1. Build an eel raising pond. The pond for raising eels should be in a place that is sheltered from wind and sunny, has a quiet environment, and has convenient water sources. It can be a cement pond or an earth pond. It can also be cultured in cages in reservoirs, ponds, ditches, and rivers. The size of the pool area is generally 20 to 50 square meters, which is too large to manage. If eels are raised in cement ponds, dealkalization treatment must be carried out before the eel seedlings can be released. If you use an earth pond to raise eels, the soil must be hard and the bottom of the pond must be compacted. The shape of the eel-raising pond depends on the terrain. It can be square or round. The depth of the pond is 0.7-1 meter. Whether it is a cement pond or an earth pond, a layer of fertilizer mud must be filled at the bottom of the pond, with a thickness of 30 cm. Fertilizer mud containing more organic matter is better, which is beneficial for eels to dig caves and live in them. When building a pool, pay attention to installing the water inlet and overflow port, and keep the water depth at 10-15 cm. The water inlet and overflow should be tied up with fish nets to prevent the eels from escaping. Thoroughly disinfect with quicklime about 10 days before the seedlings are released, and drain the pond water and inject new water 3-4 days before the seedlings are released.

2. Select good eel seedlings. Raising eel seedlings is the key. For eel seedlings, it is best to use artificially cultivated dark yellow large eels or golden small eels. Variegated eel seedlings and eel seedlings that have not been domesticated should not be used, let alone "extra large eels". The appropriate size for eel seedlings is 50-80 per kilogram. If they are too small, their feeding capacity will be poor and their survival rate will be low. The stocking density is generally 1.5-2 kg of eel seedlings per square meter.

3. Feed compound feed. First, install the feed table. The feed table can be made of wooden boards or plastic boards. The area should be determined according to the size of the pool and should be 5 cm below the water surface. Then release the eel seedlings, do not feed them for the first 3-6 days, and allow the eels to adapt to the environment. Feed the eels from the 4th to 7th day. The best time to feed the eels is around 7 pm every day, when the eels have the highest feed intake. Artificially raised eels are mainly fed with compound feed, and some earthworms, river snails, yellow mealworms, etc. are appropriately fed. For artificially domesticated eels, compound feed and earthworms are their favorite feeds. The compound feed formula is: 21% fish meal, 19% cake and meal, 37% energy feed, 12% earthworms (dry weight), 1% minerals, 5% yeast, 2% multivitamins, and 3% binder. Artificially cultivated dark yellow spotted eel seedlings are used and fed with this compound feed. The feeding amount is 3%-5% of the eel's body weight. Feed 1 to 2 times a day (depending on the weather and water temperature) and adopt the principle of timing and rationing. Eel seedlings that are raised for 20 grams a year can grow to 200-300 grams, and the breeding efficiency is high.

4. Feeding and management. The eel growing season is November, and the peak season is from May to September. During this period, management must be "diligent" and "detailed", that is, patrol the pond frequently and manage it diligently, and solve problems quickly if problems are found; carefully observe the conditions of the pond and the eel. growth dynamics so that appropriate measures can be taken in a timely manner. The eel's habit is to stay up during the day and come out at night. The remaining feed in the pond must be fished out in time every morning to avoid affecting the water quality and keep the water quality fresh. The pH value is between 6.5-7.5. The water level is suitable.

5. Prevent eel disease. Pay attention to prevent eel disease. Once eel becomes ill, the treatment effect is often unsatisfactory. It is necessary to prevent the disease before it is diagnosed, to treat the disease early, and prevention is better than cure. Don’t believe the lie that “eels don’t get sick”. Frequently use 1-2ppm bleaching powder to sprinkle the entire pool, regularly use copper sulfate to disinfect the entire pool, and use crystal trichlorfon to deworm every spring and autumn. Author: Yu Jisheng Article source: Hubei Province Macheng Mingte Fisheries Research Institute