Considerations on Cage Design

Philip S. Cruz
Cruz Aquaculture Corp.

General Types of Cages

Fixed Floating (also called gravity cage)
Wooden/bamboo Steel Plastic

Submersible

Fixed Cage

Tilapia cages (Lemery, Taal)

Bangus cages (Dagupan City)

Features
ADVANTAGES Simplest and cheapest to construct of all cage types DISADVANTAGE Requires wellsheltered areas Cage volume fluctuates with tide Prone to rapid water quality deterioration Prone to damage from flash floods Requires frequent repair

Floating Cage: Wooden/Bamboo

Grouper cages (Guimaras, Iloilo)

Bangus cages (Ragay Gulf)

Features
ADVANTAGES Simplest and cheapest to construct of floating cages DISADVANTAGE Easily damaged by rough weather Maximum length and width limited to 5-6 meters Requires frequent repair and maintenance

Typhoon damage, Taal Lake

Floating Cage: Steel

Milkfish cages (Bolinao)

Milkfish cages (Bolinao)

Tilapia cages (Taal)

Grouper cages (Taal)

Features
ADVANTAGES More robust compared to wooden/ bamboo cages Can be constructed to larger dimensions DISADVANTAGE Prone to typhoon damage when not properly constructed High steel prices have made steel cages already expensive to construct Costly to maintain (requires frequent painting)

Floating Cage: Plastic

Australian tuna cages

Taiwanese cobia cages

Features
ADVANTAGES Will easily tolerate 3 meter waves when properly constructed and moored Long service life Low maintenance DISADVANTAGE High capital cost

Submersible Cage

Submersible Cage

100-m3

Features
ADVANTAGES Can survive 5-7 m waves DISADVANTAGE High capital cost, not practical for low value and medium value fish species Difficult to feed fish equitably Difficult to clean nets

Considerations on Cage Design

Cage shape Cage size Net depth Net mesh Cage layout

Effect of Cage Shape

Productivity increases with greater cage surface area exposed to the water current

A rectangular cage is potentially more productive than a square cage, which is potentially more productive than a circular cage

Effect of Cage Shape

In terms of fish behavior, a circular cage is more suited for pelagic species

A square cage is desirable for demersal species as it maximizes bottom space

Effect of Cage Shape

In sites exposed to strong tidal water currents, small cages should be rectangular in shape to minimize feeds from drifting outside of cage
W A T E R C U R R E N T

Effect of Cage Size

The smaller the cage, the higher is the water exchange rate, and hence the higher is the productivity per unit volume

Effect of Cage Size

In a square cage, the potential productivity drops by 50% every four fold increase in area
400 kg

200 kg 100 kg

A 1 x 1 m cage is potentially twice more productive than a 2 x 2 m cage, and four times more than a 4 x 4 m cage

Effect of Cage Size

Smaller cages which are stocked more densely, tend to have higher FCRs due greater feeding competition, stress, and inevitable feed losses during feeding frenzy

Effect of Cage Size

Higher FCR in smaller cages is also partly due to the more pronounced feeding domination of bigger fish Smaller cages demands more careful feeding management Use of floating feeds is recommended for small cages

Effect of Net Depth

Assuming the same water volume, a deeper net will support more fish than a bigger cage

Deeper nets, however, will tend to produce uneven fish sizes due to the limited feeding area on the surface

Effect of Net Depth

Deep nets (for gravity type cages) easily collapse under strong currents resulting to stress if not injury to fish; use should be limited to calm water The deeper the net, the more difficult it is to change and inspect; maximum depth should be limited to 8-10 m

Effect of Net Depth

DEEPER NETS WILL REQUIRE: heavier net weights (to minimize net deformity) greater cage buoyancy (to support heavier net weights) tapering cut (to reduce net drag) thicker twine (for tolerance to greater drag) stronger cage frame (for tolerance to greater torsional stresses)

Effect of Net Mesh

The bigger the mesh size, the freer is the water flow To attain the maximum growth potential, it is necessary to increase mesh size as the fish becomes bigger Ideally, at least three mesh sizes are used during the entire culture period, starting with 25-35K and ending with 8-10K

Effect of Net Mesh

Square mesh net orientation is more desirable compared to diamond mesh orientation as it maintains the cage shape better Square mesh net orientation is also less prone to clogging

Effect of Cage Layout

Multiple cages should ideally be positioned one after another in a straight line and perpendicular to the current flow for optimum water exchange This is especially so in areas where water flow is predominantly unidirectional.

Effect of Cage Layout

In multiple cages adopting a chess board arrangement, the compartments facing the incoming water will tend to have higher growth rates and biomass productivity

End