed
are methionine and lysine. Different kinds of vitamin C are also used in MPF – for instance, "stay C",
which is stable at high temperature has been used in extruded pellets. Furthermore, calcium and
phosphorus may be added to the diets.

The FMF usually has a low protein content. The diet is usually formulated from local ingredients such
as fishmeal, trash fish, soybean meal, soybean cake, rice bran, broken rice, cassava, dry fish, etc. The
formulation varies with the size of the fish (Huynh et al., 2006; Le and Huynh, 2006; Nguyen, 2011)
(Table 8).

Feed additives

There is almost no research about feed additives for striped catfish. However, farmers often add
useful bacteria or enzymes to increase digestibility and squid oil or marine fish oil as an attractant.
They may also add a premix of vitamins (Table 12) and minerals (Table 13) for nutritional
improvement of the feed. It is unnecessary to supply special attractants and binders for this fish
because gelatinized carbohydrate is enough to bind components in feed and the smell resulting from
gelatinization and the inclusion of animal oil in the diet is sufficient to stimulate feeding.
Preservatives such as butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) or
ethoxyquin may be added to MPF if it is to be stored for a long time, but are not added to FMFs
because these feeds are used almost immediately.

Feeding schemes

Feeding schemes depend on the type of feed and the stock size. The feeding rates for MPF vary from
2 to 5 percent according to the stock size, while the feeding rate for the FMF is increased by about
1–2 percent as compared to MPF at the same fish weight. Normally, fish are fed MPF at 5 percent
body weight when stock weigh less than 100 g or during the first two months and 2 percent for stock
weighing over 800 g or during the last 1 to 2 months of the culture cycle. Besides feed quality, the
feeding frequency