This is a project regarding an aquafeed continuous belt dryer in Nigeria. A fish feed mill in Ogun State, Nigeria, near Abeokuta, was producing extruded floating feed for tilapia and catfish. The challenge was drying. Extruded pellets exit the extruder at 22-25% moisture. If not dried properly to 8-10%, the pellets can mold in storage or sink instead of float.
This is a project regarding an aquafeed continuous belt dryer in Nigeria. A fish feed mill in Ogun State, Nigeria, near Abeokuta, was producing extruded floating feed for tilapia and catfish. The challenge was drying. Extruded pellets exit the fish feed extruder at 22-25% moisture. If not dried properly to 8-10%, the pellets can mold in storage or sink instead of float.
Their existing batch dryer was inconsistent – some pellets were over-dried (cracked, dusty), others under-dried (mold risk). They needed a continuous dryer that would produce uniform moisture throughout.
The production manager (let's call him Ade) explained the challenge: "Tilapia farmers want floating pellets that stay on the surface for 2+ hours. If the pellets are under-dried, they sink. If they're over-dried, they crack and create dust. Our batch dryer couldn't maintain consistent moisture. We needed a continuous dryer with uniform airflow."
The mill produces about 10,000 tons annually of extruded floating feed for tilapia and catfish farmers across Nigeria. Ade looked for a continuous drying system that could handle 2-3 tons/hour of extruded pellets with uniform moisture output. He found the DHG-1000 belt dryer from RICHI.
Name:
Aqua feed dryer
Country:
Nigeria
Date:
2025
Capacity:
2-2.5 tons/hour
Model:
DHG-1000
heat:
electrically
design:
5-layer
drying area:
43 m²
From the belt dryer table, the DHG-1000 (electrically heated) was selected. Why this model?
Ade chose the electric model because their facility had reliable electricity. The DHG-1000 aquafeed continuous belt dryer in Nigeria runs on electricity only.
Nigeria's aquaculture industry is growing rapidly. Ade's mill produces:
Pellet specifications:
The challenge is removing 12-15% moisture without:
The DHG-1000 aquafeed continuous belt dryer arrived at the Port of Lagos (Apapa Port) – Nigeria's largest port. Shipping time from Qingdao to Lagos is about 30-35 days. The machine was packed in a 40-foot container with:
Customs clearance in Lagos took about 8 days. Total landed cost was about 28% higher than the FOB price.
Installation took three weeks. Ade's team prepared a concrete foundation – the DHG-1000 is about 12 meters long. They poured a 200mm reinforced slab. The electrical hookup required 380V, 50Hz three-phase (Nigerian standard). The 70kW heater required a 160-amp breaker.
The first test run was with tilapia pellets at 24% moisture. The pellets were spread on the belt (layer thickness 25mm). Belt speed was set to 12 minutes per layer – total drying time 60 minutes across 5 layers. Air temperature: 95°C. Output moisture: 9%. Floating: 98% of pellets floated. No cracks. Uniform color.
After six months of operation, Ade documented the following results:
Before (batch dryer – inconsistent):
After (DHG-1000 belt dryer – continuous):
Production output:
Quality improvements:
Here's what Ade said after six months (paraphrased from a conversation):
"Our batch dryer was a gamble. Some batches were perfect. Others were under-dried and molded. Farmers complained that pellets sank. We were losing customers.
"The DHG-1000 changed that. Continuous drying gives us consistent moisture every time. 8-10% moisture, every batch. 96% of pellets float for 2+ hours. No more mold. No more complaints.
"The 5-layer belt gives us 60 minutes of drying time at 95°C. The airflow is uniform across the 1.2m belt. No hot spots, no cold spots.
"A few operational notes: The pellet layer should be 25mm – not too thick, not too thin. The belt speed needs adjustment for different pellet sizes (tilapia 3mm vs catfish 6mm). The belts need weekly cleaning – starch dust builds up.
