Building a cage

129. A cage can be any shape. It can be round, square or long.

Cage shape

130. A cage can be small or large depending on the number of fish that you want to raise. However, when you first begin, start by building a small cage. You will need fewer materials. It will be easier to take care of.

131. You can begin with a cage that has about 1 cubic metre (1 metre by 1 metre by 1 metre) of space for the fish. Later, when you have learned more, you can build bigger ones.

Cubic cage

132. The best material to cover a cage is ordinary fish net. If you cannot get fish net you can use either plastic mesh, woven material made from split bamboo or wooden strips.

133. The openings in the material that you use to cover a cage must be small enough to keep the smaller fish from getting out.

134. However, if the openings are too small they may become filled with dirt or with the very small plants that grow in the water.

135. So, be sure to use material with openings of 1.5 by 1.5 centimetres. This is the right size to keep in the smaller fish and also to let fresh water through.

Water flow

136. You can build a simple cage by driving four or more posts into the bottom under the water and hanging a fish net inside.

Simple post cage

137. You can also build a simple cage by putting a square float on the water and hanging a piece of fish net inside.

Simple floating cage

138. If you want a better floating cage, you can build a frame with floats and close it with fish net, woven material or plastic mesh.

Better floating cage

139. You can use either bamboo or wood for the posts, floats or frame. However, if you are using wood, choose one that does not rot quickly when it is in the water.

140. The drawings on pages 50 to 66 show you how to build these cages. You will also be shown how to close the tops of cages and how to fix cages in the water.

A simple post cage

you can build a simple post cage using bamboo or wooden posts and fish net
find a place where the water is at least 1.50 metres deep even during the dry season

Simple post cage

drive 4 posts into the bottom to form a square 1.25 m x 1.25 m
the posts should be about 50 cm above the water

Four posts cage

tie a rope around the top of the posts to hold the fish net at least 25 cm above the water

Use a rope

hang a piece of fish net over the rope inside the posts and make sure that it is at least 1 m under the water at the deepest part tie the net to the rope all the way around the cage using strong cord

Lie the net to a rope

you can put in the fish now (but first see Items 141 to 145)

Put the fish

if you have enough fish net stretch a piece over the top of the cage and tie it to the rope using strong cord

Net cover

when you feed the fish, do not remove the cover
however, you may have to open part of the cover from time to time to take out any dead fish

A simple floating cage

you can build a simple floating cage using any wood that floats well, such as bamboo or banana stalks, and covered with either fish net, woven material or plastic mesh
tie 4 pieces of wood together using strong cord or rope to form a float 1 m square

Float square

hang the float about 1.50 m above the ground so you can work on it easily

Hang the float

cut 1 long piece of material for the sides of sides of the cage and one square piece of material for the bottom

Sides of cage

depending on the material that you are going to use, tie or wire the long side piece arround the outside of the cage

then, tie or wire the square bottom piece to the lower edges of the sides in the same way

Make the cage

if you have used fish net or woven material, tie a length of rope to the bottom of each corner to be used for weights when the cage is in the water

Tie the rope

carefully pull the cage into the water

Put the cage into the water

make sure that there are at least 50 cm of water under the cage and tie it firmly in place

Tie the cage

to do this, tie a piece of rope to one comer at the float and anchor the other end to a stake in the bottom

Anchor the cage

if you have used fish net or woven material, tie a weight to the rope on each comer

Use weights

note: if the that sinks below the water, tie on more pieces of wood until it floats on the surface

now you can put in the fish (but first see Items 141 to 145)

Put the fish in cage

after the fish are in, you can cover the cage with fish net

Cover the cage

if your cage is built of woven material or plastic mesh you can use this material for a cage cover

depending on the material that you have used for the cover tie or wire it in place just as you did the sides and the bottom of the cage

Tie the top of cage

however, you may have to open part of the cover from time to time to take out any dead fish

A better floating cage

you can build a better floating cage by making a light frame from bamboo or straight pieces of wood cut from trees and covered with either fish net, woven material or plastic mesh

tie 4 pieces of wood together using strong cord or rope to make one side of the frame, which should be about 1 m by 1.25 m

Use a bamboo frame

make another side the same as the first

Make another frame

using 4 more pieces of wood, tie the two sides together 1 m apart

Use 4 more pieces of wood

cut 1 long piece of material for the sides of the cage and 1 square piece of material for the bottom

Cut the material

depending on the material that you are going to use, tie or wire the long side piece around the inside of the float

Put the material

then, turn the cage on its side and tie on the bottom piece in the same way

Turn the cage on

for floats you can use bamboo, banana stalks, wooden blocks or, if you can get them, plastic containers, pieces of styrene plastic or used tyre inner tubes.

Materials for floats

bamboo floats, styrene plastic floats, tyre tube floats

carefully put the cage into the water

Put the cage into water

make sure that there is at least 50 cm of water below the cage and tie it firmly in place
to do this, tie a piece of rope to one corner at the float and anchor the other end to a stake in the bottom

the cage should float so that 25 cm of it is above the water and 1 m of it is below the water

Let the cage float

note: if the cage does not float 25 cm above the water tie on more floats until it does

now you can put in the fish
(but first see Items 141 to 145)

Put the fish in the cage

after the fish are in, you can cover the cage with a fish net
if your cage is built of woven material or plastic mesh you can use this for a cage cover

Cage cover

when you feed the fish do not remove the cover however, you may have to open part of the cover from time to time to take out any dead fish
you can build an even better floating cage using pieces of squared, rough- cut wood.
you can build this kind of cage with a door that can be locked and with a special opening for feeding the fish

Use rough- cut wood

with a locked door it is more difficult for people to steal your fish however, you may need more floats for a cage with a heavy wooden door

141. When your cage is finished and in place in the water, you are ready to stock it with baby fish.