Effect of stocking density on growth performance, survival and production of Monosex Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under nursery ponds in northern regions of Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study was to assess and evaluate the culture potential of Tengra with short-cycle species in the seasonal water bodies of farmers’ fields and disseminate the cultural technologies in a different part of the country. The research study was evaluating the improvement of nursery management technique in drought prone area of Northern region in farmer field level. Before conducting research fish farmers of Different upazila were selected by departmental authority and pre training management. Growth, survival and production performances of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings were evaluated for 40 days in nine nursery ponds having an area of 20 decimal each with an average depth of 1.0 m. Three stocking densities such as 1000 dec-1 (T1=Treatment-1), 1200 dec-1 (T2= Treatment-2) and 1400 dec-1 (T3=Treatment-3) were tested with three replications. Fry were fed with commercial nursery feed (30% crude protein). The rate of feeding was 25% to 8% of the estimated body weight of fry. The physico-chemical and biological parameters of pond water were within the suitable range for fish culture. Growth in terms of final weight, final length, weight gain, length gain and specific growth rate was significantly higher in T1 than those obtained from T2 and T3. The survival of fish fingerlings was higher in T1(85.67%) than T3 (76%) and T2 (83%) respectively. Maximum of fingerlings was produced in T2 than those in T1 and T3. Among the treatments evaluated, 1000 dec-1 was the best stocking density considering the growth performance of the fingerlings of monosex Tilapia, O. niloticus in nursery ponds.