Milkfish (Bangus) Production Part 3

Production strategy

1. Purchase the required fry once every year of operation, especially during the peak season in  May.
2. Start  production in the nursery pond, then the transition pond, formation pond, and finally the rearing pond.
3. Divide the grow-out process into two phases: formation and rearing phases.
4. Allow the fingerlings to grow from a 20g fingerling size to a 50g post-fingerling size in the formation pond using natural food organisms as primary food for the stock.
5. Transfer the post-fingerlings to the rearing pond. Milkfish will grow to the marketable size of 250g in three months at an average growth rate of 2.2g/day . Expect the milkfish to grow bigger during the dry season at an average growth rate of 3g/day.
6. Provide supplementary feeds to sustain fish growth particularly during the wet season when lab-lab and other natural foods in the pond are depleted. A weekly feed conditioning is necessary to determine the attractability of the feed.
7. Efficient feeds should be used. Unattractive feeds results in poor health of the milkfish.
8. Eradicate snail pest called suso and bangungon. These pests destroy lab-lab mat and compete with bangus for lab-lab. Use alternative molluscicide, like tobacco dust, applied at 300-400 kg/ha. Or collect the snails by sweeping or handpicking and burn them with rice straw.

Pond water management

1. Increase water depth from 0.6 m to 1 m particularly during the last two months of culture operation. Note: An abrubt increase in water depth will cause lab-lab to detach and float. Install fine-meshed screens (bastidor or lumpot) at the gates to prevent  the re-entry of wild species or the possible escape of stock.
2. Monitor water quality parameters (turbidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature regularly to check for any sign of risk. Maintain the optimum water condition to support maximum growth of milkfish.
3. Change water at least every two weeks or as frequent as possible.
4. Install a stand-by water pump to maintain desired water depth when water management through tidal fluctuation is not possible.

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