Assessment of the cultivation parameters of the pearl cichlidGeophagus brasiliensisin biofloc and clear water systems

Abstract

Geophagus brasiliensis is a species native from Brazilian continental waters and it is distributed in several aquatic ecosystems. Despite its importance to artisanal fishing, mainly for riverside communities, and fishkeeping, this species is an unusual resource for aquaculture. Fish farming can be carried out in different systems, as in biofloc system (BFT), which has some advantages comparing to traditional semi-intensive systems: high densities, maximizing the use of water and food provided. The objective was to evaluate the rearing of the G. brasiliensis in a BFT comparing with a clean water system (CW), considering the zootechnical performance, water quality and microorganisms community. The experiment lasted 40 days and was carried out in tanks with a useful volume of 200 L, with three repetitions for each treatment. To compare the two systems, the fish conditions (weight-length ratio, condition factor and zootechnical performance) and the conditions of the environment (water quality and composition of microorganisms in the BFT treatment) were evaluated. BFT animals showed higher zootechnical performance (final weight, weight gain and feed conversion) when compared to treatment CW. The water quality showed a difference between BFT and CW for all levels except temperature and N-ammoniacal; however, it was within the acceptable limits for cichlids in the two treatments. Eight rates of microorganisms, potential food for the fish, were found in the BFT treatment during the experiment. The species G. brasiliensis showed a higher zootechnical performance in a biofloc system compared to the clear water system, indicating the potential for cultivation in intensive production systems.