Taking care of the fish and cage

The fish

158. You must always watch the fish to see that they are healthy and swimming strongly.

159. If the fish in your cage are not well, they will stop eating.

160. If this happens, stop feeding your fish for a day or two.

161. When you begin to feed them again, at first give them small amounts of food and then slowly more and more. When your fish begin to eat as before, you will know that they are well again.

162. If you find any dead fish floating in your cage, take them out right away.

Take away the dead fish

163. Then, stop feeding your fish and watch them carefully for the next few days.

164. If no more fish die, you can begin to feed them after a day or two.

165. If fish continue to die, take them out as soon as you can and ask your extension agent or fishery officer for help.

The cage

166. You have already been told that a cage can easily be damaged. If this happens you may lose fish.

167. So, it is very important to check your cage every day to be sure that there are no holes where your fish can get out.

168. If you find any places where the fish can get out, repair them right away.

Note If your cage is in shallow water you may be able to repair any holes in it as you were shown on page 33. However, if the water is deep it may be easier to completely cover the damaged side of the cage with a new piece of material.

Repair the cage

169. In addition, you must be sure that the openings in the cage material are free from dirt and plants so that fresh water can flow into the cage.

170. You can clean the material of a cage using a brush or a broom. However, do it very gently so that you do not damage the cage material.

Clean the cage material

171. Also, do not forget to check for uneaten food on the bottom under the cage from time to time.

Uneaten food

172. If you have put your cage on posts in the water, make sure that the posts are firmly in place so that the cage cannot float away.

Hammer in posts

173. If you have a floating cage, make sure that the floats and that the cage is firmly tied in place so that it cannot float away.

Check float and anchor cage