Import & Export Guides
Fish Feed Making Machine Price in Bangladesh: How to Make Floating Fish Feed
Oct
Fish feed making machine price in Bangladesh depends mainly on whether you want floating or sinking feed. Floating fish feed needs an extruder, which cooks and expands the feed so it floats; sinking feed can be made on a cheaper pellet mill. Beyond that, price follows capacity, dry or wet (steam) extrusion, and how complete the line is — grinder, mixer, extruder, dryer, cooler and oil coater. DE International sources feed machinery from China and delivers door-to-door to farms and feed units across Bangladesh. Tell us your fish species, pellet sizes and daily output, and ask us for a current quote.
This guide explains how floating feed is made, which machines you need, and what to settle before you invest.
Why does extruded feed float
Inside an extruder, a rotating screw pushes moist feed mash forward under rising pressure and heat. The starch in the mash cooks (gelatinises) and becomes elastic. When the hot, pressurised mass leaves through the small holes of the die, the pressure drops suddenly and part of the water flashes into steam. That steam puffs the pellet up, lowering its density so it floats.
Two practical lessons follow. First, your formula needs enough starch from ingredients such as wheat flour, broken rice or maize, or the pellet will not expand well. Second, high fat in the mash reduces expansion; fat is often sprayed onto pellets after drying instead. A pellet mill does not cook and expand feed the same way, which is why pellet-mill feed sinks.
Floating or sinking feed: which do you need
| Point | Floating feed (extruder) | Sinking feed (pellet mill) |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | Extruder with die and cutter | Ring-die or flat-die pellet mill |
| Feeding | Farmer sees fish eating and can adjust feeding | Feed eaten below the surface, harder to observe |
| Water stability | Generally stays together longer in water | Can break down faster if poorly made |
| Species fit | Surface feeders such as pangas and tilapia | Bottom feeders and shrimp feeds often sink |
| Investment | Higher: extruder plus dryer | Lower; also used for poultry and cattle feed |
Many Bangladeshi fish farmers prefer floating feed because they can watch the fish eat and stop feeding when appetite drops, which reduces waste. If you also produce poultry or cattle feed, our guide to poultry and livestock feed pellet machines covers pellet mills.
Which machines does a floating fish feed line need
- Grinder (hammer mill). Fish feed needs finer grinding than poultry feed, especially for small pellets used for fry and fingerlings. Fine, uniform particles extrude better.
- Mixer. Blends the ground ingredients, vitamins and minerals evenly.
- Extruder. Single-screw extruders are common for small and medium plants; twin-screw extruders handle more varied formulas at higher cost.
- Conditioner (for wet extrusion). Adds steam and water before the extruder; needs a boiler.
- Dryer. Removes moisture from fresh pellets so they store without mould.
- Cooler. Brings pellets to room temperature before bagging.
- Oil coater. Sprays oil onto pellets to add energy without hurting expansion.
- Sieve and bagging. Removes fines and packs feed.
Dry extruders without steam are simpler and suit smaller farms making feed for their own ponds. Wet extruders with steam conditioning give better cooking and pellet quality and suit commercial feed mills, but add a boiler, which in Bangladesh must be registered and inspected before use.
What decides the price
- Capacity in kilograms or tonnes per hour.
- Dry or wet extrusion, and single- or twin-screw design.
- Main motor size and the electrical supply it needs.
- Number of dies for different pellet diameters — you will need several sizes as fish grow.
- Dryer type. A belt dryer costs more than a simple drying method but gives consistent moisture.
- Automation. Feeding control, temperature control and line conveyors.
- Landed cost including freight, duty, VAT and installation.
Because a small dry extruder and a full wet-extrusion line are very different investments, we quote against your plan. Ask us for a quote built around your species and output.
A worked example: own-farm unit or commercial feed mill
A pond owner who wants to feed their own fish usually starts with a small dry extruder, a grinder and a mixer, and dries pellets with a simple dryer. The aim is to control cost and freshness for one farm, and the farmer adjusts the formula for each season.
A commercial feed mill selling to many farms needs consistency above everything, because customers will compare growth results between brands. That usually means wet extrusion with steam conditioning, a belt dryer, a cooler, an oil coater, proper sieving, a quality-control bench and bagging with printed labels. The step from the first plan to the second is not just bigger machines: it adds a boiler, licensing, testing and a sales operation. Decide honestly which business you are building before you request quotes.
How to check pellet quality
- Float test. Drop a sample of pellets into a glass of water and see what share still floats after some minutes. Sinking pellets mean poor expansion.
- Water stability. Leave pellets in water and check whether they hold their shape or turn to mush; feed that breaks up quickly is wasted and pollutes the pond.
- Fines. Shake a sample in a bag and sieve it. A lot of dust means weak pellets that break during handling.
- Moisture. Pellets that are too moist go mouldy in storage, especially during the monsoon.
- Size uniformity. Mixed pellet sizes mean small fish cannot eat some of the feed.
Ask the machine supplier to run these checks with your formula during the factory test, and record the results.
Raw materials and licensing in Bangladesh
Common ingredients include rice bran, mustard oil cake, soybean meal, maize, wheat flour and fish meal. Their quality varies by season and supplier, and ingredient quality decides feed quality more than the machine does. Keep ingredients dry and test them for moisture; mouldy ingredients produce poor feed whatever the extruder.
Commercial feed manufacturing in Bangladesh is regulated under the Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act, administered for fish feed by the Department of Fisheries. If you plan to sell feed rather than use it on your own farm, confirm the current licensing and labelling requirements before production. Rules and procedures change, so check with the department and a consultant.
Common mistakes
- Coarse grinding. Large particles block small dies and give rough, weak pellets.
- Formulas with too little starch. The feed will not float, and the machine gets blamed.
- Skipping the dryer. Moist pellets go mouldy in storage, especially in the monsoon.
- Only one die size. Fish need different pellet sizes as they grow.
- Underestimating power. Extruders draw heavy current; confirm your three-phase supply.
FAQ
What is the price of a fish feed making machine in Bangladesh?
It depends on floating or sinking feed, capacity and line completeness. DE International quotes against your plan; ask us for a current quote.
How do I make floating fish feed in Bangladesh?
Grind ingredients finely, mix, and cook-expand the mash in an extruder, then dry, cool and oil-coat the pellets. Enough starch in the formula is essential.
Can a pellet mill make floating feed?
Generally no. Pellet mills compress feed without the cooking and expansion an extruder gives, so the pellets sink.
Do I need a licence to make fish feed?
Commercial feed makers are regulated under the Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Fisheries.
Who can supply a fish feed extruder from China?
DE International sources and ships feed machinery door-to-door. WhatsApp +880 1750-859967.
Read about agricultural drones and feed equipment and duty concessions on agricultural machinery, or see our services, sourcing agent service and shop. Contact us or WhatsApp +880 1750-859967.
