Intensive Cage Culture of Nile tilapia in River Nile Systems Canals in Egypt

Abstract

A 28-week rearing trial was conducted in twelve one cubic meter cages with (30.2 ± 3.2 g/fish) Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus mono sex males fingerlings, to test the feasibility of rearing Nile tilapia mono sex in floating cages placed in the River Nile systems, to find out the optimum stocking density per m 3 that could give maximum yield of market-size fish, also, the weight and length of fish at stocking and to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the water of El-Bagoria canals at El-Hamoul, Menoufiya governate. Fish were fed a least cost diet containing 30.2% crude protein and 4600 kcal /kg diet. The results revealed that Nile tilapia average weight 30.2 g/fish with 150 fish /m 3 as stocking density were adequate for rearing. These fish gave the best both of average weight gain of 117 g/fish and total production of 22.1 kg/m 3 . The artificial food supplied with a crude protein content of 30.2 % is adequate for rearing Nile tilapia in running water systems. The physico-chemical property of the water of El-Bagoria canals was found to be adequate for rearing of Nile tilapia in cages.