High growth rate using new type demand feeding system with image processing program and fish behavior.

Demand feeding system serves feeds to fish, when fish switch on feeders. Although demand feeding system has advantages, it still has problems, e.g. hierarchy problem of fish school and system learning period problem for fish. New type of demand feeding system was develop to solve these problems using fish behaviour and image processing system. At first, behaviour experiment was conducted using the image processing software Roborealm to obtain the optimum parameter for computer program. Through the behaviour experiment, two typical behaviour patterns were detected. When fish was hungry, fish group came to the water surface (H: parameter >63%), and when fish was not hungry, fish came to bottom (L: <45%) of fish tank. These two parameters were obtained and were put into the computer program in the workstation. HD Wi-Fi camera continuously recorded the real time fish behaviour in fish tank, and when fish group came to above the “H”, then the command was sent from workstation to microcomputer to send the order to feeding device to feed on. The results of feeding experiment showed this system could provide pellets to fish day and night time equally following fish behaviour. This feeding system could provide the pellets to fish based on fish requirements. The growth rate was higher than other feeding system (timer feeder and demand feeder using an infrared light sensor)

Demand feeding device using a video processing system and fish behavior as parameter for a computer program to control feeding time and amount

Fish feeding system has three methods; manual, automatic and demand feeding. Demand feeding system serves feeds to fish, when fish switch on feeders. Although demand feeding system has advantages, there are still some problems; e.g. social status in fish. A few fish occupy the actuation of switch of the feeder, so results show the variation in fish growth. Another issue is that the fish learning period of demand feeders becomes long depending on fish species. New type feeding system was developed to overcome these problems related to feeding to fish. The new feeding system uses fish behaviour as sensor to control feeding device. In general when fish are hungry and not hungry, their behaviours are different. In this system, CCD cameras detected fish behaviour and computer program analysed the differences of behaviour, then the programed decided and transmitted the order to feeding device to start feeding or stop feeding. Asian seabass young were used for feeding test of this feeding system. Control experiments were prepared with timer feeder and infrared feeding system. Glass aquaria (45 cm x 45 cm x 90 cm) were prepared with each feeding system and water filtration system. Each system was prepared triplicate aquaria. Feeding experiment results showed no significant difference among each feeding system, however the experiment showed the new feeding system could provide the feed to fish smoothly and it can be used for fish rearing