What are the steps in floating fish feed processing?

Dec 01, 2025

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Fish feed pellet processing is a systematic workflow ensuring nutritional balance, physical stability, and suitability for aquatic animals. Below are the core steps, applicable to both floating and sinking feed production:
1. Raw Material Preparation & Formulation
First, design a formula tailored to fish species (carnivorous/omnivorous/herbivorous) and growth stages. Key ingredients include protein sources (fish meal, soybean meal), energy sources (corn flour, wheat bran), fats (fish oil), vitamins, and minerals. Raw materials are crushed into 80-100 mesh fine powder via a hammer mill to improve mixing uniformity and processing efficiency. Accurate weighing (using electronic scales) and pre-mixing (5-10 minutes in a horizontal mixer) follow, ensuring all components are evenly blended.
2. Conditioning
The mixed powder is fed into a conditioner, where steam or water is injected to adjust moisture (16-18%) and temperature (85-95°C). This step initiates starch gelatinization, softens the material, and enhances nutrient digestibility. Conditioning time lasts 2-5 minutes to ensure uniform heat and moisture distribution, laying the foundation for subsequent molding.
3. Molding (Extrusion/Compression)
Floating feed: Use a fishing fish feed pellet making machine (single/twin-screw) to apply high temperature (110-130°C), pressure (3-10 MPa), and shear force. The material expands through die holes due to sudden pressure drop, forming a porous structure (density ≤1 g/cm³) for buoyancy.
Sinking feed: Use a pellet mill to compress the material directly through a ring die, producing dense pellets (density >1 g/cm³) without expansion.
A rotating cutter trims pellets to the desired length (0.3-10 mm) based on fish size.
4. Drying & Cooling
Molded pellets have 25-30% moisture, requiring drying in a belt/fluidized bed dryer (60-80°C) to reduce moisture to 10-12% (prevents mold growth). After drying, pellets are cooled to room temperature via a counterflow cooler to avoid condensation and caking during storage.
5. Post-Processing & Quality Control
Optional coating (fish oil, amino acids) enhances palatability and nutrient retention. Quality checks include floating stability (12-24 hours for floating feed), hardness, nutrient content, and microbial safety. Qualified feed is packaged in moisture-proof bags and stored in a cool, dry warehouse.
Each step is strictly controlled to ensure feed digestibility, safety, and adaptability, supporting efficient and sustainable aquaculture.

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Floating Fish Food Pellet Extruder

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