Weaning And Nursering Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Weaning And Nursering Protocol - Essay Example Semi-moist and liquid feeds, however, are not recommended in the early stages of weaning because they reduce water quality and make it cloudy. In addition, care must be taken to provide only the right amounts of food since underfeeding causes cannibalism, stress and diseases while over-feeding results in left over accumulations, cloudiness, water quality issues, disease outbreaks and stress. Therefore, the amount of food given is dependent on the stage of development, temperature of water, volume of tank, species and flow rate. Since different species feed differently, one has to use their own observations while feeding to decide what amounts the larvae require. Aeration helps keep the food conveniently suspended in the water (Benetti, 2014). Average to extensive aeration and the use of flow through water systems are useful when supplying artificial feeds/ diets. Live feeds and dry feeds (pellets) must be evenly spread out in the tank. Upon completion of weaning, fingerlings are given dry (pellet) and semi-moist foods, as per the recommendations of the manufacturer. In the closing stages of weaning, that is, in the nursery, high quality animal protein (50% proteins, at least) pellets/ dry scrambles are advisable, yet variable with the species. Juveniles and fingerlings in the nursery level are given high protein foods several times daily till they are full. The average size of the scrambles or pellets to feed to the juveniles and fingerlings in the nursery are 0.4mm, 0.8mm, 1.2mm, 1.4mm and 1.8mm. this is the recommended range of sizes, and for the best pick, keen fingerling and juvenile observation is prudent. As the fingerlings mature into juveniles and consequently adults, the frequency of feeding is gradually reduced . Generally, high quality feeds safeguard water quality and provides the nutrient requirements for all fish species. After weaning, fingerlings are graded according to size and shifted to the nursery tanks with constant