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Culture of indigenous catfish Shingi, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794), with available low cost formulated feed in earthen ponds of Bangladesh
Authors: Md. Abdus Samad, Md. Nahiduzzaman, Md. Ashrafuzzaman, Md. Abdur Rashid, Mastarin Akter
Number of views: 288
Objective: To determine the impacts of three different low cost diets in monoculture system on
the growth and production of indigenous catfish Shingi, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794)
(H. fossilis) in earthen ponds.
Methods: The experiment was carried out for a period of six months with three treatment
groups (T1, T2 and T3) each having three replicates in the research ponds of Department of
Fisheries, University of Rajshahi. Protein levels of formulated feed used in three treatments
were 31% in T
1, 29% in T2 and 27% in T3, respectively. Stocking density of H. fossilis was 250
individuals/decimal in each treatment. At stocking, all fingerlings were of mean length and
weight of (4.30 ± 0.01) cm and (4.20 ± 0.02) g, respectively. Fish growth and water quality
parameters of the experiment were measured fortnightly.
Results: The mean values of water temperature, transparency, pH, dissolved oxygen, free CO2,
alkalinity and NH3-N of water varied from (22.08 ± 1.78) to (22.35 ± 1.76) °C, (27.09 ± 0.92)
to (28.01 ± 0.82) cm, 7.44 ± 0.06 to 7.52 ± 0.06, (4.47 ± 0.10) to (4.53 ± 0.08) mg/L, (6.31 ±
0.33) to (7.05 ± 0.17) mg/L, (105.72 ± 2.97) to (109.11 ± 4.57) mg/L and (0.010 8 ± 0.002 0)
to (0.011 2 ± 0.001 0) mg/L, respectively. Mean values of the water quality parameters showed
no significant differences (P > 0.05) among the treatments. The net weight gain and survival
rate were found to be (43.90 ± 0.42) g and (83.21 ± 1.43)% in T1, (37.50 ± 0.67) g and (79.28
± 1.36)% in T2 and (34.30 ± 0.62) g and (78.95 ± 2.53)% in T3, respectively, which were
significantly (P < 0.05) different among the treatments. The minimum value [(1.10 ± 0.22)%]
of specific growth rate (SGR) was recorded in T3; whereas the maximum value [(1.35 ± 0.25)%]
was recorded in T
1. The values of feed conversion ratio (FCR) of H. fossilis were found to be
2.68 ± 0.34, 2.31 ± 0.12, 2.22 ± 0.05 in T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Significantly higher weight
gain, SGR and survival rate of H. fossilis were found in T1. The net production (kg/ha) was also
found significantly (P < 0.05) different among the treatments. Net production in T1 (2 249.98
± 10.66) was significantly higher than that in T2 (1 829.34 ± 4.50) and T3 (1 652.05 ± 16.69).
Cost-benefit ratio (CBR) in treatment T1 in the present study was higher (1:1.91) than that in
the other two treatments.
Conclusions: The overall production of H. fossilis and CBR in T1 were significantly higher.
From the study, considering water quality, production and economics, it is proved that the
higher growth and survival rate of H. fossilis was found with 31% protein level of the feed in
earthen ponds of Bangladesh.