Species guide
Harvest weight decides the pellet.
The usual rule is that a pellet should be roughly a quarter to a half of the fish's mouth width. True, but incomplete — it tells you the particle tracks the fish, not where a species stops. The number that settles it is harvest weight, because a pellet size is only needed if the crop grows large enough to need it.
| Species | Harvest weight | Crop length | Largest grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| PabdaOmpok pabda | 25–80 g | 5–8 months | 2 mm |
| TengraMystus tengara | up to 18 cm | — | 2 mm |
| Sing / SinghiHeteropneustes fossilis | 80–100 g | 10 months | 2 mm |
| TilapiaOreochromis niloticus | 300–500 g | 4–6 months | 3 mm |
| RohuLabeo rohita | 700–800 g in year one | 12–18 months | 3 mm |
| KatlaCatla catla | 1–1.2 kg in year one | 12–18 months | 3 mm |
| MrigalCirrhinus mrigala | 600–700 g in year one | 12 months | 3 mm |
Harvest weights are published culture figures, not our claims — sources are listed in the research note we keep alongside this page. Yields vary with stocking density, water quality and management, so treat them as the range the industry reports rather than a promise.
Pellet size against fish weight
This is the table everything else rests on. It is the published progression used for tilapia and Indian major carps, and it is what decides which grade a pond is on at any point in the crop — read the fish's weight, read across.
| Fish weight | Pellet size | Our grade |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 gEarly fry | 0.2–1 mm | Aqua Mash |
| 1–5 gFry | 1–1.5 mm | Aqua Plus · Aqua Shakti |
| 5–20 gFingerling | 1.5–2 mm | Aqua Shakti · Aqua Pro |
| 20–100 gJuvenile | 2 mm | Aqua Pro |
| 100–250 gGrower | 3 mm | Aqua Grow |
| Above 250 gAdult | 4 mm | In development |
Above 250 g the published charts move to a 4 mm pellet. Carp here are generally sold below the 1–2 kg national benchmark, so in practice the 3 mm grade carries a crop grown for this market. A 4 mm grade is in development for farms growing on to larger sizes; we are not publishing a specification for it until it exists.
How much to feed each day
The particle size answers which grade a pond is on. This answers how much of it to feed. A daily ration is a share of the fish's own body weight, not a fixed quantity — a fingerling eats a far larger proportion of itself than a grower does, which is why a bag-a-day habit over-feeds badly by the end of a crop and quietly loads the pond.
| Fish size | Daily ration |
|---|---|
| Under 5 gFry and early fingerling | 9% |
| 5–20 gFingerling | 7% |
| 20–50 gLate fingerling | 6% |
| 50–100 gEarly grower | 5% |
| 100–300 gGrower | 4% |
| 300–1,000 gGrow-out to table size | 3% |
Published FAO figures for carp at 20–23 °C, not our recommendation. Rates move with water temperature, and tilapia are published separately at 3–5% for fingerlings and 1.5–2.5% approaching harvest. Two things make this work in a real pond: sample-weigh the fish every week or two and reset the ration, and correct whatever the table says against what actually clears in fifteen to twenty minutes.
Why some species stop at 2 mm
There is an order of magnitude between the two groups in that table. Pabda, Sing and Tengra finish at 25–100 g. Rohu and Katla finish at 1–2 kg — ten to twenty times heavier. Tilapia sits between them at 300–500 g.
Published charts put a 20–100 g fish on a 2 mm pellet and only reach 3 mm at 100–250 g. Pabda, Sing and Tengra all finish inside the 2 mm band, so their crops climb through four grades and stop. Carp and tilapia pass straight through and keep going, which is what the 3 mm grade is for.
This is why we would rather tell a Pabda or Tengra farmer exactly where their crop stops than sell a range that appears to fit everything — and why the table above says what is in development rather than pretending the range already covers every size.
- Mash through 2 mmPabda, Tengra and Sing harvest at 25–100 g, which is where the 2 mm band ends.
- Up to 3 mmTilapia, Rohu, Katla and Mrigal grow into the 3 mm grade; a 4 mm is in development.
- Ask if you are unsureBetween two stages, or farming something not listed, send your pond details.
- No yield promiseThese are particle sizes, not growth guarantees.
Common questions
What farmers ask about grade choice.
My fish is not on this list. What do I feed?
Send us the species, the size you stock at and the size you harvest at. Those three facts are enough for us to tell you which grades apply, and we would rather work it out with you than have you guess from a table.
Can I feed a smaller pellet than the fish could take?
It will be eaten, but the fish spends more effort per unit of feed and you get more fines in the bag and in the water. Matching the particle to the stage is the point of having grades at all.
What happens if the pellet is too large?
It is refused. It sinks, breaks down and loads the pond — cost on the bottom instead of growth in the fish. That is the failure the whole feeding stage guide exists to avoid.
Do you guarantee a growth rate?
No, and we would not trust anyone who did. Pond conditions, stocking density, water quality and management all move the result. What we hold to is the specification: every batch is checked against it before release.