DNR - Salmon Care and Feeding Guidelines

Salmon Care and Feeding Guidelines

Salmon Care Guidelines
Food and Feeding
Fish Condition
Smolting
Troubleshooting Common Salmon Care Problems

Food and Feeding
Fish food will be provided when you pick up the eggs. Storing the fish food in a refrigerator is not necessary but may help to prevent mold growth. Do not "freeze dry" fish food.

Depending on your tank temperature, your eggs should hatch in late November to early December. The sac-fry will remain on the bottom of the tank or in the gravel. Do not start feeding them at this point. They will feed off their yolk sac for approximately one month. Once they have absorbed most of their sac they will swim up in the water column and begin searching for food. Don't be alarmed if all don't swim up at the same time -- some will take longer than others. Once approximately 80% are off the bottom and swimming, you should begin feeding. Follow feed schedule provided with food.

BioVita Starter #1 for approximately two weeks. Feed the fish often, as much as every half-hour, during this critical learning period for getting fish to eat an artificial food. Be careful not to overfeed. At this early feeding stage most food will not be eaten. Total daily food amount: ¼ tsp. per day. See ration instructions below.

BioVita Starter #2 for approximately two weeks (weeks three and four). Fish should be feeding well by now. Distribute total daily food amount over several feedings, five to six times per day. Total daily food amount: ½ tsp. per day. See ration instructions below.

Biodry 1000 1.2 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm. Follow feed schedule provided in your packet to determine when to switch fish to the next food size. You can experiment by feeding a few of the next-sized pellets when the fish appear close to the size shown in the food schedule. They are ready for a larger pellet when they are able to eat the food without spitting it out. Distribute daily amount over several feedings, five to six times per day. Feed amount: Consult the feed schedule for the appropriate amount.

Important: To ensure that fish receive their daily food over multiple feedings throughout the day, divide the amount to feed into the number of feedings you are able to do. This portion is called a "ration." Fish should receive either their entire ration or be fed until they are satiated (they are full and no longer actively feeding), whichever occurs first. It is not uncommon that early in rearing, fish may not eat their entire ration but should once they are feeding well. If fish are not eating their entire ration you may need to increase the number of feedings and decrease the ration amount to accommodate what the fish need. As the fish grow, this will change, so you will be able to increase the ration per feeding and decrease the number of feedings. Observe your fish while feeding -- their behavior will let you know what they need and if you need to make adjustments.

Feeding on the weekends: We understand that it is not possible for someone to care for the fish 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event that someone is at the school to feed the fish on weekends, please do so. If not, however, please feed the fish late on Friday and early on Monday.

Feeding during holiday breaks: It is required that feeding the fish is continued over all holiday breaks including, but not limited to: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Please make arrangements for the fish to be fed on a daily basis during holiday breaks.
Fish Condition
Signs of problems that may indicate disease or other stresses include changes in behavior -- not eating, lethargy, remaining close to the surface or the bottom of the tank, increased gill activity, no startle response (when you make sudden movements or noises the fish will normally react immediately). You should check water quality parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, etc.) to determine the source of problem. Most problems in fish tanks are caused by overfeeding. Following the feeding schedule for the number of fish in your tank should eliminate any problems related to water quality.
It generally is better to underfeed fish than to overfeed them. If you err, it is better to err on the side of underfeeding. Overfeeding leads to wasted food, which can negatively effect water quality. Salmon require clean, cold water so wasted feed is much more of a concern than underfeeding. Even underfed salmon will grow. They just need a little food each day to grow and be healthy. Keep in mind that wild fish do not often have the opportunity to feed until they are full in the wild.
Smolting
Beginning in late April or early May, you should observe changes in the color of your fish as they begin the smoltification process. They will lose the par marks (dark, vertical bars on the side) they had as young fish, by losing scales and beginning to look "silvery." The change in physical appearance is accompanied by physiological changes that make the fish want to leave the river and swim downstream to the ocean -- or in this case, a Great Lake. This is the time when they need to be released so they can imprint on their natal river (record into their memory the place they will return to spawn) and begin their life in the Great Lakes.
Troubleshooting Common Salmon Care Problems