3T/H Tilapia Pellet Extruder Machine in Cuba

Why a Single Tilapia Pellet Extruder, Not a Full Line?

Unlike some larger fish feed companies, this cooperative does not yet have the infrastructure for a full feed mill. However, they do own basic raw material processing equipment — such as a small hammer mill for maize and rice bran, a horizontal feed mixer, and sun-drying yards for drying local protein sources like fish offcuts and soybean cake.

Their goal was clear: keep using the old hammer mill and mixer, but add a reliable tilapia pellet extruder as the core machine to convert mixed mash feed into properly cooked, buoyant pellets.

The choice to buy only one fish feed extruder machine means they can:

• Control feed quality on-site.
• Gradually scale up production as fish stock grows.
• Avoid the financial burden of building an entire industrial line upfront.
• Gain experience in feed extrusion and train staff step by step.

Equipment Selection: The SPHS120×2 Tilapia Pellet Extruder Machine in Cuba

After comparing different models, the cooperative chose the RICHI SPHS120×2 twin-screw extruder for its proven balance of capacity, energy efficiency, and versatility for mid-scale tropical fish farms.

Key configuration for this Cuban project:

• Model: SPHS120×2
• Main Motor Power: 110 kW
• Screw Diameter: 120 mm
• Feeder Motor Power: 1.5 kW
• Conditioner Power: 11 kW (DC500-244)
• Differential Conditioner Power: 11 kW (DC500×400-300)
• Production Capacity: 3.0–4.0 t/h

The tilapia pellet extruder machine in Cuba is fully compatible with their manually controlled mixer and allows the operator to adjust moisture and steam injection levels easily.

Raw Materials: What Goes Into Cuban Tilapia Feed

Cuba has a strong tradition of agricultural co-ops that grow grains, oilseeds, and pulses. This cooperative uses mainly locally sourced feed ingredients, blending them to meet the protein needs of tilapia, which require a balanced diet to achieve good growth rates.

A typical feed mix they prepare looks like this:

• Broken rice (35%): Readily available from local paddy fields, an affordable energy source.
• Maize meal (25%): Ground corn adds both energy and some protein.
• Soybean cake (20%): Produced by other cooperatives that process local soybeans.
• Fishmeal (10%): Derived from processing tilapia offcuts and small fish from nearby reservoirs.
• Vegetable oil (5%): Improves pellet binding and adds energy.
• Minerals & vitamin premix (5%): Balanced micro-nutrients for healthy fish growth.

This raw material mix is mixed and ground with the cooperative’s existing hammer mill and mixer. Once mixed, the mash is conveyed to the tilapia pellet extruder machine for cooking, forming, and drying into floating pellets.

Core Purpose: Feeding Tilapia Efficiently, Flexibly, and Sustainably

This 3t/h tilapia pellet extruder machine in Cuba plays a strategic role in helping the cooperative meet several key goals:

• Produce high-quality floating pellets: Floating pellets allow fish farmers to monitor feed intake, reduce feed waste, and keep pond water cleaner.
• Customize feed recipes: Different pond stages — fry, fingerling, grow-out — require different pellet sizes and nutrient profiles. With the twin-screw extruder’s die flexibility, they can easily switch between sizes.
• Lower dependency on imported feed: By using locally grown maize, rice, and soybean cake, the farm cuts its reliance on costly imported feed ingredients.
• Reduce feed costs: On average, feed accounts for up to 60% of total tilapia farming costs. Producing pellets on-site offers predictable pricing and shields the farm from external price spikes.
• Expand potential products: Beyond tilapia, the cooperative is testing trial batches for local carp ponds and small batches of extruded feed for ornamental fish enthusiasts.

Local Conditions: Why Tilapia Pellet Extrusion Makes Sense for Cuba

Cuba’s warm, stable climate allows for year-round tilapia farming. Reservoirs and small ponds supply water, but fish health management requires clean water. Floating extruded pellets help minimize leftover feed at the pond bottom, reducing harmful sludge and improving fish survival rates.

In the past, some farmers used mash feed or hand-mixed wet feeds. These are cheap but inefficient: fish waste increases, water quality drops, and feed conversion ratios suffer. With the RICHI tilapia pellet extruder, feed digestibility improves by 10–15%, helping the farm achieve healthier fish and faster harvest cycles.

Technical Highlights of the RICHI SPHS120×2 Tilapia Pellet Extruder Machine

The farm’s choice of the SPHS120×2 twin-screw tilapia pellet extruder machine was no accident. They needed a machine that could handle local tropical conditions, variable raw material quality, and continuous operation under limited technical supervision.

Key technical advantages include:

• Twin-screw configuration: Ensures consistent mixing, cooking, and pellet forming, even when ingredient moisture levels vary slightly.
• Integrated differential conditioner: Improves steam absorption and cooking uniformity.
• Wear-resistant screws and liners: Designed for abrasive grains like maize.
• Variable speed feeder: Allows easy adjustments for throughput and feed density.
• Quick die changes: Let the operator switch pellet sizes in less than 30 minutes.

These features make the machine robust enough for rural conditions where skilled maintenance support may be limited.

Additional Value: Training and Support from RICHI Machinery

RICHI did not just ship a tilapia pellet extruder. Their engineers visited the farm to:

• Inspect existing milling and mixing equipment.
• Help lay out the extruder’s installation to fit into the cooperative’s old warehouse.
• Train four local operators in safe operation, daily maintenance, and recipe tweaking.
• Provide spare parts, tooling, and remote troubleshooting support.

For small cooperatives, this kind of backup is priceless. It ensures they get the full return on investment and gain real-world extrusion know-how.

The Bigger Picture: Laying the Foundation for Local Feed Independence

By investing in the 3t/h tilapia pellet extruder machine in Cuba, this cooperative has become a pioneer among local fish farmers. They can now control feed quality, cost, and supply chain timing — crucial advantages in an island economy where imports are unpredictable and expensive.

This move also opens doors for the cooperative to sell surplus feed to neighboring tilapia ponds or even supply new government-backed community aquaculture projects. Several other fish cooperatives have already shown interest in visiting the site to see the machine in action.

Why This Matters for Other Aquaculture Entrepreneurs

The Cuban case proves that you don’t need a million-dollar industrial feed mill to produce good floating tilapia feed. A smartly chosen tilapia pellet extruder machine, a simple hammer mill, and a mixer are enough to get started and grow step by step.

When the time comes, the cooperative can easily expand. If demand doubles, they may add a second SPHS120×2 tilapia extruder or upgrade to a larger SPHS150×2 to push capacity to 5–6 t/h — all while using the same proven raw material supply chain.

RICHI Tilapia Pellet Extruders Help Small Farms Grow Stronger

This fish feed mill project shows how the right feed equipment — from a tilapia pellet extruder machine to a floating fish feed machine — makes a difference for real farmers in real conditions.

For anyone raising tilapia in Latin America or other tropical regions, the message is clear: you can take feed production into your own hands, reduce costs, boost fish growth, and run a more sustainable operation.

RICHI Machinery stands ready to help. Whether you need a single fish feed pelletizer, a floating fish feed extruder, or a full turnkey aqua fish feed production line, the team offers the right technology, installation support, and training to ensure you succeed.

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Interested? Contact RICHI and get your feed independence plan moving today.