A Practical Guide to Eel Cultivation

A practical guide to eel cultivation.

Eels are aquatic animals that are classified in groups of fish. Unlike most other types of fish, eels can live in the mud with a little water. This animal has two respiratory systems that can make it survive in these conditions.

The type of eel that is most widely known in the world is the rice eel (Monopterus albus). In some places also known as swamp eel (Synbranchus bengalensis). The most striking difference between rice eel and swamp eel is its body posture. The rice field eel is short and fat, while the swamp eel is longer and leaner.

There are two business segments of eel cultivation, nursery and enlargement. Nurseries aim to produce saplings while enlargement aims to produce eels to size ready for consumption.

This time we will elaborate on the cultivation of eel enlargement in the wall pond, starting from the selection of seeds to harvesting.

Choosing eel seeds

Seeds for eel cultivation can be obtained from the catch or cultivation. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The catch seedlings have several disadvantages, such as non-uniform size and the possibility of trauma due to the method of capture. The advantage of catching seedlings is that they are more savoury, so the selling price is better.

The shortage of seeds produced from cultivation is usually lower than the catch eel. While the advantages are more uniform seed size, can be available in large quantities, and continuity is guaranteed. Besides, the seeds of cultivation have relatively the same growth power because they usually come from a uniform parent.

Cultured eel seeds are obtained by naturally spawning male eels with females. So far in Indonesia, there is no artificial spawning (such as hormone injections) for eels. To find out more about nurseries, please read the eel nursery tips.

Good seedlings for eel cultivation should have the following criteria:

The size is uniform. Uniform seed sizes are intended to facilitate maintenance and reduce the risk of cannibalism or mutual predation.
His movements are active and agile, not sluggish.
Not physically deformed or injured.
Free from the disease.

Eel cultivation for enlargement segments usually uses eel seedlings measuring 10-12 cm long. Seeds of this size require maintenance time of about 3-4 months until they are ready for consumption. For export markets that require a larger scale, maintenance time can reach six months.

Preparing eel cultivation ponds
Eel cultivation can be done in permanent or semi-permanent ponds. Permanent ponds that are often used include ground pools, rice fields, and wall ponds. Whereas semi-permanent ponds include tarpaulin ponds, drums, barrels, plastic containers and nets.

This time we will discuss the cultivation of eels on the wall of the wall. The wall pond is relatively more durable, its economic life can last up to 5 years.

The shape and extent of the wall pond can be made of various kinds, adjusted to the state of space and needs. Pool height ranges from 1-1.25 meters—drain holes made with a rather large pipe to facilitate the replacement of growing media.

For pool walls that are still new, you should first dry them for several weeks. Then soak it in water and add banana leaves, coconut fibre, or banana fronds. Wash at least three times or until the smell of the cement disappears.

Growing media for eel cultivation

In the wild, eels are often found in muddy waters. Mud is a sanctuary for eels. Even in aquaculture ponds, eels require growing media in the form of mud.

Some materials that can be used as material to make mud / growing media include, wetland mud, compost, humus, manure, rice husks, rice straw, banana fronds, bran, aquatic plants, and decomposer microbes.

The composition of organic material in the growing medium of eel cultivation has no benchmark. It depends on your habits and experience. Cultivators can mix their growing media from readily available materials.

Here are one alternative steps to make the media grow for eel cultivation:

Clean and dry the pool. Then place the chopped rice straw at the bottom of the pond about 20 cm thick.
Place the banana strips which have been chopped 6 cm thick, on top of the straw.
Add a mixture of manure (buffalo or cow dung), compost or topsoil 20-25 cm thick, on top of a banana midrib. Organic fertilizer is useful for triggering the growth of biota, which can be a natural food provider for eels.
Flush the growth media with bio activator liquid or decomposer microbes, for example, EM4 solution.
Stockpile with rice paddy mud or swamps 10-15 cm thick. Allow the media to grow for 1-2 weeks to be fully fermented.
Run clean water for 3-4 days in the fermented growth media to clean the toxins. Set a large flow of water, do not be too heavy so as not to erode.
The final step, inundate the growing media with clean water. Water depth of 5 cm from the surface. In the pool can be given water plants such as water hyacinth. Don't overcrowd it.
From the above process obtained a layer of growth media/mud about 60 cm thick. After everything is finished, the eel seedlings are ready to be stocked.

Note: With other methods, eel cultivation can be maintained in clean water without using mud.

Spreading seedlings and regulating water

Eels are animals that can be cultivated with high density. Stocking density for eel seedlings measuring 10-12 cm in length ranges from 50-100 tails / m2.

Spread the seeds in the morning or evening, so the eel is not stressed. Seedlings originating from natural catches should first be quarantined for 1-2 days. The quarantine process is carried out by placing the seeds in clean running water. Give food in the form of egg beaters during the quarantine process.

Arrange the circulation of water carefully. Do not be too heavy (water like a puddle of rice fields), which is essential for water circulation. Also, regulate the depth of the water; this affects the posture of the eel. Water that is too deep will make the eel move a lot to take oxygen from the surface so that the eel will be thinner.

Eel Feeding

Eels are greedy animals. Delay in providing food can be fatal. Especially on newly stocked eels.

The amount of feed must be adjusted to the weight of the eel population. In general, eels require 5-20% of their body weight every day.

Here are the daily feed requirements for eels population weights of 10 kg:

Age 0-1 months: 0.5 kg
Age 1-2 months: 1 kg
Age 2-3 months: 1.5 kg
Age 3-4 months: 2 kg

Eel cultivation can be either live or dead feed. Live food for small eels (larvae) include zooplankton, worms, water fleas (daphnia / Moina), worms, tadpoles, fish larvae, and insect larvae. While adult eels can be given food in the form of fish, frogs, insects, small crabs, snails, grubs, and snails. The frequency of live feed can be done once every three days.

For dead feed can be given chicken carcasses, snail chopped, trash fish, chopped small crabs, or pellets. Dead feed for eel cultivation should be given after boiling it first. The frequency of feeding can die 1-2 times every day.

Because eels are nocturnal, feeding will be more effective in the afternoon or evening. Except for sheltered cultivation, food can be given throughout the day.

Eel Harvesting

There is no standard for how large the eel is said to be ready for consumption. But in general, the domestic market usually requires smaller eels, while the export market requires a larger size. For the local market, maintenance time for enlargement ranges from 3-4 months, while for the export market it is 3-6 months, even more, starting from the time the seeds are sown.

There are two ways to harvest eel cultivation, partial harvesting and total harvesting. Partial harvest is done by harvesting all eel populations, and then the small eels are separated to be re-maintained.

Total harvesting is usually done in intensive eel cultivation, where feeding and cultivation methods are carried out carefully so that the resulting eel has a more uniform size.

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