Thinking of using green water to raise your koi fry?

That’s a good idea. Now’s about the time you should be preparing your new ponds to take fry. In commercial setups, green water will save you on feed costs.

	Delayed Feeding of Channel Catfish Fry Stocked in Ponds
	Authors:	Charles C. Mischke, T. E. Greenway, M. J. Griffin, M. H. Li, D. J. Wise
	Author Affiliations:	no affiliations available
	Source:	Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, Volume 44, Number 5 (October 2013)
	Page Numbers:	750 – 755
	Available Full Text:	Full Text: Subscription Required to view full text Format: PDF Size: unknown Location: Publisher’s Site Authentication: EBSCOhost EJS
	Abstract:	We compared production variables between channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, nursery ponds fed according to industry standards, that is feeding immediately at stocking, to an alternative practice of delaying feeding for 6 wk after stocking in an effort to utilize natural pond productivity and reduce feed use. Twelve 0.04?ha ponds were fertilized and stocked with swim-up fry (4–5 d posthatch) at a rate of 10,000/pond (250,000/ha). Ponds were then randomly assigned to either the standard feeding protocol (feeding daily starting immediately at stocking) or an alternative feeding protocol (no feeding until 6 wk post-stocking). After 18 wk of production, there were no differences in water quality or zooplankton abundance between the two treatments. Fish length was not affected by treatment throughout the study, and survival and total weight harvested were similar. Total kg of feed fed was significantly reduced in the delayed feed treatment, averaging 26?kg/pond less feed fed. If proper fertilization practices are implemented, large numbers of desirable zooplankton for catfish fry culture are attained, and these zooplankton are able to sustain catfish fry stocked up to 250,000/ha. Therefore, no commercial diets are required during the first 6 wk of culture, saving over $95.55/ha in initial feed costs.
	Citation:	Charles C. Mischke, T. E. Greenway, M. J. Griffin, M. H. Li, D. J. Wise . Delayed Feeding of Channel Catfish Fry Stocked in Ponds. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, Volume 44, Number 5 (October 2013), pp. 750-755, <http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=4277AFE096CF8E5CB7F2&gt;
	URL:	http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=4277AFE096CF8E5CB7F2