﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  99 
  

  

  REARING 
  AND 
  FEEDING. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  fry 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  reared 
  for 
  breeding, 
  one 
  week 
  before 
  tlie 
  food-sac 
  

   is 
  absorbed 
  they 
  are 
  changed 
  from 
  the 
  trays 
  to 
  a 
  Uirge 
  pan 
  and 
  removed 
  

   to 
  the 
  rearing-troughs. 
  Gravel 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  these 
  troughs, 
  

   as 
  the 
  uuconsumed 
  food 
  works 
  down 
  into 
  it 
  and, 
  becoming 
  fungussed 
  

   there, 
  causes 
  a 
  greater 
  spread 
  of 
  disease 
  and 
  increases 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  

   caring 
  for 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  The 
  time 
  to 
  begin 
  feeding 
  the 
  fry 
  is 
  readily 
  ascertained 
  by 
  trial. 
  If 
  

   they 
  rise 
  to 
  minute 
  particles 
  of 
  food 
  thrown 
  upon 
  the 
  water, 
  they 
  are 
  

   then 
  ready 
  for 
  regular 
  feeding. 
  The 
  time 
  and 
  frequency 
  of 
  feeding 
  

   young 
  fish, 
  the 
  kind 
  of 
  food, 
  and 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  feeding 
  them, 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  

   greatest 
  importance. 
  Liver 
  gives 
  better 
  results 
  than 
  any 
  artificial 
  

   food, 
  and 
  its 
  preparation 
  is 
  very 
  simple. 
  Beef 
  livers 
  are 
  ground 
  by 
  a 
  

   meat-chopper 
  and 
  then 
  strained 
  through 
  a 
  fine-meshed 
  screen, 
  a 
  thick 
  

   pudding 
  being 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  water. 
  A 
  small 
  portion, 
  only 
  

   such 
  an 
  amount 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  will 
  readily 
  eat 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  is 
  spread 
  upon 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  a 
  feather, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  fed 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  six 
  

   or 
  eight 
  times 
  per 
  day 
  until 
  they 
  become 
  used 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  diet. 
  As 
  

   they 
  grow 
  older 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  food 
  may 
  be 
  increased 
  but 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  

   fed 
  less 
  frequently. 
  At 
  this 
  stage 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  have 
  such 
  a 
  preca- 
  

   rious 
  hold 
  upon 
  life 
  that 
  too 
  much 
  attention 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  their 
  

   care. 
  ISTot 
  more 
  than 
  20,000 
  can 
  be 
  held 
  with 
  success 
  in 
  a 
  feeding 
  or 
  

   rearing 
  trough, 
  and 
  a 
  regular 
  stated 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  is 
  kept 
  flowing- 
  

   through 
  to 
  prevent 
  disease, 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  properly 
  thinned 
  out 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  prevent 
  loss 
  by 
  sufibcation 
  when 
  they 
  increase 
  in 
  size. 
  About 
  

   30 
  gallons 
  of 
  water 
  per 
  minute 
  are 
  suflicient 
  for 
  20,000 
  fry, 
  though 
  this 
  

   ([uantity 
  is 
  increased 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  grow 
  stronger 
  and 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  breast 
  a 
  

   heavier 
  current. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spring 
  season, 
  when 
  the 
  water 
  begins 
  to 
  grow 
  warm, 
  the 
  fish 
  

   re<]uire 
  more 
  room 
  than 
  the 
  feeding-troughs 
  afford, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  then 
  nec- 
  

   essary 
  to 
  transfer 
  them 
  to 
  ponds. 
  The 
  North 
  ville 
  rearing-x)onds 
  are 
  

   o 
  feet 
  by 
  20 
  feet, 
  made 
  from 
  2-inch 
  pine 
  boards 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  

   gravel 
  bottom. 
  A 
  pond 
  of 
  this 
  size 
  accommodates 
  from 
  10,000 
  to 
  20,000 
  

   fiy 
  till 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  summer, 
  when 
  the 
  number 
  is 
  reduced 
  to 
  as 
  

   low 
  as 
  5,000. 
  It 
  is 
  advisable 
  to 
  place 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  5,000 
  in 
  the 
  pond 
  

   at 
  first 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  reducing 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  fish 
  at 
  different 
  

   times, 
  and 
  also 
  because 
  crowding 
  into 
  too 
  small 
  a 
  space 
  retards 
  their 
  

   growth. 
  

  

  At 
  first 
  the 
  fish 
  require 
  coaxing 
  to 
  induce 
  them 
  to 
  eat, 
  as 
  the 
  change 
  

   to 
  their 
  new 
  abode 
  has 
  frightened 
  them, 
  and 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  patience 
  is 
  

   necessary 
  in 
  their 
  treatment. 
  They 
  are 
  fed 
  at 
  regular 
  intervals 
  three 
  

   times 
  per 
  day. 
  As 
  their 
  appetites 
  are 
  poor 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  few 
  days, 
  the 
  

   liver 
  will 
  fall 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  foul 
  the 
  pond, 
  if 
  great 
  care 
  is 
  not 
  exer- 
  

   cised, 
  and 
  three 
  fourths 
  of 
  an 
  hour 
  is 
  not 
  too 
  long 
  for 
  feeding 
  5,000 
  fry. 
  

   The 
  time 
  occupied 
  in 
  feeding 
  is 
  diminished 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  

   increased 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  judgment 
  of 
  the 
  fishculturist: 
  but 
  their 
  

   ax)petites 
  should 
  never 
  be 
  completely 
  satisfied. 
  

  

  