Photo credit: WorldFish

Tilapia cage culture design

Cage culture is a system in which fish are grown in a cage Materials

made of bamboo, metal or wood that is covered with nets.
The netting encloses the cage on all sides or on every When selecting material for cage construction, there are
side except the top, which is left open. The size of the net several criteria to consider, including availability, durability,
depends on the size of the fish. In the cage system, the mesh strength, weight,weather resistance (rot, corrosion), toxicity
enclosure retains the fish, making it easier to feed, manage and, of course, cost. The materials should be smooth and
and harvest the fish. non-abrasive, especially the cage bags. In cage bags, rigid
materials are more resistant to deformation in strong water
There are three types of cages: submersible, floating and fixed. currents compared to flexible materials, but flexible materials
absorb energy from water currents better and make
1. A submersible cage consists of a frame with slats for harvesting simpler for farmers. No single material possesses
openings and is submerged under the flowing water and all these qualities, but some are better suited to certain
anchored to the bottom. This type of cage is built with a species and site conditions.
rigid frame that allows it to move up and down the water
column to take advantage of water conditions. A cage consists of the following parts: frame, net, anchor,
ropes, floats/floaters, walkway/platform and a freeboard.
2. A floating cage is made from netting supported by a Anchors are placed at various points along the bottom of
buoyant collar or a stable frame that allows the cage nets to make sure they do not get twisted up and dragged
to move up or down with the fluctuating water level by the water current. Anchors may be made of iron, concrete,
without submerging. or even bags and bottles filled with wet sand. The freeboard
is the section of the net that is above the water level.
3. A fixed cage is a net bag used in shallow water that is
supported by posts anchored to the bottom of the water.
 Components of a small-scale fish cages

Net cage
Cage collar cum
working platform
(catwalk)

Anchor rope

Floats
Sinkers
Anchor
Rope to support
net cage

Figure 1. Components of small fish cages.

Cage frame Cage frame

The cage frame is the skeletal structure that holds the
net in which the fish are cultured. Frames can be made
of galvanized pipes, wood, bamboo, PVC pipes or other
materials that will not easily deteriorate in the water. In
modern large circular cages, high density poly ethylene
(HDPE) is used. The frame must be strong enough, corrosion
resistant and easily repairable or replaceable.

The cage can be of any shape, whether round, square or

rectangular, and the size depends on the scale of production
intended by the farmer. Special joints must be used to fix the
various frame elements together to form the desired shape.

Netting
The netting is what keeps the fish together. It protects the
fish against predators and external influences, and allows the
water to flow freely through the cage.

The size of the mesh depends on the size of the fish stocked
in the cage. It can be as small as 5 mm for rearing fry and
2–2.5 cm or bigger for outgrowing. The mesh size for the
protective netting could be 5 cm, and the cover net that
covers the mouth of the cage can be made with 6 mm or 10
mm nylon thread or braided twine, and a quarter-inch net
can be sewn and placed inside.

A larger mesh size improves the oxygen supply to the fish

and reduces problems with the nets. To prevent the nets
from clogging and deteriorating, they must be cleaned
regularly or replaced as needed. In floating cages, wetting
the freeboard regularly will help slow down the deterioration
of the net from exposure to sunlight. Plate 1. Cage culture infrastructure.
Mesh sizes Floats
Floats are fixed at the upper sections of cages, using braided
Choosing a mesh size for a cage depends on the size of the fish. twine, to make them buoyant. The floats should suspend the
entire cage structure (netting, frame, feeder, walkway, etc.)
Mesh size (cm) Length of fish (cm) safely on the surface of the water. Examples of floats include
HDPE floats and also sealed plastic barrels or Styrofoam
0.5 1–2 boxes. HDPE floats are less prone to leaks and deterioration
than drums (rubber barrels), gallons or PVC pipes.
1 5–10
Anchors
2 20–30 The cage requires an anchor to hold it in place. The anchor
can be made with concrete blocks and placed in the water
4–8 larger than 25 column with a 16 mm rope to hold the cage firmly in place.
Navel anchors can also be used, though these are more
Table 1. Appropriate mesh sizes for fish length. expensive. A wooden platform should be laid on top of the
cage to allow movement and farm operations to continue.

Types of nets used in tilapia culture Mooring

Moorings are required to hold the cages in place against the
There are two types of nets that are currently used for forces generated by wind, water currents and waves and to
tilapia cages: knotted and knotless. Knotless nets are more keep the cages in a particular spot. Moorings also influence
expensive but are more durable than knotted nets and less the forces from the water current and wind acting on the
prone to clogging, deteriorating, damaging and tearing. Be cages and related structures.
sure to order your nets from a reputable agent. If you would
like the nets sewn for you, contract an artisan with a proven There are two types of mooring systems: single-point and
track record of fixing nets that do not unravel at the seams, multi-point.
as this can cause fish to escape.

Single cage Single cage

single-point mooring multiple-point mooring

Knotless net material

Group of cages single-point mooring

Knotted net material Group of cages multiple-point mooring

Plate 2. Knotless (top) and knotted (bottom) nets. Figure 2. Examples of single-point and multi-point mooring.
Construction Size of the cage Dimensions (m)
To build a cage properly, first fix the
components (frames and floaters) Width Length Depth
together on land, and then tow the
cage to the specific location on the Small 1–2 1–3 1–2
water to be fixed. Use an anchor to
secure the cage firmly. A walkway can Medium 3–5 3–10 2–3
also be built to allow easy passage.
Large 10–25 30–50 3–5
Cages can be small, medium or large
in size. Table 2. Small, medium and large cages.

Acknowledgement Net
Platform
This work was undertaken as part of
the CGIAR Initiative on Aquatic Foods
under the ProSCAWA project led by
WorldFish. The project was supported
by the CGIAR Trust Fund with funding
from the China-IFAD South-South
and Triangular Cooperation Facility
administered by the International
Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD). The project was implemented Sniker
in partnership with two private sector
entities: ProSCAWA Fish Hub, Ghana
and Orisha Farms, Nigeria.

Figure 3. Illustration of a fish cage.

Citation
This publication should be cited as: Olaniyi AA, Siriwardena SN and Nasr-Allah A. 2022. Tilapia cage culture design. Penang, Malaysia:
WorldFish. Program Brief: 2022-34.

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© 2022 WorldFish.

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In partnership with

This initiative is funded by the Ministry of Finance of the

People's Republic of China through the China-IFAD
South-South and Triangular Cooperation Facility