Want to Cultivating Success? Let's Make Fish Feed Formulation!

You may have wondered what the ideal composition of fish feed is. Actually, it can be said that it depends on the type and size of the fish being farmed. For example, catfish usually need protein 25-30% during the growth period (2 months and above), while in the nursery phase it requires protein 30-32%.

Therefore, it is important for you to understand feed formulations. Fish feed formulation is a balanced nutritional composition in feed that is prepared based on the nutritional needs of each type of fish. A good formulation means that it contains all the nutrients needed by fish and provides an economic advantage because the raw materials used are cheap and easy to obtain.

In determining raw materials for feed formulations, you need to consider the fulfillment of requirements, such as high nutrition, easy to obtain, easy to process, free of toxins, and relatively inexpensive.

You don't need to worry and be confused about this because in this article we will clearly discuss feed formulation, so that it can help your cultivation process. Here's a surefire way to make fish feed formulations for more successful cultivation.

Use Feed Formulation for Fish

In fish farming, feed plays a very important role in increasing production. More than 60% production costs incurred only for the purchase of feed.

Lately, the price of artificial feed (pellets) has continued to soar, due to the increase in the price of main protein sources, such as fish meal. However, now you can outsmart it by making your own feed with quality that is not inferior to feed made by manufacturers.

You need to know fish feed formulations in order to make quality feed. Preparation of feed formulation aims to obtain the nutrients needed by fish, both in the right amount and ratio for optimal fish growth.

This is in line with effort Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) who runs the program GERPARI (Self Feeding Movement) since 2015, where farmers can produce feed independently by relying on local raw materials that contain almost the same protein as manufactured feed.

In selecting raw materials to prepare feed formulations, you need to consider the availability and quality of raw materials. Raw materials must meet the nutritional needs of fish, this is to increase the conversion ratio of feed to fish meat.

In addition to raw materials, price is also an important factor to consider. Price considerations are not just about the cheap price of raw materials, but you need to compare these prices with the nutrients contained in the feed ingredients.

For example, the price of imported fish meal is IDR 6,300, with a protein content of 70%. Meanwhile, the price of local fish meal is IDR 6,000, with a protein content of 50%. Then to calculate the price per kg of protein is as follows:

Imported fish meal = (6,300/70) x 100 = IDR 9,000/kg protein

Local fish meal = (5,000/50) x 100 = IDR 10,000/kg protein

From these calculations, it appears that the price of imported flour is cheaper compared to local fish meal when viewed from the protein price.

Another example, fish meal with a water content of 30% costs IDR 420/kg, while other fish meal with a content of 14% costs IDR 400/kg. Then to calculate the price per kg of dry matter is as follows:

Fish meal (water content 30%) = IDR 420/(100 – 30) x 100 = IDR 600/kg dry matter

Fish meal (water content 14%) = IDR 400/(100 -14) x 100 = IDR 465/kg dry matter

From these calculations, it can be seen that fish meal with a moisture content of 14% is cheaper than fish meal with a moisture content of 30% when viewed from the dry matter.

Fish Feed Formulation Preparation Method

There are several methods for preparing feed formulations that you need to know about. However, a common and easy method is the four-square method pearson's and the method of algebraic equations. 

Before preparing the feed formulation, you must know the protein content in the feed. The protein content in feed varies depending on the type of feed you want to use. Check it out below.

After you know the protein content of feed, it's time for you to know how to make fish feed formulations. You can expand these examples yourself depending on your desire and availability of raw materials:

For example, if you want to formulate a feed for tilapia using petek flour and coconut cake as raw materials. The feed is expected to contain 30 grams of protein in every 100 grams of feed formulation.

Solving with Pearson's Four Square Method

1. You need to know the protein content of petek flour and coconut cake. The protein content of petek fish meal is 60% and coconut cake is 13,45%.

2. Draw a square and place the protein content value right in the middle of the square's diagonal line (see picture).

3. List the protein content on the left side of the square. The top left side is a raw material with a higher value of protein content (fish meal). While on the lower left side is the value of lower protein content (coconut meal).

4. Perform calculations by subtracting the protein content of raw materials from the required protein value. The result is on the right side of the square.

• Do the sum of each component of the raw material to get the dividing variable.

16,55 + 30,0 = 46,55  

• The values obtained are as follows:

Notes:

To prove the correctness of the protein content value of 30% or 30 grams of protein per 100 grams of feed formulation from the raw ingredients of 35.55 grams of petty fish meal and 64.45 grams of coconut cake are as follows:

a. The amount of protein from petek fish meal 35.55 gr x 60% = 21.33 grams

b. The amount of protein from coconut cake 64.45 gr x 13.45% = 8.67 grams

The total amount of protein per 100 grams of feed formulation = 30.0 grams

Solving with the Algebraic Equation Method

First of all, you need to know the protein content of petek flour and coconut cake. The protein content of petek fish meal is 60% and coconut cake is 13,45%. Both of these numbers can be used as variables for equations in calculating feed formulations. Check out the following equations.

After getting these equations, you can get Y and X values. Check out the method below.

To get a Y value, subtract from the newly obtained equation 3 with equation 2, so that you get a Y value, namely the amount of coconut cake in grams for every 100 grams of feed formulation.

After getting the Y value, enter the Y value into equation 1, so that you get an X value, namely the number of grams of petty fish meal for every 100 grams of feed formulation.

Then, it can be concluded that the feed formulation containing 30% protein or 30 grams of protein per 100 grams of feed is:

Fish Feed Manufacturing Process

In the manufacture of fish feed, keep in mind that the composition of the raw materials used has requirements, such as high nutrition, easy to process, easy to obtain, and free of toxins. Given the increasing price of pellets, you can try making fish pellets yourself to save on production costs.

The following is a process for making fish feed that is easy for you to do:

1. Preparation of Material Formulations Used

The first thing to do in the manufacture of fish feed is to prepare the raw materials to be used. In this preparation, precise calculations are needed in order to get the feed with the protein content that you want.

2. Raw Material Preparation

Raw materials are selected by taking into account the criteria, availability, price, quality of raw materials, food safety, and ease of obtaining and using them.

3. Siege

Flour is the process of grinding raw materials into flour. The purpose of flouring is to facilitate the mixing and molding process. In addition, to increase the digestibility of fish so that the pellets are easily crushed.

4. Mixing

The purpose of mixing is so that raw materials that have been refined can produce a homogeneous mixture of ingredients. In the mixing process, refined raw materials are weighed based on the needs according to the formulation that you have calculated.

The raw materials are then mixed until evenly distributed using a mixing machine (mixers). The balance between the amount of ingredients mixed with the mixing time determines that the ingredients will be mixed evenly.

5. Printing

The molding process functions to change the feed raw material mixture into pellets of a certain size and shape so that they are suitable for feeding fish. Raw materials that have been mixed can be directly printed into feed using a printing machine (pelleting).

6. Drying

Before being dried in the sun, the printed pellets are ripened first. Maturation is done by inserting pellets for ± 30 seconds. This aims to ripen the pellets so they don't crumble easily. The cooked pellets are then dried in the sun for 2-3 days. 

7. Packaging

Pellets that have dried are not packaged immediately, because the pellets that are still hot are feared to cause moisture in the pellet packaging. Wet pellets will easily cause mold. After drying, the pellets are allowed to cool down for ± 30-60 minutes, then they are packed in sacks with a plastic lining inside.

8. Storage

Pellets must be stored properly in a place that is not damp and not exposed to direct sunlight, so that the pellets are protected from fungal contamination when stored.