Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Caged fish

I have a 4x4x4fish cage that i have built. I would like to buy some 2in BG to raise in the spring,and feed them till fall. My question is how many should i buy? Will feed aquimax 500. My pond is 4 ackers, and 10ft deep.

Sprkplug regularly grows HBG in cages for restocking. His input will be very helpful.

Standard stocking size of BG-HBG for cage raising grow out is 3". Cage mesh size should be just small enough the fish cannot swim through the cage. This allows optimum water exchange in & out of the cage which helps keep fish healthy. Mesh of 3/4" should contain 3" BG. A 3" BG has a body depth of 1". A normal BG of 2.3" has a body depth of 3/4". A 3/4" cage diamond mesh has a maximum opening of 0.75". I often start growing them in 1/2" mesh cage and then later move them to a 3/4" mesh cage. Literature says the stockers should be graded to a fairly uniform length. HBG will be a little more tolerant of caged conditions compared to BG.

Aquaculture literature suggests stocking density for sunfish to be around 7-8 per cu.ft. of cage space. In my fish cage raising three articles for beginners, I suggest the low stocking density to be 2-3/cu.ft. and for those with some experience a medium density of 4-6/cu.ft. After stocking you will likely see some mortality due to handling stress. The amount of handling stress varies widely fish farm to fish farm. Many stocker fish for cages are highly stressed and "weak" when you purchase the fish. IMO it is very important to purchase your fish from the "best" fish farms. Best fish farms are chosen from experience and word of mouth for selling highest quality, healthy fish. Cage raising fish is a real education about your fish supplier and your talents!

IMO many fish farms rely on their 'weak' fish to be stocked into ponds where fish deaths are not readily observable. The weak dying fish become easy food items or die and sink to the bottom and are never seen again. However, when you cage fish you will easily see all the fish that get sick, develop fungus, or die. Whenever possible I prefer to collect my own stocker fish that go into a cage. That way I know how they were handled and that they were handled with utmost care.

In PondBoss Magazine back issues:
Mar-Apr 2007. CAGED FISH ON A SMALL SCALE. Cody in Part 1 of a 3 part article, describes the materials needed and how to build small cages to raise fish.
May-Jun 2007. CAGED FISH ON A SMALL SCALE. PART DEUX. Cody covers fish cage placement, selecting species, proper sizes, how many to stock, and feeding of fish in a cage.
Jul-Aug 2007. CAGED FISH ON A SMALL SCALE. In Part III, Cody discusses maintenance, mortalities, harvest, and overwintering of fish in a cage.

You also sjould have a minimum of 18"-24" of water under the cage for sufficient water flow.

I use round cages of the same approx. size, and while I've had 4-500 3" HBG in them at one time, I agree with Bill's statement advising starting with a lower headcount. I find I have fewer problems if I don't over crowd the fish. I would probably start with around 150 BG, and see how it goes. 2" is smaller than what I start with, (3-4"), but I do think that starting with smaller fish might yield benefits by way of allowing you to capitalize on that early growth period, and hopefully that would translate into greater ultimate growth potential.

If you do go with the 2" stockers, I would probably prefer a cage with 1/2" mesh, just be aware that the smaller the mesh, the quicker the algae will grow over the openings. You will probably need to clean it fairly regularly. 3" bluegills should be able to take AQ500 pretty well, but the 2" fish might have to peck at it for a bit. I would begin with hydrated feed initially, which might help them take to it a little quicker.

Like Bill and Sprkplug said, smaller mesh needs cleaning more frequently for sufficient water flow through the cage. Every time you clean the cage, you stress the fish, and stressed fish grow slower than non-stressed fish. You might also want to put a floating feed ring in the cage so the floating feed isn't pushed out of the cage by the feeding fish.

I put a arborists deer or bird netting on top of the cage to prevent herons from standing on the cage edge and using the fish in the cage for an easy meal.

Thanks for the info. Is there a certain time or water temp that i should look for to start. My cadge has1/2 in openings.what do you use to clean your cadge. Could you add a few Tripoli to aid with cleaning when water temp is right.I live 30 miles west of Lafayette IN. Would any of you recommend a fish farm, say within 2 hours.

I usually add fish when the water temp is 55-60 degrees. To clean the cage, I use a soft bristle brush on a long handle, and gently scrub the exterior...and it will stress the inhabitants for a time.

What are your goals for caging these fish? Are you growing them out in order to be able to stock them into a BOW with an already established predator base? Just experimenting?

I get my fish in Martinsville, but that's a ways south of you. Maybe Scott, Cecil, or Bill Cody will have some suggestions that are closer.

To scrub clean my cages I use a very stiff short bristle brush, using the same method described by Sprkplug. I think my brush was designed to put tar on roofs (Lowes?). FA sticks very tightly to cages. When my cages get clogged I usually transfer fish into a cleaned cage which IMO is less stressful AND the FA regrows a lot slower than on a cleaned cage. During the transfer I also get to look at all the fish to see if they are damaged or with any fungus. A fish with fungus quickly spreads fungus spores to other fish.

Tilapia may help in cleaning the cage but most of the growth seems to be on the outside of the cage not inside.

Yes 55-60F is a good stocking temp. When I am serious about getting healthy fish, I contact the fish farm and tell them to call me ASAP when they 'get in' fresh or new fish. Often fish will be held crowded in tanks for several days or weeks before they are sold. Fish are stressed and weakened every day they are held in a holding tank.

Mark - For fish check with Matt Rayl at American Pond & Lk Mgmt that is not far east of you in Russiaville ((765) 883-5718). Be sure to tell him what you are going to do with the fish and that you want as fresh of fish as possible when he gets them out of the pond. Tell him we sent you. Matt is very familar with cage raising of fish. Be ready to go get the fish at a moments notice whenever he calls that they are or will be ready. Since you are close to him he might deliver the fish? My favorite fish farm tells me when they are seining and I get the fish as they are 1st transferred into the holding tanks.

Be aware that many fish farms buy many of their fish so these fish can be stressed even before the farm gets the fish for retail sale.

Keep us advised as to your progress with this project.

I agree with contacting Matt.

Bill, I had 4-6 Tilapia in a 4' sq. cage and there was no scrubbing required all season. They suck the FA from outside the cage to inside and eat it. I think where it's legal, having a half dz. Tilapia in a cage with other fish will eliminate any FA problems on the cage.

esshup- good idea of using a few tilapia in a fish cage to reduce algae growth. I will try it this summer.