"Would I recommend this machine? Yes. For any fish feed mill making extruded floating feed, continuous belt drying is essential. The DHG-1000 paid for itself in ten months."
Extruded fish feed has unique drying requirements. Here's why 95°C and belt drying work:
Moisture uniformity: Batch dryers have hot and cold spots. Belt dryers have uniform airflow across the entire belt width. Result: all pellets reach the same final moisture.
Gentle handling: Pellets sit stationary on the belt. No tumbling, no breakage. Batch dryers that tumble pellets cause cracking.
Continuous operation: No batch-to-batch variation. The same settings produce the same results hour after hour.
Floatation stability: Pellets need 8-10% moisture to float. Above 12%, they sink. Below 6%, they crack. Belt dryers maintain tight moisture control.
Ade's testing showed:
| Moisture Content | Floatation Rate | Pellet Quality |
|---|---|---|
| >12% | 60-70% | Sinks, mold risk |
| 10-12% | 85-90% | Marginal float |
| 8-10% | 95-98% | Excellent float |
| 6-8% | 90-95% | Cracking risk |
| <6% | <80% | Severe cracking |
The DHG-1000's 5-layer design allows controlled moisture removal:
Total drying time: 60 minutes. The decreasing temperature gradient prevents case hardening (dry outside, wet inside).
For extruded pellets, layer thickness affects drying:
Ade's team uses a spreading gate to maintain 25mm layer thickness. They check it hourly.
Ade adjusts the aquafeed continuous belt dryer for different pellet sizes:
Tilapia feed (3mm pellets):
Catfish feed (6mm pellets):
The PLC stores settings for each product. Changeover takes 15 minutes.
The DHG-1000 shipped from Qingdao to Port of Lagos (Apapa Port), Nigeria. Shipping time from Qingdao to Lagos is about 30-35 days. The route goes through the South China Sea, past Singapore, across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and up the Atlantic coast of West Africa.
The machine was packed in a 40-foot container. Customs clearance in Lagos took about 8 days. Total landed cost was about 28% higher than the FOB price. The truck transport from Lagos to Ogun State was about 100km – roughly 2 hours.
After six months of running the DHG-1000 aquafeed continuous belt dryer in Nigeria, Ade shared several observations:
Lesson 1: Continuous drying eliminates batch variation. Once the settings are dialed in, every bag is the same.
Lesson 2: 8-10% moisture is the sweet spot for floating feed. Above 12% = sink. Below 6% = crack.
Lesson 3: Layer thickness must be uniform. 25mm is optimal. Ade's team checks hourly.
Lesson 4: Different pellet sizes need different settings. Ade stores settings in the PLC for quick changeover.
Lesson 5: Clean belts weekly. Starch dust builds up and reduces airflow. Ade's team uses compressed air every Friday. Takes 30 minutes.
RICHI provided several services that helped Ade get the DHG-1000 operational:
For a fish feed mill producing extruded floating feed, continuous belt drying is the standard. Consider the DHG-1000 if:
Consider a larger model (DHG-2000) if:
For Ade's fish feed mill, the DHG-1000 was the right investment. It achieved consistent 8-10% moisture, improved floatation from 80% to 96%, increased throughput by 92%, and paid for itself in 8-10 months.
If you're a fish feed mill producing extruded floating feed, don't settle for batch drying. Inconsistent moisture leads to sinking pellets, mold, and customer complaints.
The DHG-1000 aquafeed continuous belt dryer in Nigeria provides uniform airflow across the entire belt. The 5-layer design gives 60 minutes of gentle drying. The result is pellets with 8-10% moisture that float reliably for 2+ hours.
For floating aquafeed, the math is simple: consistent moisture = reliable floatation = happy farmers = repeat business.
RICHI offers documentation in English, temperature guidance, and remote support. Contact RICHI Machinery through the website with your pellet size, target moisture, and capacity for a recommendation. Tell them about your floating feed application – they can help you select the right dryer and settings for optimal floatation.
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